Crowdfunding for the Arts: No Running, Walking or Freezing Plunges Required

In 2011, in the name of raising money for the Special Olympics, I participated in the Polar Plunge. As a native Texan going to graduate school in Wisconsin, I signed up on a sunny September day not only to support the cause, but also because it seemed like something that would make for a good story one day. When February rolled around, it was with shock and horror that I realized exactly what I had signed myself up for. As a Texas girl, I am not exaggerating when I say I thought I literally might freeze to death.

But crowdfunding isn’t just for runs, walks or polar plunges anymore. Museums, zoos and aquariums are finding that crowdfunding can be a strategic tool to add to their fundraising playbooks.