Plan for Sustainable Funding

Image care of Danielle MacInnes via UnSplash.

As you immerse yourself in this resource and explore different funding solutions, take a moment to get out a notebook and reflect on the following questions in relation to the current projects that you are working towards building sustainable funding to:

  • What are your goals with the project?
  • What is your overall vision for the project?
  • What elements will the project include?
  • Who do you need make this project and each of its elements a reality?
  • Which elements will be open, free, secure, pay to use … etc? Why?
  • How does this impact your funding model?
  • Can you roll this project and its element out in installments, rather than tackling everything at the same time within a single budget?
  • What funding solutions suit the project? Why?
  • Of those, which funding solutions are your preferences? Why?
  • What steps need to be taken to help you in your success in obtaining your preferred funding solution? Subsequent funding solutions?
  • Is your preferred funding solution sustainable long term? If not, what future funding solutions exist for this project that are sustainable?

Not to worry, you don’t need all the answers to these questions right now, but you should start thinking about them. And it is okay if the answers to these question change at different stages of your journey. Just be prepared to reflect on your choices and on why you are making the choices you do.

Now, it’s time to dive in! Over the coming weeks, we will be adding different Units here on a multitude of different funding sources, including Grants, Sponsorship, Pay to Play, Premium, Freemium, Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Merchandise, Crowdfunding, Patronage, and Web Monetization. This is intended to be a dynamic and living course that changes, evolves, and is added to as we learn from the interviews that we conduct with creatives. So visit often to discover the latest Units and to learn through the successes and pitfalls of the creatives, technologists, and educators that we’ve interviewed.


Stay Tuned: Coming next … Crowdfunding