Online Funding / Investing Portals | National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada

July 20, 2015 Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Portals, Voices No comments

USD! USD! A Kickstarter Request

Hemisphere Games Blog | Eddy Boxerman | Jul 20, 2015

Will Kickstarter support multiple currencies at campaign level?

We plan on running a Kickstarter campaign this Spring for a game in development. We also live in Canada. That means our pledge prices will all be listed in CAD (Canadian Dollars) rather than USD. Creators in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand are similarly bound to their country’s currencies.

Let’s face it: the majority of backers for tabletop games, video games^*, and most other categories live in the USA. I also believe Americans experience a psychological barrier to backing a project in a foreign currency. (Jamey Stegmaier discusses this in his post on running a non-US-based Kickstarter campaign.) How big a factor is this? It’s hard to tell. But I believe it’s significant.

But why be bound? Perhaps Kickstarter could add the option to list your project in whatever currency you choose. I don’t mind receiving the funds at the end of the campaign in USD or my local currency – whatever works for Kickstarter; but since they’re doing currency conversions under the hood anyways, why not give us the option? In this age of digital distribution and projects with physical goods that ship directly from a manufacturer, does the currency of the creator’s country of origin really matter?

I wrote to Kickstarter support a few months ago, requesting the feature. I got a nice response.

“While this isn’t an available feature at the moment, we are always looking for ways to improve the backer experience. Your suggestions and feedback are really helpful as we move forward and make enhancements. I’ll pass along your suggestions to the team!”

Cool, but no news since then, so I tried writing again a few days ago and got this response.

It is still not possible to choose in which currency your project’s funding goal will be displayed. Although there is no set timeline for this feature, keep an eye on our blog for any future changes.

Encouraging, but no commitment or timeline.

View: Bitcoin 2.0 Crowdfunding Is Real Crowdfunding

I got to wondering, how many non-US creators would like to see Kickstarter add this feature? Perhaps we can work together and request Kickstarter to make this change. If we all wrote to Kickstarter support, I’m pretty sure they’d take the request more seriously. (I know that when we hear a common request from our players, it moves up our priority list and is a lot more likely to get implemented soon.)

So, if you’d like to see Kickstarter implement this, mail them at support@kickstarter.com, asking them to do so. Feel free to independently describe the feature you’d like to see, or link back to this post – whatever you prefer.

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The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 17, 2015 Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, NCFA In The News, Online Funding / Investing Portals No comments

New crowdfunding rules open doors for companies and investors

The Globe and Mail | Brenda Bouw | Jul 17, 2015

Canadian startups are beginning to tap a wider pool of investors thanks to a complex, changing set of regulations around equity crowdfunding, the fast-growing form of financing that allows companies to raise money online.

A handful of provinces across the country have either rolled out or are working on new rules that make it easier for everyday investors to grab a piece of a promising project or venture.

Until recently, only accredited investors such as institutions and high-net worth individuals could get in on these private deals. Today, the opportunities are being opened up to all investors, with restrictions on how much they can put down, as well as limits on what the company can raise.

As a result of the rule changes (some of which are still in the works in provinces such as Ontario), more equity crowdfunding portals are popping up to serve what they hope will be a steady stream of demand for Canadians looking to make money through these alternative investments.

“It’s a new asset class,” said Craig Asano, executive director of the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA). “These markets are growing exponentially globally.”

Equity crowdfunding alone grew by 182 per cent to $1.1-billion (U.S.) worldwide in 2014, compared to a year earlier, according to industry research and consulting firm Massolution.

Unlike regular crowdfunding, where people donate cash to help get a project off the ground, equity crowdfunding allows investors to buy a stake in the venture and hopefully see some profit. The concept may sound simple, but the changes in Canada involve a complicated set of new and proposed regulations that can vary by province, each with its own securities regulator.

There are two types of rules in the works in Canada right now: The startup exemption, which was approved in May by six provinces; and the crowdfunding exemption, the latter of which is being driven by Ontario, and is still in the proposal stage.

The startup exemption has been adopted by B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It allows companies with head offices in these provinces to raise up to $500,000 per year – but no more than $250,000 in one offering. Individual investments are capped at $1,500 per deal.

The crowdfunding exemption Ontario has on the table is more broad, allowing for a maximum of $1.5-million to be raised each year, with a $2,500 ceiling for individual investors per deal, to a maximum of $10,000 a year. Ontario also wants crowdfunding portals to be registered with securities regulators as dealers, which is not required under the other provinces’ crowdfunding model.

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“We think those limits are appropriate for our market,” said Monica Kowal, vice chair at the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC). The OSC plans to deliver its proposal to the Ontario finance minister for approval this fall.

Ontario is working with regulators in some of the other provinces behind the startup exemption to see if their regulations can co-exist.

FrontFundr is among the first platforms to take advantage of the startup exemption from its home province of B.C. It launched in May and started off raising money for Guusto, a mobile gifting app that lets users send a gift, like a restaurant coupon or bottle of wine, to others. The offering allows investors to put in between $500 and $1,500 into the venture.

“It’s a great opportunity to unlock value in Canadian companies and attract investors from around the world,” FrontFundr chief executive Peter-Paul Van Hoeken said of the new startup exemption.

Even though the rules have changed, Mr. Van Hoeken said companies must still actively seek out investors and educate them about equity crowdfunding.

“Now that we have rules in Canada doesn’t mean we have crowdfunding in Canada,” he said. “Canada is conservative. It’s not like everyone is knocking on our door saying, ‘This is great. This is what we’ve been waiting for!’ It’s a process.”

The education includes not only telling investors about the new rules, but also the risks.

“We as a platform are trying to make sure everyone understands the risks and rewards,” said Mr. Van Hoeken.

Experts say more than half of startups ventures fail, which is partly why regulators are putting restrictions on the equity crowdfunding sector as a way to protect investors.

Mr. Asano of the NCFA said his association is rolling out an equity crowdfunding education campaign across Canada to help investors better understand the model and its potential.

“We’re excited, but we understand the complexities – and opportunities – that crowdfunding holds,” he said.

Not all equity crowdfunding companies are planning to get involved in the new markets for everyday investors. Some cite the complex patchwork of regulators and regulations and prefer to stick with the larger, accredited investor market, which deals with higher sums.

Continue to the full article --> here

Register for Half-Day Toronto Equity Bootcamp on July 28 (more info)

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 14, 2015 Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Online Funding / Investing Portals No comments

Equity Crowdfunding Leader OurCrowd Opens Canadian Office; Targets 1st Investment in Canadian Company Influitive

Businesswire Release | Jul 14, 2015

OurCrowd Makes 'Landmark Entrance’ into Canadian Tech Scene; Prominent Canadian Venture Capital Executive David Shore to Head Canadian Office

JERUSALEM & TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OurCrowd, the world’s leading equity crowdfunding platform, has announced the launch of its Canadian operations targeting a $1M investment in Canada-based advocate marketing leader Influitive.

“We are proud to be the first OurCrowd investment in Canada”

OurCrowd’s new Canada office will be headed by David Shore, a well-known Canadian technology venture capital executive with over 20 years of experience.

Influitive, founded by CEO Mark Organ in 2010, helps companies build teams of advocates to drive sales and create buzz through often-underutilized channels such as referrals, recommendations, reviews and more. A pioneer in B2B advocate marketing software, Influitive is already producing segment-leading revenues from more than 200 enterprise customers, including Acquia, Atlassian, DocuSign, HireVue, Hootsuite, HP Software, Marketo, and Oracle. Mark Organ’s prior startup company, Eloqua, was acquired by Oracle in 2013 for $871M.

OurCrowd is investing in Influitive because of its own use of the Influitive AdvocateHub product for mobilization of its large global investor community on behalf of its startups. OurCrowd founder and CEO Jon Medved explained, “There is no better way to source an investment than to be a happy customer. The company and its product impressed OurCrowd, and we asked to be included as a funder. We are delighted to invest in Influitive as our first venture in Canada.”

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"We are proud to be the first OurCrowd investment in Canada," said Influitive CEO Mark Organ. "It is exciting to have an investor who came to us because they used and loved our product. This really is what advocate marketing is all about."

OurCrowd’s new Canadian Director, David Shore, brings an impressive track record as a venture capitalist and was a top ranked equity analyst at Mackie Research, CIBC, and Desjardins. Shore will be responsible for building the Canadian investor base for OurCrowd as well as sourcing new deals for the platform.

“I am excited to be joining the OurCrowd team as it continues its growth into Canada’s burgeoning tech hub,” said David Shore, Director of Investor Relations, OurCrowd Canada.

“The Canadian market presents a significant opportunity for OurCrowd since startup investing is on the rise in Canada and most investors until now have not had access to high quality deals such as those available on OurCrowd. I look forward to bringing additional trailblazers from the Canadian tech ecosystem onto the OurCrowd platform, and to opening up the global technology market to accredited Canadian investors."

David Shore Bio: As the Managing Director of Terracap Ventures, David developed the firm's overall corporate strategy. David also served as Head of the Technology Group for Mackie Research Capital in the Equity Research department covering Software & Media sectors. Additionally, David is consistently ranked as a leading technology analyst (software) in Canada, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Canadian Innovation Exchange.

Following a commitment made by Medved at the Canadian Crowdfunding Summit in March that OurCrowd would open an office in Canada, Hon Brad Duguid, MPP, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure said, “I’m thrilled to see OurCrowd’s landmark entrance into Ontario’s growing technology, health sciences and venture capital markets. OurCrowd is an innovative global equity crowdfunding leader, providing significant entrepreneurial and start-up opportunities to individuals and businesses. I look forward to their continued success and growth into our province, and to Ontario companies showcasing their talent and entrepreneurial skills to attract investment and strengthen our economy.”

About OurCrowd: OurCrowd is a leading global equity crowdfunding platform for accredited investors to invest in Israeli and global companies. Managed by a team of well-known professionals and led by serial entrepreneur Jon Medved, OurCrowd vets and selects opportunities, invests its own capital and brings these startups to its accredited membership. OurCrowd investors must meet stringent accreditation criteria and invest a minimum of $10,000 per deal of their choice. OurCrowd provides post-investment support to its portfolio companies, assigning industry experts as mentors and taking board seats. OurCrowd has raised over $140 million in equity crowdfunding for its 72 portfolio companies including Borro, BillGuard, Consumer Physics (SCiO), BioCatch, Abe’s Market and ReWalk (NASDAQ:RWLK), OurCrowd’s first portfolio company to complete a successful IPO. Visit us online at http://www.ourcrowd.com/

For Press Materials: http://blog.ourcrowd.com/index.php/canada/

Contacts

OurCrowd
Press:
Leah Stern
Director of Communications
IL: +972.54.341.4861
UK: +44.7470.196.826
USA Phone: +1.877.848.0964 ext. 2
leah@ourcrowd.com
or
OurCrowd Canada
David Shore, +1-416-258-6822
Director of Investor Relations
david.shore@ourcrowd.com
2 St. Clair Ave W, Suite 1002
Toronto, ON M4V 1L5

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 13, 2015 Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Online Funding / Investing Portals No comments

CircleUp Raises $22M To Invest In Consumer Brands On Its Crowdfunding Platform

TechCrunch by Ingrid Lunden | July 13, 2015

As crowdfunding sites like Tilt and GoFundMe and lending site Funding Circle raise large rounds to take their businesses to the next level, a startup that sits in the same area of web-based fundraising is trying a new approach. CircleUp, a crowdfunding platform for consumer brands to raise money from accredited investors, has closed a $22 million fund of its own to back a range of brands on the platform.

The Consumer Growth Fund, as it is called, will match investments made on its platform by others — not take the lead on funding itself, in order to avoid conflict with other investors.

Related: SeedUps Canada is Self-Crowdfunding as Market Heats Up Around the World

The size of the fund nearly matches the amount CircleUp has raised for its own business. To date the company has picked up over $23 million from investors that include Canaan Partners, Google Ventures, Union Square Ventures and Maveron, among others.

While companies like Kickstarter have been known to make occasional investments in startups that are raising money on their platforms, CircleUp’s COO and co-founder Rory Eakin says this $22 million fund is a first — no other crowdfunding marketplace has raised a fund to invest in deals on its own platform before.

Unlike AngelList, which focuses on tech startups, or Kickstarter or Indiegogo with their mix mainly of hardware and creative projects, CircleUp is used primarily by businesses that are not tech in their focus but are using advances in technology (including CircleUp’s fundraising platform) to grow.

>>> Register for the Equity Crowdfunding Bootcamp on July 28 in Toronto <<<

CircleUp taps into a wider trend we’re seeing in the U.S. and other markets. The number of smaller, new brands hitting the market has been blowing up in recent years — propelled by a wave of consumer sentiment away from mass market products and towards more local, organic and less common alternatives. CircleUp estimates that large packaged-goods companies have lost around $4 billion in the U.S. alone in the last year to smaller producers.

Among typical examples and funding sizes on the platform, Bhakti Chai raised $850,000 on CircleUp; and sportswear brand Hylete raised $1.4 million.

Up to now, CircleUp has focused on individual investors backing specific businesses, either on their own or through “Circles,” diversified investment funds introduced on the platform last year that are led by individual investors or organised around a specific theme. These are rolling investment vehicles that appear to work similar to AngelList syndicates.

CircleUp’s existing business has already seen some traction, with 100 businesses collectively raising over $100 million on the platform since 2012, and more individual investments in the last month than in the 15 months before that. (CircleUp is selective about who it permits to raise on its platform, vetting the companies itself before giving a green light.)

On top of funding, it also has built a network of relationships with larger strategic businesses like General Mills, J&J and eBay, which the smaller companies can tap with questions.

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The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 7, 2015 Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Innovation and Resources, Online Funding / Investing Portals No comments

Tilt Canada’s first anniversary: Snapshot of what Canadians are Tilting

Tilt Canada Blog | Claire LaRocca | July 7, 2015

This month Tilt is celebrating its one year anniversary in Canada, releasing new data on how Canadians from coast to coast are collecting money on Tilt for everything from rallying communities through inspirational fundraisers to more everyday uses with friends, family and colleagues.

Now every two minutes Canadians are tapping into the power of collective action through Tilt, changing the way we make social payments - especially on mobile.

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Here’s a snapshot of Tilt in Canada:

The average Canadian tilt collects $600 with the help of at least 5 contributors
Every two minutes Canadian are contributing or collecting money on Tilt
With 80% of Tilt users accessing the platform through their phones, organizers can now start a tilt in less than 30 seconds and invite their friends to contribute

What Canadians are tilting:

Queen’s Winter Classic - Queen’s University student Ali Gaudio decided to replicate the Winter Classics in her backyard by tilting funds to create an ice-rink and inviting all her friends to join
Fundraising for Cancer - Canadian student Alex Mann raised over $11,000+ in celebration of being cancer-free for five years
Camping trips, Cottage/Cabin weekends, Bachelorettes, Honeymoon Funds, Rent/Utilities

Tilt was founded in 2012 by James Beshara and Khaled Hussein with the mission to power the collective creation of the world. Canada was the first country Tilt launched in outside of the US and has set the standard for Tilt’s international playbook as the platform looks to expand in 7 countries by end of 2015.

View: Tim Ryan, Tilt Canada Leader

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 7, 2015 Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Online Funding / Investing Portals, Press Releases No comments

fundrboogie launches Hip-Hop lifestyle crowdfunding site, powered by proven FundRazr technology

FundRazr Release | Daryl Hatton | Jul 6, 2015

FundRazr, one of the top crowdfunding platforms in the world, is pleased to announce its partnership with fundrboogie, the world's first Hip-Hop lifestyle crowdfunding platform.

fundrboogie launches on July 7th. Through this collaboration, fundrboogie benefits from FundRazr's six years of experience, the knowledge gained from hosting over 50,000 campaigns and their technology.

In turn, FundRazr is excited to help provide their tools to fundrboogie to expand crowdfunding's reach into the very influential Hip-Hop community, which continues to be underrepresented by mainstream crowdfunding platforms. fundrboogie is seeking project creators, fans, entrepreneurs and businesses to make and support projects that the Hip-Hop community wants to see come to life. The platform already boasts its first successful campaign, launched by underground rap artist Mr. Complex. https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/5vTf6

fundrboogie is now expanding into other projects, specifically through a groundbreaking art-currency project initially developed with legendary artist Rammellzee prior to his death. The art-currency project will showcase quarterly the work of innovative artists in a wholly unexpected way. The first campaign in this series is with artist Tyler Hicks and is launching July 7th in conjunction with the official fundrboogie website launch.

Hicks created an original piece titled "Blowback" as part of her "Open Season" series for this campaign, which not only showcases the creativity fundrboogie nurtures, but also the spirit of social engagement the platform values.

In the United States, Hip-Hop music alone generates over $10 billion a year, a small fraction of its global reach. Until now, established crowdfunding sites have not truly represented this extremely influential demographic. fundrboogie founder Randy Nkonoki-Ward, who previously founded 88HIPHOP.com, saw the need to connect Hip-Hop's fans, creators and entrepreneurs via a discerning crowdfunding platform.

"Whether you're De La Soul or a young entrepreneur, crowdfunding is an effective way to get supporters excited and involved with your project," says Nkonoki-Ward.

"Though Hip-Hop is one of the most dominant cultural influences on the planet, until now it has not been represented or understood by existing crowdfunding platforms. fundrboogie acts somewhat like an incubator for projects needing funding, offering campaign strategy development tips, help with PR and connecting successful projects with industry professionals and companies.”

FundRazr founder and CEO Daryl Hatton says the partnership is the natural next step for crowdfunding. “As crowdfunding moves into the mainstream, people will prefer platforms that support their specific community of interest.

The partnership between fundrboogie and FundRazr is the perfect solution for them. It provides customers with fundrboogie’s intense focus and expertise in the Hip-Hop community powered by FundRazr's world-leading crowdfunding technology."

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About fundrboogie – fundrboogie is a Hip-Hop lifestyle crowdfunding platform that helps creative projects raise money, connect with fans and helps successful projects partner to strengthen and expand their reach. Please read and share our fundrboogie blog @ http://blog.fundrboogie.com

Team fundrboogie:

Randy Nkonoki-Ward: founder and general manager of fundrboogie. Randy previously created 88HIPHOP.COM and was manager of standards and practices for the AMC network. Randy has also worked on television and film productions for a variety of media.

Jorge Ledesma: founding partner of fundrboogie, research, development & design. Jorge has worked as a creative director and designer for tech companies including Electronic Arts and ScanDisk. He also created Propaganda magazine, an internet publication celebrating the underground Hip-Hop community.

Lauren Jagnow: founding partner of fundrboogie, communications liason. Lauren previously worked for HBO and Bad Boy Entertainment.

Bryan Elliacin: fundrboogie digital production artist. Bryan studied Game Art & Design at the Art Institute of Las Vegas. He currently works in Los Angeles and creates original/branded content for commercials, TV and film.

Aaron Ledesma: fundrboogie blog editor. Aaron previously worked for Atomic Dog Magazine as well as The Beachcomber newspaper.

More information on fundrboogie can be found at http://www.fundrboogie.com or on Facebook at https://www.fundrboogie.com. Follow them on Twitter @fundrboogie or Instagram @fundrboogie.

For press, media, interview requests and all things fundrboogie, please contact Lauren Jagnow, laurenjagnow@gmail.com, 310.403.0839

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About FundRazr – FundRazr is a crowdfunding solution that pairs industry-leading technology and innovative social tools to help people raise money for causes that matter and make a difference in their world. Unlike other major crowdfunding platforms, FundRazr also powers white-labeled solutions and delivers their state-of-the-art technology through market focused partnerships. Based in Vancouver, Canada, so far FundRazr has helped raise over $68 million for more than 50,000 campaigns around the world.

More information on FundRazr can be found at http://fundrazr.com or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/fundrazr. Follow us on Twitter: @FundRazr, #fundrazr

FundRazr is a trademark of ConnectionPoint Systems Inc.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact

Daryl Hatton                           FundRazr.com
daryl@fundrazr.com               #200 – 171 Water Street, Vancouver, BC Canada V6B 1A7
+1.604.984.2466                   +1.604.688.1886

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

July 6, 2015 Fintech International, Fundraising, Investing, Trading, Online Funding / Investing Portals No comments

The Leader: Tim Ryan, Tilt Canada

The Toronto Star | Tamara Khandaker | Jul 6, 2015

Tilt Canada is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month and has grown significantly, with Canadians contributing or collecting money on the app every two minutes.

Tim Ryan was planning an annual ski trip with friends and looking for a hassle-free way to collect everyone’s contributions when he came across Tilt.

“I’d always dealt with like, 50 email transfers, some people giving me cash, some people never paying me back,” he says. After finding out the crowdfunding platform was not yet available in Canada, he casually sent an email to the company’s CEO and vowed to be its first user if they ever crossed the border.

Related: Tilt raises $23Million to take Crowdfunding world-wide

As it turned out, a move was in the cards, and within a few months, Ryan — founder and CEO of Vestiigo, a startup acquired by TalentLab in 2012 that aimed to link pre-screened job candidates to small- and medium-sized businesses quickly — became the country manager in Canada.

Under Ryan’s leadership, Tilt Canada is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month and has grown significantly, with Canadians contributing or collecting money on the app every two minutes. He spoke with The Star about what makes Tilt special, how Canadian crowdfunding campaigns are different from American ones, and what he looks for in new hires.

What makes Tilt different from other crowdfunding platforms?

“I think most people associate that term with Indiegogo and Kickstarter, which are very niche and focus on a very specific kind of audience. Kickstarter focuses on building something or launching a company. Indiegogo tends to be about indie films and maybe non-profit kind of stuff. Tilt is the underlying layer of crowdfunding — everything from a barbecue with friends to a massive fundraising campaign. We don’t really distinguish the use. We just make it really easy to pool money between friends, family, and colleagues, and that’s all we focus on.”

What are some of the most interesting campaigns that you’ve seen?

“We’ve seen the full gamut of stuff. One of the most amazing, and obviously really sad, campaigns, in terms of collective action and people coming together was the Elijah Marsh campaign. That was one where the entire city came together to help that family in the worst of times ... Another touching one we saw was one where a couple had moved to New York, and right as they got there, their apartment was burgled and they lost everything. They didn’t have insurance set up ... So their friends back in Toronto started a campaign to help pay for all the things that were stolen without them even knowing. The whole group rallied together

View: 2015 Canadian Crowdfunding Directory

And then you see ski trips, bachelorettes, and trips with friends abroad, the full gamut. There was one where a family got together to pay for their nephew’s school tuition. What makes Tilt unique is that it harks back to an earlier time when in order to get something done, you needed to pool your resources together. That, at the end of the day, is Tilt’s foundation. The original need for a village or a community because you couldn’t do things on your own.”

How are Canadian campaigns different from American ones?

“When we set up Tilt Canada, we had nothing to go by, so we didn’t know what Canadians were going to do. I’ve found Canadians are a little more conservative, a little more pragmatic, whereas our American neighbours are more bombastic and have the crazy ideas.

At the time, someone was crowdfunding a jet to go to Vegas. I honestly don’t see Canadians doing those sorts of things ... People use it to solve a pain point. You see people doing boring, mundane things a lot of the time, like groceries and collecting money for rink time. You won’t read them as headlines in a newspaper.”

Continue to the full article --> here

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1100+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.