Crowdfunding's sites and actions to success.

The Crowdfunding is emerging since some years as an alternative method for raising finance which could be useful also in clinical trials.

For those not familiar, the crowdfunding allows anyone to advertise an idea and / or a project through one of the many sites that provide this service.

The sites are very similar to each other. After loading the project, this is customized by entering the amount that you want to achieve, any awards or note to thanks to promote the collection of funds (in this case we speak of reward-based crowdfunding) and last but not least, the details and the links of various social networks through which it will be possible to publicize the initiative.

To summarize it in a few words, the Crowdfunding is a continuous "social experiment". Almost always, the creator of the project is unknown to the donor who freely chooses to pay a certain amount.

The most famous sites that deal with Crowdfunding are:

Indiegogo

Kickstarter

Gofundme

Indiegogo

Kickstarter

Teespring

Patreon

YouCaring

Crowdrise

DonorsChoose

Kiva

Giveforward

The crownfunding can be divided into two main types: the all-or-nothing model and the take-it-all model.

a) The model all-or-nothing

The main feature of this model is that the target must to be reached within a predetermined period of time (generally set by the platform itself) before conducting any financial transaction. If the target is not reached, the funding is considered to have failed, the transaction will not take place and the money will be transferred back immediately or on behalf of the donors. In some models, the sums paid are transferred to another account that is managed by the platform and can be reallocated to another project.

An example of this model is Kickstarter.

b) The model take-it-all

In this case, the funding granted to the project regardless of whether or not it reaches the target amount by the deadline.

An example of this type is Indiegogo

To understand how the crowndfunding can be useful to clinical research some principles are necessary to understand how the research has the opportunity to achieve success and sense within this system.

• The marketing studies are excluded from crowndfunding
• Advertises the project or choose a relevant clinical question to achieve a large number of people. 
• provide a simple and easy description to understand, we're not all doctors and specialists like you! You can always give vent to your knowledge in the "details" of the project.
• Create the project in English;
• Use the model all-or-nothing. After careful analysis of costs, the target amount must be able to cover all expenses (the amount may be higher). Do not apply the model all-or-nothing actually means wasting resources and time;
• If you decide to use the model take-it-all, establish a goal to activate the study. You can think to activate the search if has been obtained more than 70% of the target amount. Only with high percentages you can start looking while still seeking other sources of funding;
• Use Facebook, Instagram, etc. twitter. to raise awareness of the research in the world
• Updates the project on an ongoing basis from the beginning to keep high the attention it deserves;
• Take 10 seconds to thank all those who have had faith in you and in the project

Finally I wish good luck to those who will begins in this new frontier research ... waiting for the expiry of the fixed period.