New Features: 24 Hour Direct Deposit & International Credit Cards
More awesomeness dropping this week @ Crowdtilt - 2 features we’ve added:
1) 24-Hour, Direct Deposits… Yes, 24-hour Next-Day Deposits.
Pooling money online has NEVER EVEN COME CLOSE TO THIS! Until now.
Once your direct deposit is set up, you are guaranteed to get your funds within the next business day (and once your direct deposit is set up, you never have to set it up/configure it again)! This is faster than what any of the major payments platforms currently offer, and it’s ONLY ON CROWDTILT :)
2) International Credit Card Support!!
You can now start a campaign on Crowdtilt and accept contributions from all over the world! Do you have friends in Canada, France, or Japan? Invite them to your campaign and make your community span across the globe. And your friends get to take advantage of our One-Click Easy Payments :)
Our goal is simple: to help you do more with your group. We hope these two new features are another step in this direction.
New Features: Follow & Invite Friends
We are excited to announce two REALLY BIG features coming out today!
Introducing Follow Friends
You can now easily see what your friends are doing on Crowdtilt by following people. Once you click on the “follow” button under your friend’s image in the campaign community or on their profile page, we will let you know when he or she starts a new public campaign. New private campaigns will not send these notifications, so you can still safely plan that surprise birthday party!
If you want to see who is following you, as well as who you follow, click on the “Followers” or “Following” links on your profile page. And just for thrills, we’ll ping you if somebody starts following you.
Invite your Friends to Crowdtilt
If you want more of your friends to join you on Crowdtilt, you can now effortlessly invite them right from your profile and we’ll do the rest. Send invitations via email, Facebook, Twitter, or take the reign yourself and share a short link any way you like. We can also help you access your contacts from popular email service providers like Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, and AOL, so you don’t have to guess on emails addresses either.
Ready to check out these new features? Jump on over to our website here.
How Crowdtilt is allowing groups to do more offline
Our goal at Crowdtilt is to help groups do more awesome things offline by building the world’s easiest way to pool money together.
If you hosted a casual/informal party for St. Patrick’s Day and didn’t use Crowdtilt, you probably either asked each person to bring food and drinks, or you bought everything in advance and asked people to pitch in when they arrived (Or God forbid, you made friends buy tickets online to your casual party through a service like Eventbrite).
If it was the latter, how much of your expenses were you able to recover and how much effort was required to get the money from each person?
This is where Crowdtilt comes in. For example, this group raised more than $1,000 for their St. Patrick’s Day party to cover everything from kegs of green-dyed beer, an abundance of food, all the way to blow-up leprechauns (the full list is actually pretty impressive).
You might think $1,000 is a lot for a party among friends, but the beauty of running a campaign on Crowdtilt is that no credit cards were charged until the campaign tilted. It’s simply the best way to get the whole group on board with an idea (and is a much less risky approach to planning things), instead of hoping enough people show up with cash in their hands. Admit it, collecting $1,000 at the door of your own party would be awful… So awful in fact, that without Crowdtilt, you’d likely just resort to making everyone just bring food and drinks so that you don’t front the costs for everyone. Well tsk tsk - there’s no point in imagining a world without Crowdtilt, because THAT WORLD IS OVER!
And while this is a typical example of the power of you+Crowdtilt, what we love the most, is that this campaign (and subsequent party) was funded in just hours - and instead of food and drinks, it was an extravaganza that would’ve made St. Pat proud.
So, what is keeping you from planning your next awesome get together? Is it the fear of getting enough money from friends?… Fear no longer, Crowdtilt is here.
New Feature: Custom Message to Contributors
You can now send custom messages to anybody that contributes to your campaign. You can add this message when setting up your campaign.
Here is the field you will have to fill out in the campaign form.
Your message will be shown in the email after people contribute to your campaign (regardless whether it is tilted or not).
If you only want to send a message to everybody once your campaign tilted, you can use our older “Contact all contributors” button, and write your message there.
4 Tips to Make Your Crowdtilt Campaign Successful
If you’re new to Crowdtilt and are still getting a pulse on this exciting new way of pooling money with friends, follow these tips and blow the roof off your campaign! This advice is based on our personal experiences of watching campaigns be extremely successful or totally flop.
Know the Cost - Before you start a campaign, you should know how much it will cost to do what you are planning to do. Asking for additional money or returning money afterwards will not only create additional work for you, but it may actually cause your camaign to fail.
Write a Good Description - It’s not about the length but rather the content. Communicate the main aspects of your campaign in a few sentences. “When”, “Where”, “Why”, and “How Much” are your best friends in this.
Share. Share. Share - As with many things in life, if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Make sure to share your campaign with your friends via email, Facebook and Twitter so they understand what you are asking of them. Repeat as often as necessary.
Post Progress Updates - This is probably the most overlooked aspect of running a campaign. Celebrating crossing the halfway point is a great way to re-introduce your campaign. Repeat when crossing 75% (and 90% if necessary).
As always, we’re always right behind you to answer any questions you may have. Email us at team@crowdtilt.com or hit us up on the Live Chat.
Crowdtilt + Cruises = HUGE group discounts!
Did you know that many cruise lines provide 10-15% discounts to groups of at least 16 people? Often, as the organizer you can enjoy free trips or get lower fares and extra amenities for the whole group.
The catch is that the tickets have to be booked all at once.
As with most group activities you will have to deal with getting the commitments from everybody beforehand and then hope that nobody changes their mind by the time you ask them for the money.
If you have had any experience with Crowdtilt, you know how much easier this process can be by simply starting a campaign.
Use the links below to find your dream cruise, and get a quote for your group from a travel agent. Group discounts require at least 8 staterooms w/ 16 guests.
Royal Caribbean for groups - Cruise credits can be used towards the base cost of one person’s fare in your group, or spread across one or more fares in your group. The deposit is due within 30 days (or less if sailing is within 90 days) of the reservation date. Final payment is generally due 75 days prior to sailings or 90 days for holiday sailings
Carnival Cruise for Groups - Fun points can be used for complimentary champagne, chocolates, private onboard cocktail party, as well as special amenities. To get lower rates, ask the representative for the no-amenities rate. (more details on how fun points can be used click here)
Disney Cruises - While Disney does not publish group discounts on their website, travel agents have the flexibility to offer lower rates and extras. Use their contact page to find the closest travel agent to you. They also post special offers here.
Cruises.com for groups - If you don’t want to deal with a specific cruise line, you can use this travel agency to get the best out of all.
In order to ensure the widest selection of cabins and amenities, cruise lines require you to book 60-90 days in advance.
Are travel agents free?
Most of the time. Usually travel agents receive a commission from the cruise lines so you don’t have to pay extra for their service.
So how do you feel about taking a trip to the Carribbeans or Bermuda? Hopefully you can use those shipboard credits to enjoy a nice bottle of wine in your cabin!
3 Unexpected Benefits of Pooling Money with Crowdtilt
Besides the sheer fun of organizing events, trips and gift givings, there are few unexpected benefits to the Crowdtilt service. Campaigns are…
Viral - If you are running a public campaign, you can reach people outside of your personal network. If the cause is applicable to many people, the campaign can turn viral.
Quick - Since you don’t have to wait for peoples’ checks to come in the mail or wait until you see a person the next time, you can pool money much quicker.
Convenient - Probably the best benefit of all is the sheer convenience. Sending a payment online takes less effort and makes it a win-win for everybody involved.
Is there anything else that you enjoyed while using our service? We are dedicated to improving your experience so let us know if there is anything on your mind!
Local teacher tilts her way to Confratute 2011.
A community of parents group fund a teacher’s excursion to an acclaimed teaching seminar.
The University of Connecticut is home to the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Their studies, focusing on meeting the needs of gifted and talented youth have received national and international attention for over 40 years. Every year they host the annual Confratute where teachers from around the world can soak up cutting edge teaching concepts directly from the experts themselves. This year, Ashley Rich was able to attend because a group of parents saw the tremendous value in funding her trip. The new methods and concepts she could learn would directly impact the quality of the education their children would receive. The local community realized this wouldn’t happen without their support and responded by putting together a fundraising effort by using a Crowdtilt campaign as the epicenter.
After a few months of hard work promoting the cause, these parents achieved their goal and tilted their campaign. It was a great opportunity to help privately fund a public school teacher’s continued education and these parents saw the campaign through.
It was the hard work of the parents who spread awareness through their online networks that ultimately pushed the funding through. Their dedication to the cause and their children’s education was the driving force in tilting the campaign. This should serve as a shining example of how people can use Crowdtilt to get things done in their community. Find something that enough people are passionate about and use Crowdtilt to give them them an opportunity to make it happen.
Ashley and some friends enjoy some downtime in between seminars.
Now it’s time for Ashley to give you a free tutoring lesson. After all, if you’re going to learn something it might as well be from a top-notch teacher right? The thank you letter she sent us and her contributors was spectacular. In fact, it can serve as a template for your next post-campaign thank you. The letter also allows us to underline the importance of thanking your donors. It’s likely the same network you’ll be going back to for future campaigns and leaving them on a positive note is very important. Ashley hits the nail on the head with this one and you can too.
Ashley’s letter:
Dear Crowdtilt Confratute Contributors,
I cannot begin to express my gratitude for sending me on the trip of a lifetime. I spent five fun-filled days at the University of Connecticut studying Renzulli Learning, a gifted and talented education program that is geared towards enrichment based learning for all students. It is the 34th year that Confratute has been offered by Joe Renzulli and Sally Reis. Most of the people that I came in contact with have attended the conference year after year. Now, I understand why! I wish everyone could experience the love for education and children that radiated throughout the campus!
Each morning I attended a session where various keynote speakers from around the world shared their expertise and wisdom. The afternoons consisted of two different classes that I chose, Strategies for Differentiating Curriculum and Plugging into Creative Technology Outlets. I left each session with excitement, as well as with a wealth of strategies and knowledge to bring back to Moss Haven. I also got the opportunity to talk with Joe Renzulli and Sally Reis, one-on-one, on several occasions. They offered guidance and tips specifically for MHE. I admire their genuine dedication and love for education.
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to attend Confratute 2011! This was a conference that I’ve always wanted to attend, but I knew that I could not do it on my own. Your contributions, kind words, and trust turned my dream trip into reality. I appreciate it more than you know! I am blessed beyond words and forever grateful!
Sincerely,
Ashley Rich
Moss Haven Teacher, 5th/6th Grade
Still having trouble writing a thank you letter? Here are some more examples.
Ashley would also like to thank Starbucks. They donated some coffee to help with the campaign’s promotion.
Posted by: G.Case
Silent Disco brings the noise.
A new musical movement is taking the nation’s dance floors by storm - the sound of silence.
Imagine being at one of the hottest nightclubs in town on a Saturday night and the place is filled to capacity. The dance floor is packed with people swaying and grinding to the beat but something is slightly different, there is no audible music. This is the type of experience that only the Silent Disco can provide.
Rather than using a traditional speaker system, music is broadcast via a FM-transmitter with the signal being picked up by wireless headphone receivers worn by everyone in the crowd. It lets the attendee hear the DJ in crystal clear audio rather than getting the sound degraded by a crappy PA system or poor building acoustics. Those without the headphones hear no music, giving the effect of a room full of people dancing to nothing. To add to the fun disco-goers may tune in to two or more music channels created by competing DJs, creating the delicious sight of half an audience head banging to some fast techno while the other half gets down to some slow jams. Silent discos are also becoming increasing popular with city officials as they allow dancing to continue past noise curfews. Did I mention that you could now have a conversation with somebody at a club without having to scream two inches from their ear? It’s one of the many reasons these “silent clubs” are becoming very popular.
Check it out Dallas, we’ve got a campaign going for one right now on Friday, July 22nd at the Green Elephant. The first 100 tickets are $15 and then the price gets bumped to $21. Hurry up!
Wanna read more about the silent disco experience?
Dallas Morning News article on Crowdtilt
Feels awesome to get some love from our hometown paper!
Posted by: G.Case
