Sponsume.com: small stakes in big ideas

Sponsume.com is a crowdfunding platform with the emphasis on creative and social enterprise projects. Categories include documentary, film, music, writing and the performing arts. Registering a project or as a donor is free.

The format is similar to other crowdfunding sites where anyone wishing to fund an activity can create a profile page and fill it with as much information as possible about the reasons and objectives of the project. This information can be in the form of written statements, photographs and video clips and be shared around the social networks to maximise exposure. The page also shows the funding required and the period it will be listed for which can be up to a maximum of 90 days.

The slight twist with sponsume.com is that project creators offer redeemable vouchers in return for donations. These can be for almost anything from dinner with the project team to front row seats at the first performance of the very play the money has been raised for. It is completely up to the project creator.

Would be sponsors log in and register and pledge a suitable amount when they are satisfied the project is viable and worthwhile. A running total and the percentage funded are shown under the project profile along with the days remaining.

Sponsume follows the “keep it all” principle where projects receive whatever has been pledged at the expiry date. Would be sponsors should therefore weigh up whether the project is likely to succeed  with only partial funding as there is no recourse to the site who are merely act as a conduit between the two parties for a 4% fee.

Conclusion
This has the same basic elements of a lot of crowdfunding sites and like them requires some consideration on the part of sponsors. The key to satisfaction is simple, before you commit your cash just make sure you’re happy that the project itself isn’t a creative figment of someone’s creative imagination!