I love the transparency of fundraising efforts through Kickstarter. The website lists donors’ names immediately and keeps a running total of the amounts raised. No pledges are final until the entire campaign goal is met. Kickstarter takes a 5% commission on successful projects — if that strikes you as high, consider the amount of time and money spent in a typical nonprofit or even private fundraising effort.
So it’s good to report today that the Savannah Music Festival’s effort to fund its vital Swing Central Jazz educational efforts is 89% of the way to the $25,000 goal with 8 days still remaining in the campaign. (The 143 backers have so far contributed $22,477, an average of about $157 each; any donation of $10 $1 or more is welcome.)
A few days ago, Kickstarter listed Swing Central Jazz as one of its “recommended” projects, which has brought an added benefit of greater internet exposure for the SMF generally and Swing Central Jazz specifically.
To learn more about Swing Central Jazz, check out this video: