Jolabokaflod CIC patch at CrowdPatch

Jolabokaflod CIC has set up a special-interest patch on the CrowdPatch social-enterprise crowdfunding platform. This Jolabokaflod patch hosts and incubates all crowdfunding campaigns that encourage people in communities – whether local, regional, national or international – to buy books to give to friends and family for reading during the Christmas period and for other special events, occasions, holidays or festivals.

CrowdPatch features and benefits

CrowdPatch is a great environment in which social entrepreneurs can crowdfund for projects that improve the quality of life for people in community groups because project leaders keep all the money they raise for their good causes.

Projects receive all the financial contributions they attract, even where target figures are not reached. CrowdPatch takes no administration fees, as the company is a not-for-profit CIC business itself. Crowdfunding at CrowdPatch is free to use throughout the whole cycle of a project, including setting up campaigns and collecting financial contributions.

CrowdPatch projects encourage visitors to register with the platform and then:

• Contribute Give money to a project in exchange for a range of rewards offered by project leaders at different price levels

• Volunteer Offer to help by carrying out practical tasks, writing emails, making suggestions, using skills and experience, etc. that help a project to achieve its financial and marketing goals

• Share Spread the news about a project by sending instant messages via social media

CrowdPatch has an InMail messaging service for easy communication and it holds email addresses for people who actively engage with projects, so that messages can be exchanged by email away from the platform.

Project leaders can also hire members of the CrowdPatch community with relevant skills and experience by negotiating a mutually agreed fee that can be added to the target figure of funds that need to be raised.

Any book trade events set up by CrowdPatch members at Eventbrite can also be advertised and promoted in the Jolabokaflod Book Campaign patch.

The most successful crowdfunding campaigns are run by people who actively promote their causes. In practice, this means spreading word-of-mouth on- and offline in some or all of the following ways:

• Face-to-face conversations Meetings, parties, social gatherings, talking with friends and family

• Writing press releases Journalists and bloggers appreciate receiving well-organised details about newsworthy events within their areas of interest (Journalism.co.uk published advice on how to write an effective press release that remains relevant, despite the fact that the article was written in 2009)

• Writing emails Sending individual messages and/or newsletters, using sites like MailChimp

• Video Learn how to record and upload YouTube videos about projects: enthusiasm and commitment will shine through. Here are some great primers on how to record a video for uploading to YouTube, here’s another on setting up a channel, and here is a library of clips about how to use YouTube once you’re ready to roll.

• Blogs There are many blog and magazine platforms available for people to post content for free (e.g. Medium, LinkedIn Pulse, Tumblr)

• Social media Share messages with friends and followers on social media networks with the best potential of reaching like contributor and volunteer prospects

Who will run projects at the Jolabokaflod patch?

Anyone with a passion for sharing their love of books and reading can run a project, whether or not they have professional experience of working in publishing or the wider media. Here are some non-exclusive examples of the types of people who may love the experience of running projects at the Jolabokaflod Book Campaign patch:

• Authors
• Bloggers and vloggers
• Literary agents
• Publishers
• Licensing agents
• Booksellers
• Librarians
• Teachers
• Journalists
• Campaigners and activists
• Avid readers

The first project to run at the Jolabokaflod patch was The Icelanders Cometh, a campaign to raise GBP £2304.16 initially by 23 April 2016 (the date for World Book Night and UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day) for UK libraries to spend on books translated into English by Icelandic authors. The project was extended to 25 October 2016 to allow everyone the opportunity to contribute, volunteer and share. The campaign raised 103% of the target funds, reaching a final tally of £2365.00.

Check out full details of all our crowdfunding campaigns in the Press section of this website: a great tool for researchers, journalists and bloggers alike.

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