A key thread in all successful crowdfunding campaigns is a well-written, emotive, and informative story that connects with its audience.
Before setting up your campaign, take a look at BackaBuddy’s advice for good story writing.
Practical considerations
Keep your campaign message short (no longer than 200-500 words)
Use Paragraphs and comfortable spacing to separate your ideas.
Highlight important information by bolding, underlining, italicizing key phrases or words.
Keep your tone friendly and conversational.
Don’t forget to do a quick spelling and grammar check.
Add additional information to your campaign through hyperlinks.
Online media articles or blog posts relevant to your cause.
Additional photos or video content to support your campaign on YouTube, Facebook, Dropbox, Google Drive.
Link to a social media page or group that posts regular updates about your campaign.
Your campaign copy should answer the following questions:
Who are you fundraising for?
Tell us about the person you are raising funds for – what is their name, age, where are they from, what is their background, what are some of their achievements or struggles?
Keep in mind that when you write your story, your campaign will reach, friends of friends on social media as well as the public- at a glance, the person reading your campaign text should know exactly who you are raising funds for.
Tip: Donors typically support crowdfunding campaigns in their area – if you can, mention a local hospital, school or church you attend to make your campaign more localized.
What are you fundraising for and how will funds be used?
It’s important to articulate the extent of your various needs and how funds will be used to support the beneficiary of your crowdfunding campaign.
Depending on what you are fundraising for, try to find a clear, tangible way to communicate your needs:
For example, Porky’s People created a campaign to purchase 100 digital food vouchers to the value of R250, to feed vulnerable families in Pietermaritzburg affected by the lockdown.
You can also provide a brief breakdown of the costs involved in your campaign to provide transparency and a full picture of what your needs are.
Focus on the positive impact of donations
Mention how funds raised will be used to support the beneficiary and the positive impact it will have on their life or their current situation.
According to the 2018 Trends in Global Giving Report, by Non-Profit Tech For Good, 91% of donors are motivated to donate to causes when they feel positive emotions such as hope and empathy and only 9% respond to negative emotions such as fear and sadness.
What lead you to crowdfund?
Develop your story by proving background information about your life and how your needs arose.
Why have you decided to crowdfund now?
What was the turning point in your journey to crowdfunding?
What is your time frame?
If your campaign is time-sensitive, include that information in your campaign text to let donors know if you have a limited amount of time to the funds you need.
To save their children’s home from closure, Home of Hope, needed to raise funds to cover their operational costs for 3 months with their campaign.
How will funds be administered?
Will funds raised by paid into your personal account or be paid directly to a relevant supplier such as a medical practitioner, school, church, non-profit organization?
Donors tend to support causes more generously if they are certain funds will be used for their intended purpose and paid directly to the relevant institutions.
Take a look at these inspiring stories on BackaBuddy
Using her wonderful sense of humor, Mandy Lottering, a hairdresser from Pietermaritzburg, penned a personal message about her struggle with breast cancer and the treatment she needed.
Zanele Hlatshwayo from Soweto, told a very powerful story and personal story when raising funds for the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) in honor of her late father.
Leilani Kuter (46) from Roodepoort, pledged to walk 27km per day, for 27 days, covering a distance of 729km, 27 years after her rape ordeal. Funds raised were used to purchase rape kits and comfort packs for young women affected by sexual assault and gender-based violence in South Africa.
Find a friend to tell your story
In the crowdfunding community, we often say, your friend’s megaphone is louder. If you can get a dedicated friend to set up your campaign on your behalf, this is often more emotive to donors, will increase your visibility on social media and your campaign is more likely to reach its target.
Take a look at these inspiring stories on BackaBuddy, set up by a friend.
Michael Dickerson (42) from Limpopo, took on a 161km endurance race to raise funds for Daniël Otto (6), a boy suffering from Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD). In his campaign text, Michael wrote how he was inspired by Daniël’s courage despite his many challenges and that he would be carrying a photo of Daniël in his pocket on the day of the race.
When Tannie Poppie Van As, an elderly lady from Laingsburg who runs a roadside ‘roosterbrood’ stand in the Western Cape was invited to Italy to show off her cooking skills, her personality instantly captured the hearts of donors both locally and abroad. Her campaign was set up by a close friend by the name of Stan Engelbrecht who sang her praises.
From living as a homeless man on the streets of Pretoria, Llewellyn Barnes (59) defeated all odds to participate among professional players in major golf tournament. With his crowdfunding campaign, set up by non-profit organization, Fearless Love, Llewellyn shared his life story and how golf got him through the most difficult days of his life.
When Amahle Zenzile (11) was unable to attend the South African Junior Chess Champions Closed in Johannesburg, her best friend and fellow competitor, Trinity Van Beeck (12) set up a crowdfunding campaign on her behalf. In her story, Trinity wrote about their unique friendship and motivated why Amahle deserved the opportunity to show off her skills at the tournament.
More stories that inspired us:
Wave surfer and marine activist, Frank Solomon created a campaign to support two street surfers, Thabo and Mokete, who live on the streets of Johannesburg.
Monet van Deventer created a campaign to surprise petrol attendant Nkhosikho Mbele after he performed a kind deed to keep her safe.
Mother and daughter, Michelle and Kerryn Hugo created a campaign to build a home for their domestic worker, Antonia Mtambo.
Did you know? Campaigns with video content, tend to raise 4 times more funds and are 7 times more shareable on social media. Read more about creating a video to support your crowdfunding campaign here.
Create your own crowdfunding campaign
BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up crowdfunding campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various other causes in South Africa.
Crowdfunding campaigns centered around a creative concept tend to capture the attention of potential donors and typically raise more funds.
In this article, we will show you how to make use of various fundraising opportunities throughout the year and even how to raise funds to support a cause on your birthday!
Coming up with a creative concept
Whether you are raising funds for a person or to support a charity, crowdfunding allows individuals the freedom to come up with their own creative ideas to relay their message and promote their cause.
Take a look at these creative BackaBuddy campaigns that went the extra mile
In 2018, Andrew Patterson pledged to climb Table mountain every day for a year with his 365 Ubuntuclimbs campaign to raise funds forHabitat for Humanity, One Life for Kids and The Sunflower Fund. By sharing daily video updates on his social media and inviting members of the public to join him on his hikes, Andrew managed to raise over R380 000 on BackaBuddy.
Andrew Patterson
In 2018, founder of Rise18, Zanele Hlatshwayo from Soweto, participated in 18 marathons, totaling over 648km to continue The South African Depression and Anxiety Group’s national suicide toll-free hotline in honor of her late father who took his own life due to depression. Read more.
Zanele Hlatshwayo
In 2017, American intern, Joseph Payne, supporting the DOCKDA Rural Development Agency, climbed Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain, and Lion’s Head with his campaign to purchase bicycles for disadvantaged students in the Northern Cape who walk the same distance to school every day.
In 2019, Leilani Kuter from Roodepoort, pledged to walk 27km per day, for 27 days, covering a distance of 729km, 27 years after the rape ordeal that changed her life.
Wearing yellow, the colour her attacker wore, Leilani broke her silence to empower sexual assault and gender-based violence survivors and free them from the stigma it carries. In sharing her very personal story, Leilani was able to crowdfund over R250 000 to purchase rape kits and comfort packs for those in need.
Her bravery also caught the attention of the national media and opened up a dialogue around the ‘taboo topic’. Read more.
To raise funds for Emil Erasmus’ cancer treatment, Zane Groenewald from Pietermaritzburg, pledged to shave his hair live on Facebook when he reached his crowdfunding campaign target of R5000. Through many small donations from close family and friends, Zane exceeded his initial target.
In 2020, Ross Hindle took on the Iron Man 70.3 with his campaign to raise funds for his friend, Prince Chikezie, to complete his medical degree
Prince Chikezie
Byron Leggett and 5 of his closest friends took on the Comrades Marathon to raise funds to purchase a highly specialized eye tracker to allow Isabella Beck, a young girl diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy to access her communication system through her eye movements. Read more
Byron Leggett, Bryan Hellon, Teran Peyper, JP van Zittert, Greg Kilfoil and Craig Pike with Isabella Beck before the Comrades.
Supporting a cause on your Birthday
In lieu of gifts, it’s becoming a popular trend for individuals to crowdfund for various causes on their birthday.
Founder of Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Org Trust (ARRO), Juanita Aitkenhead created a crowdfunding campaign to raise R4800 for her organisation on her 48th birthday. Highlighting the importance and positive impact of donations in a short, emotive video, Juanita came very close to reaching her fundraising goal.
Upon learning that the Umgeni River Bird Park, was under strain due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Romario Valentine (8) nobly asked his mum, Delsha Moodley, if she could help him set up a fundraiser on his 9th birthday to support the sanctuary’s “Inspire to Conserve” program. Read more.
Important fundraising days to remember
Mandela Day – 18th July
Every year on International Mandela Day (18th of July), we celebrate not only the birth of Tata Madiba but his 67-year commitment to social justice and servant leadership.
By volunteering 67 minutes of our time, we are encouraged to act in kindness, amplify the voices of those that often go unheard, serve our local communities, churches, and charitable organizations or offer kind donations to support causes in need of support.
Taking on the mammoth task of rescuing and maintaining the Shongweni Resource Reserve, Greg Vogt and Sara Agostini paddled 67 km on Mandela day with their crowdfunding campaign which raised over R63 000. Read more.
Greg Vogt and Sara Agostini
Giving Tuesday – 1st December
On 1 December 2019, following the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday & Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season when many individuals focus on their holiday & end-of-year giving.
Harnessing the power of social media & collaboration, #GivingTuesdaySA encourages individuals and non-profits alike to reach out to their communities, with the aim of creating meaningful social changeand spreading goodwill.
During the festive season, there is a noticeable increase in giving as individuals and non-profits look to spread Christmas joy. Whether you would like to raise funds to purchase gifts for disadvantaged children or host Christmas parties for the elderly, consider creating a crowdfunding campaign during the holidays.
In December 2019, Porky’s People, created a campaign to purchase gifts to the value of R200 to give the children of Thandi House, a registered non-profit children’s home a warm and memorable Christmas. Read more.
Instagram: Porky’s People
Choosing your crowdfunding campaign name
An important part of establishing your crowdfunding concept is what you decided to call your campaign.
Your campaign name should be no longer than 5 words – think of it as a title of a book. Consider the most important elements of your story, the beneficiary, and the positive impact you will create.
A catchy title could be the difference between individuals scrolling past your post or clicking through to make a donation. Remember, your campaign name is your first impression, avoid generic statements and make it memorable!
Take a look at these BackaBuddy campaign names that caught our attention:
While it’s not impossible to crowdfund large sums of money through crowdfunding, these are often rare occasions that require a lot of time, dedication, a large network of supporters, and the use of social media.
In this article, we will guide you through setting your fundraising target and what you should consider when setting your goal.
Managing expectations
To investigate on average how many donors it typically takes to reach your fundraising target, we researched over 600 successful campaigns on BackaBuddy.
We found that campaigns that raise:
R10 000 typically have 15+ donors
R20 000 typically have 30+ donors
R50 000 typically have 40+ donors
R100 000 typically have 130+ donors
R200 000 typically have 185+ donors
R250 000 typically have 190+ donors
Small fundraising targets
Depending on your network of supporters, campaigns with smaller fundraising targets (R5000-R10 000) tend to reach their fundraising targets quicker and can be funded by approaching your close, personal network and making use of social media.
Smaller targets tend to be less intimidating to donors and often focus on one tangible need which makes the campaign more appealing to supporters.
A basic guide to Raising 10 000 and below.
A basic guide to Raising R20 000
Medium to large fundraising targets
If your fundraising target is significant (R50 000 – R200 000) or if you’re raising funds for ongoing costs, your campaign will typically take on a longer fundraising cycle.
To avoid donor fatigue, you will need to approach a wider network of supporters through social media and the press. (If your campaign is newsworthy)
Campaigns with large fundraising targets can be intimidating to potential supporters, as they often feel their contribution won’t make much of an impact on the barometer.
If possible, re-evaluate your campaign ask and structure your campaign around your most pressing need. If there is no way to decrease your campaign target, include a breakdown of your costs, so donors can see where the funds will be used.
A basic guide to Raising R50 000
A basic guide to Raising R100 000 and above.
Reasons to adjust your fundraising target
You have included too many needs in your fundraising ask
Your fundraising needs have changed
You have exhausted your personal network of supporters
There’s a lack of support at the start of your campaign
Storytelling is key:
Whether you’re raising a small, medium or a large amount of money through crowdfunding, make sure your campaign story is well written, informative and emotive. Read More.
If you can, introduce your crowdfunding campaign with a 1 minute video shot on your cellphone – as campaigns with video content tend to raise 4 times more funds. Read More.
Before setting up a crowdfunding campaign, make sure you have ticked off all the items in our advice checklist.
BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up crowdfunding campaigns for medical fees, tuition and various other causes in South Africa.
According to BusinessTech, over 3.8 million South Africans use Instagram.
With over 1 Billion users globally, Instagram allows you to reach a wide audience of supporters through sharing beautiful photos, engaging videos and trending hashtags.
In this guide, we will discuss the power of sharing your crowdfunding campaign on Instagram and share practical tips you can use to promote your cause.
Why use Instagram to share your crowdfunding campaign?
Instagram boasts 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook, According to ecommerceCEO
60% of Instagram users use the platform once a day, according to Sprout Social
Before posting on Instagram, consider these key factors:
Put your crowdfunding campaign link In your bio
Whether you are creating posts, stories or IGTV videos to promote your campaign, it’s important to give your followers a call to action to donate to your campaign.
How to post a link in your Instagram Bio
When posting on Instagram, direct your audience to click on the link in your bio for more information and to make a donation!
When to post on Instagram
According to Hubspot, the best time to post on Instagram is between 2pm-3pm. There is also an increase in engagements on Thursdays 5am, 11am and between 3pm-4pm.
Quintly also states that interactions are 22.29% higher on Saturday and Sunday.
Please note: You can post your campaign on any day, see what works the best for you! We recommend sharing your campaign at least 2/3 times a week across your social media platforms for the best possible result.
Visual content
Photos and videos are the language on Instagram, you will need to upload visual content in order to create a post with a caption.
Photo
Instagram images get on average, 23% more engagement than Facebook images, according to Business of Apps.
Post hi-quality photos that tell your crowdfunding story. Avoid shocking or graphic content, as this might discourage Instagram users engaging with your content.
Video
Video posts get up to 38% more engagements than image posts, according to Mention.
Post short, informative videos on your Instagram timeline to introduce the aim and importance of your crowdfunding campaign and direct users to your campaign link in your bio.
For videos longer than 60 seconds, you will need to upload your video to IGTV (more information below)
Writing your Instagram post caption
Keep your message short and specific
While you have more than 2000 characters at your disposal when writing your post caption, Sprout Social, suggests 138-150 characters will get you the most engagement (shares, likes, comments)
If you want to ensure that your full caption is visible and is not cut off by the “see more” tab, keep your post within 125 characters.
What information should your post include?
To introduce your crowdfunding campaign, make sure you answer the following questions in your post.
Whoare you raising funds for? (name, age, location)
Why are they in need of funds? (what has lead you to crowdfunding?)
What will funds raised be used for? (in a tangible way mention how funds will be used, for example “We are raising funds to purchase 100 pairs of shoes for 50 children”
Where can people make a donation? (Direct your audience to click on the link in your bio to make a donation to support your cause)
Take a look at this example below:https://www.instagram.com/p/B_MV0BgJhBk/embed/captioned/?cr=1&v=12&wp=500&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.backabuddy.co.za&rp=%2Fnews%2Fsharing-your-crowdfunding-campaign-on-instagram%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A14821.220000041649%2C%22ls%22%3A9928.710000007413%2C%22le%22%3A9972.820000024512%7D
#Hashtags
Make use of hashtags to make your post more discoverable – this will allow you to reach more people who are interested in your topic.
Instagram allows users to post 30 hashtags in a single caption, to avoid your post looking like spam, it’s recommended to use no more than 10 relevant hashtags in your post.
Even including one hashtag in your post can increase your engagement by 12.6% according to PR Daily.
Creating a hashtag
To Create a hashtag, simply type # and your keyword in your post caption.
Popular hashtags to use when sharing your crowdfunding campaign
When creating a post, Instagram allows users to mention/tag other users and influencers, their location, organisations and businesses. This will notify other users to view and interact with your post.
Location is key
By tagging your area location in your Instagram post can increase your engagement by 79% according to PR Daily.
Research also shows that crowdfunding campaigns are typically supported locally – be sure to let Instagram users know where you are from!
Not sure what to say? Use this template:
We have created a crowdfunding campaign on @backabuddy to raise funds [to/for]. Funds raised will allow us to [positive impact]. Click on the link in my bio to make a donation. #crowdfunding #backabuddy #donations #fundraising #southafrica
Include:
Other relevant/trending hashtags
Tag your location
Tag Instagram users/organizations that relate to your cause
Post multiple images/videos
By creating a carousel on Instagram, you can post up to 10 images to tell your crowdfunding story and increase engagement.
Make use of these Facebook tools to promote your crowdfunding campaign
Direct Message
Make use of Instagram’s direct message option to reach out to close friends and family, influencers and organisations who might be interested in supporting your cause.
With Instagram Direct, you can send messages, photos and videos to one or more people. Messages won’t appear in Feed, search or your profile.
Instagram Stories
Posting stories is a great way to create awareness about your campaign, share updates and ensure your campaign maintains momentum.
Instagram stories are typically about 15 seconds long and stay on your profile for only 24 hours.
Why post Instagram stories to share your crowdfunding campaign?
According to The Mobile Media Lab, Instagram stories receive 2-3 times more engagement than regular posts.
According to Social Media Today Instagram stories boast over 300 million active daily users.
Before posting a story on Instagram, consider these key factors:
Place your text toward the center and bottom of the screen and keep your message short and clear.
Mention other Instagram users and organizations in your story, to allow your story to be re-posted.
Use 1 or 2 relevant Hashtags on your Instagram story to increase your visibility.
Save your story to your highlight reel, so your campaign updates can be viewed longer than 24 hours.
Share your Instagram story to Facebook
Add your story to your highlights
IGTV
With the introduction of IGTV, Instagram users can post 10 minute long videos and increase their visibility by appearing on the “Explore” tab on the platform.
Need advice for putting together your video? Read Our Guide.
GO Live on Instagram
Instagram now allows users to post 60 minute live videos. Just like Facebook live, your followers will be notified when you’re live and will be able to interact with you in real-time.
Sharing live videos is a great way to introduce your campaign, share campaign updates and milestones, conduct short interviews and provide additional information about your project.
We hope you enjoyed our tips for sharing your crowdfunding campaign on Instagram!
While Instagram is a great tool to use to reach a wider audience, it should not be used in isolation.
Take a look at our other social media guidelines below
With over R200 000 million raised for charitable causes in South Africa, donations-based crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy, celebrates the 250 000 donors who have uplifted those in need.
Re-launched in 2015, BackaBuddy has welcomed over 16 600 individual online fundraising campaigns for medical expenses, tuition fees, sporting tours, community projects and good deeds across the country.
Over 3 200 charities are also active users of the platform, raising funds for various needs within their organisation through their own projects, and have collectively invited over 21 400 individuals to pledge their birthdays or participate in events to raise funds on their behalf.
“As a platform, BackaBuddy allows us to come together as communities to support people and causes that we believe in, regardless of our differences. For every cause, accident or catastrophe that we face, we bear witness to the many who step up when asked to by their peers. This is the immense power that crowdfunding facilitates and which goes far beyond just the funds that are raised” says BackaBuddy, CEO, Patrick Schofield.
Take a look back at some of BackaBuddy’s memorable crowdfunding campaigns.
Inspiring individuals
The good samaritan
When Monet van Deventer stopped at the Shell Ultra City in Somerset West and realized she forgot her bank card at home, good samaritan, Nkosikho Mbele, who works as a petrol attendant, offered to fill her tank with R100 to ensure she got home safely.
To show her appreciation for Nkosi’s kind deed, Monet set up a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy with a fundraising target of R100 000. With tremendous support from the public, over R500 000 was raised in a few short days with contributions from over 2 500 donors from around the world.
Catching up with Nkosi, we are happy to report, he’s doing great and has begun working on extending his mother’s house with the funds he received. Nkosi says he is still recognized from time to time and is still enjoying his job as a petrol attendant!
First class ‘roosterbrood’
Eight years ago, ‘Tannie’ Poppie Van As (64), who runs a small roadside ‘roosterbrood’ stand on the N1 in Laingsburg in the Western Cape, met sports events organizer, Stan Engelbrecht (43).
Impressed with her talents and her infectious personality, Poppie was introduced to the Italian owners of Eroica and was invited to Gaiole, Italy to make her now famous ‘roosterbrood’ for their main cycling event in 2019.
Poppie moments before her flight to Italy. Image credit: 13TH MONTH FILMS
With the cost of her flight covered, Stan launched a campaign on BackaBuddy to cover Poppie’s accommodation and spending money for the once in a lifetime trip.
With donations from almost 200 donors, over R100 000 was raised and Poppie was ready to go! Spotted at the airport, Tannie Poppie was even upgraded to business class for her first-ever trip overseas and shared her experience on her Instagram page.Read more.
One of the highlights from Poppie’s trip, was braaiing at chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen’s restaurant, JAN in Nice, Italy.
“Here was this vivacious woman in her 60s, bursting with joie de vivre, who was making her living selling roosterkoek from a padstal along the N1 motorway outside Laingsburg. Then, after a whole life in the Great Karoo, she was suddenly on her way to Italy to make this essentially South African, fire-baked bread for a group of cyclists on tour. I was hooked. Her rural-small-town story reminded me more than a little bit of my own. And she was going to be just around the corner! I just couldn’t resist inviting her to JAN to give my team of fancy schmancy chefs an education in how to bake ‘real’ roosterkoek. This is her story, as told by the team who helped her to make this dream a reality…” – Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen wrote on his blog.
At JAN restaurant in Nice: The young chefs, their uniforms white and starched, looked on, gaping as Poppie threw together her recipe without a measuring cup in sight. Image credit: 13TH MONTH FILMS
Saving Aaron
Aaron Lipschitz (5) from Sea Point, Cape Town, is the first child in South Africa to be diagnosed with Interleukin-12 Receptor Defect, a rare genetic condition that affects the immune system.
As there is currently no cure for Aaron’s condition, the only way for Aaron to overcome his recurrent infections and survive this condition, was to have a bone marrow transplant in August 2018. Read more.
Over the course of two years, the BackaBuddycampaign raised over R1 000 000 to support Aaron’s ongoing medical costs with contributions from almost 1000 donors both locally and abroad.
Checkmate
When star chess player, Amahle Zenzile (13) from Cape Town was unable to attend the SAJCC Closed in Johannesburg, due to lack of funds, her best friend and fellow competitor, Trinity Van Beeck (13), along with her mum Marisa Laas and coach Thando Hlakula stepped in and launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy.
Amahle Zenzile with campaign creators Marisa Laas and Trinity Van Beeck
With well-wishes and support from the public, Amahle went on to finish 5th in her age group and was awarded her South African colours.
Campaigning a second time, Amahle was able to represent South Africa in Namibia the African Youth Chess Tournament where she placed 4th in her division.
In total, almost R60 000 has been raised for Amahle’s tournaments as her star continues to rise in the chess community. Read more.
Cody the brave
10-year-old pony, Cody, made international news in June 2017 when he found his way home, against insurmountable odds, 16 days after the devastating Knysna fires that nearly claimed his life.
To cover the cost of his treatment, as he was badly burnt, emaciated and struggling to see, acampaign was launched on BackaBuddy that raised over R 130 000 from almost 300 animal lovers across the globe.
Courageous Cody has since become the animal ambassador for the The Eden Empathy Initiative, a non-profit organisation focused on skills training, clinical therapy and animal education where he continues to inspire everyone he meets.https://www.youtube.com/embed/eLIXR_uL_JQ?feature=oembed
From the Township to skies
Xolisa Shenxani (18) from Sir Lowry Pass Village in Cape Town, has had his heart set on becoming a commercial pilot from a young age despite coming from a disadvantaged background.
“I used to look up into the air and see helicopters fly over my house but I didn’t know what they were. I thought, ‘I would love to fly that thing!’, but I wasn’t sure if people could fly in it. I remember, in grade 1 or 2, a helicopter landed on the soccer field in Sir Lowry’s Pass and I got to see inside of it. That’s when I knew that I wanted to become a pilot!” – says Xolisa
Xolisa’s dreams were set in motion in 2019 after almost R200 000 was raised to fund his grade 11 and matric year at private school. Xolisa was taken by surprise when an anonymous donor contributed R 101 500.00 to his BackaBuddy campaign, leaving only a short message of support “Glo jy kan dit doen”
Xolisa’s mentor, Philip Bellstedt was happy to report that Xolisa passed matric with impressive results and achieved the minimum requirements to apply for the airforce in 2021!
Inspiring causes
Cause Climber
In 2018, Andrew Patterson, originally from Johannesburg, climbed Table mountain every day for a year, braving the winter cold, summer heat, the wind, and the rain with his 365 Ubuntuclimbs campaign to support 3 charities close to his heart.
Andrew Patterson
On New Year’s Eve, Andrew took his last step in a year-long journey that totaled 2429 km including 262 km of vertical climbing (equivalent to 71 Mt Everests).
A total of 738 climbers accompanied Andrew throughout his journey, which took over 964 hours to complete.
Having raised just over R910 000 on BackaBuddy, Andrew supported Habitat for Humanity’s OVC project in Khayelitsha, partnering with Baphumelele Children’s Home, to provide shelter to orphans and abandoned children.
Funds were also used to provide 7 primary schools with teaching materials to empower children through reading through NPO, One heart for kids, and 60 new donors were added to the Sunflower Fund bone marrow registry.
“With my BackaBuddy campaign I was treated to the spirit of Ubuntu and was surrounded year-round with amazing human beings who shared my focus and passion to help others” – says Andrew.
Beauty with purpose
In the wake of the Knysna Fires in June 2017, Former Miss South Africa, Demi Leigh Nel Peters, with the backing and support of Sun International and Cell C, launched a campaign on BackaBuddy to help rebuild her hometown after fires raged through the Garden Route.
Demi Leigh Nel Peters. Image credit: IMDB
Urging South Africans to support her cause for the Sedgefield Lions Club, over R625 000 was raised, exceeding the initial target of R500 000 to provide supplies for the families that lost their homes and livelihoods in the blaze.
A walk to remember
In September 2019, rape survivor and activist, Leilani Kuter (46) from Roodepoort, Gauteng, began a 27-day journey, covering a distance of 729km, to take a stand against sexual assault and gender-based violence in South Africa.
Wearing yellow, the colour her attacker wore, Leilani broke her silence, and raised over R260 000 on BackaBuddy to support rape crisis centers across South Africa. Read more.
Leilani Kuter: Image SPAR
With overwhelming support, Leilani has since launched a non-profit company, #YellowForSurvivorsand once again tightened her laces in September 2020 to begin a 448km nostalgic walk to fundraise in honor of survivors.
“Every step of my journey thus far is in defiance of systemic violence against women, men and children and a celebration of our collective survival spirit. Walking has become a big part of my healing process and I’ve learned, as I get older, that you can’t run away from your past. You need to confront it head-on in order to move on.” – says Leilani
In 2018, lead singer of Freshlyground, Zolani Mahola, who became a bone marrow donor 3 years ago, lent her support to The South African Bone Marrow Registry’s ‘Give a little, Save A Life’ campaign on BackaBuddy.
Funds raised by the campaign were used to assist four local children in need of a life-saving Stem Cell Transplant. With support from the public, almost R500 000 was raised to support the non-profit.
Zolani Mahola. Image: Zolani’s Facebook page
As there is a shortage of donors of African descent, Zolani encouraged South Africans of all ethnic backgrounds to register with the SABMR to help those in need of life-saving treatment.
“As a nation, we have a rich history of Ubuntu and we must continually find new ways of expressing it. With many of our donors coming from overseas, we need more donors of African descent. With the procedure itself not being the onerous and painful task it used to be, we have so much potential to make a difference at home” – says Zolani
Birthday for the birds
Upon learning that the Umgeni River Bird Park, was under strain due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Romario Valentine (9), an environmental activist, from Umhlanga, Durban, launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the sanctuary’s Inspire to Conserve program in lieu of birthday gifts.
Romario with his parents, Delsha Moodley and Clive Valentine.
With support from the public, Romario superseded his fundraising target of R15 000, raising over R30 000 to support his feathery friends on BackaBuddy with contributions from almost 100 donors. Read more.
For his hard work in supporting the Umgeni River Bird Park, Romario was allowed to celebrate his birthday at the sanctuary and was awarded a certificate of excellence!
Romario has also become an Ocean Sole ambassador, highlighting the damage caused by pollutants and their effect on marine and sea bird life.
He’s also since appeared on 50/50, and has been featured in National Geographic, SA Art Magazine and appeared in an article on Global Citizen.
Rising above her pain
In 2018, founder of Rise18, Zanele Hlatshwayo from Soweto, participated in 18 marathons, totaling over 648km to support The South African Depression and Anxiety Group.
Funds raised by Zanele’s campaign were used to fund SADAG‘s national suicide toll-free hotline in honor of her late father who took his own life due to depression.
With over R 200 000 raised on BackaBuddy, Zanele’s initiative funded over 10 000 phone calls to the crisis hotline. Read more.
“I found strength in my vulnerability and found a way to deal with my father’s tragedy through those who have shared their pain with me. I believe with Rise18, we have just scratched the surface, there is still so much that needs to be done” – Zanele
A climb to Everest Base Camp
In 2018, fifteen individuals, led by the founder of the Avela Foundation, Cami Palomo, began a 9-day trekking route, ending in triumph at 5,364 meters, at the base of Mount Everest in Lukla, Nepal.
Committed to the climb, over R 2.1 million was raised on BackaBuddy to kick-start Avela’s U-Matter program, an initiative to provide a psychological support network for burn survivors and their families.
Funds were also used to help refurbish Kimberley Hospital’s burn unit. In total, The Avela Foundationhas raised over R 3.7 million on BackaBuddy for various projects.
Among the hikers was William Baartman, who at age of three years old, was a victim of gross Human Rights violation when his home was petrol bombed by local students. He sustained 75% burn wounds and lost his younger sister, Grace in the fire.
William Baartman
“I was too afraid to leave the house because I was scared of what others might think and now I have climbed to Mount Everest base camp! I hope to send a message to those hiding from the world, that there’s hope for them, hope they think doesn’t exist.”- says William
Rainbows and Smiles
Rainbows and Smiles, an organisation that provides emotional, social, and financial support to families and caregivers affected by cancer have raised over R1.9 millionBackaBuddy through participating in various sporting events such as the Midmar Mile, the Comrades, and Two Oceans to name a few.
Founder of Rainbows and Smiles Bonita Suckling and Nadia Lewis at the Edenvale Marathon
The Smile Foundation
The Smile Foundation, a South African NGO that assists children with any type of facial abnormality, to receive free corrective plastic and reconstructive surgery, has raised over R1.7 million on BackaBuddy through a variety of projects.
The Smile Foundation, a South African NGO that assists children with any type of facial abnormality, to receive free corrective plastic and reconstructive surgery, has raised over R1.7 million on BackaBuddy through a variety of projects.
Support during the COVID-19 pandemic
#ImStaying feeds the vulnerable
The implementation of the national lockdown left many families in South Africa destitute without the means to earn an income and provide for their families.
To assist with food vouchers during this time, vital Facebook sensation and registered non-profit organisation, #ImStaying, raised over R1 million on BackaBuddy with contributions from almost 1800donors to feed over 24 000 vulnerable South Africans. Read more.
In total #ImStaying has raised over R 1.4 million on BackaBuddy for various projects.
Gift of the Givers Give Back
To raise funds to empower doctors, nurses, and medical staff across South Africa with the supplies and equipment needed for them to carry out the vital work they do, The Gift of the Givers, launched a campaign on BackaBuddy.
The campaign has thus far raised over R 1.4 million with support from almost 250 donors to purchase Manual and automated Ventilation equipment, Intubation equipment, Safety equipment for medical staff as well as medical supplies. Read more.
In total, The Gift of the Givers has raised over R 2.8 million on BackaBuddy for various projects.
With the University of Cambridge estimating the total crowdfunding activity in Africa to reach over R30 billion by 2025, we look forward to watching the crowdfunding industry grow from strength to strength.
“To build South Africa as a nation, we need ties that bind us in positive ways. We need to invest in each other and support each other in ways that cross over traditional boundaries. Crowdfunding brings people together in positive ways, around things that we are passionate about, giving us the opportunity to be part of something greater than ourselves” – says Schofield
Create your own crowdfunding campaign
South Africa’s leading crowdfunding platform, BackaBuddy has supported more than 10 000+ individuals and charities in setting up fundraising campaigns for medical fees, tuition, and various causes in South Africa. The platform has thus far raised over R200 Million.
