StartingBloc completely revamped fundraising this year, introducing Crowdrise. Similar to Kickstarter, each Candidate can create a personalized landing page on Crowdrise which they can use to fundraise some or all of their Institute fee from sponsors in their personal networks.

Using Crowdrise :: This deck is an introduction into fundraising your Institute fee with Crowdrise.

Candidates can also use the tools below to ask their friends, family, school, employers, corporations, or government agencies to join the sponsorship fun. Fundraising is the first step in building a set of skills that will help you over and over for years to come. StartingBloc will be doing the same. This way we'll get as many people funded as possible, together.

Need tips for successful use of crowdfunding? Check out Tim Ferriss' Blog on real, practical approaches and proven, successful methods to effectively use a kickstarter and fundraise large amounts in a short period of time, just like a pro! These are great skills to hone for your venture too!

Need more inspiration? Have a listen to our favorite podcast on entrepreneurship by Stanford professor Tina Seelig. Join forces with other StartingBloc Fellows to get creative with fundraising.

Ten Creative Ways to Fundraise :: This deck is an introduction into creative ways to fundraise your Institute fee. We know that some of you might be new to fundraising, so we have 10 great suggestions to help you find the money – there is at least one in there for everyone! Feel free to take ideas and run with them. This is a great opportunity to take a step outside your comfort zone and tighten your pitching skills, so go for it!

Nervous about approaching people directly? :: This deck offers practical recommendations for university and corporate funding. StartingBloc Fellows share insights and tips for approaching your school or employer for sponsorship, as well as submitting a strong proposal.

Candidate Email Template and Instructions :: Still looking for more? SB Fellow Kevin Asuncion (NY ’10) raised $1600 to cover his Institute fee and travel. Here’s his step-by-step guide on how he did it.

Kevin used two email templates, one to ask for sponsorship and another to follow up. As you improve on his example, do your best to help sponsors see the WIIFM: What’s In It For Me? If you are telling a story to convey your needs, tell it in a way that makes them the hero. It will elicit a better response if you get people involved in your experience.

Tell the story :: Send this brief overview deck or this deck that profiles select StartingBloc Fellows to your network to present a colorful story to your sponsors.

The overview deck has all the information you would need to make a pitch about yourself, StartingBloc, and Institute sponsorship. It is designed to be attached to a personalized email, or presented in person. Telling your personal story is the single most compelling thing that will help you on your quest for dollars – be sure to use it!

Final words of wisdom :: Regardless of what approach or tools you choose to fundraise your Institute fee, this deck unveils some key tips for a successful fundraiser.

Important stuff :: If you choose not to pay the full tuition by the Institute matriculation deadline, we will not be able to hold a seat for you. Here are the tuition and matriculation due dates for the 2013 Institutes for Social Innovation ::

LA '13 Institute :: December 20

NY '13 Institute :: March 25

DET '13 Institute :: June 15