Crowdfunding by the Numbers

Illustration of a large lightbulb with faceless people on ladders working around it with batteries to power it
Text graphic stating: 40- Number of Tufts Crowdfunding projects completed or ongoing to date

Across Tufts Schools and departments, online crowdfunding is a growing source of support for projects of all kinds. The university’s new giving platform, Crowdfunding at Tufts, was launched in February 2017 to provide tools and support to students, alumni, faculty, and staff looking to fundraise for projects they’re passionate about—whether that’s promoting innovation, transforming local communities, or supporting students.

The Crowdfunding at Tufts website, crowdfund.tufts.edu, showcases the wide range of these projects, including some you might not have suspected were going on at the university. Many tackle causes central to Brighter World: The Campaign for Tufts, such as broadening access to higher education; strengthening democracy; and addressing obesity, malnutrition, and food inequity.

Some are driven by faculty and staff with the help of alumni volunteers, such as STOMP, the Student Teacher Outreach Mentorship Program, which pairs undergraduates with secondary school teachers to create and teach STEM-based curricula in local elementary schools. Others, like the examples below, are led by students and alumni. Wherever these initiatives start, they all show collective giving leads to great things.

Alumni Project Spotlight

First-Generation Scholarship

The Tufts University Alumni Association’s initiative to raise $10,000 for a one-year scholarship surpassed its goal of 200 donors in just eight days and continued on, unlocking an additional $5,000 matching gift from the Alumni Council. The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Farley Flores, A18, who grew up in Mexico and Honduras and now lives in Compton, California, where he supports his three younger sisters. He works with the Institute for Global Leadership in Nicaragua and plans to one day run a nonprofit working with developing countries. "Your participation in this crowdfunding campaign shows what is possible when Jumbos across the globe come together around a shared vision," the organizers wrote, "and how that vision can become a reality when we all do what we can." 

Student Project Spotlight

Society of Women Engineers

The Mission of the Tufts chapter of SWE is to inspire and empower future female engineers and demonstrate the value of diversity in engineering. Twenty-two donors made it possible to send sixteen women to SWE’s national conference in Austin, Texas, in October 2017, where they attended presentations and interviewed with companies such as Lockheed Martin and Honeywell. "We are grateful that we have so many wonderful people who support us!" the students wrote in an update to donors.

Have a Bright Idea of Your Own?

Those interested in starting a crowdfunding project may apply through crowdfund.tufts.edu. Please contact Tessa Buckley at tessa.buckley@tufts.edu for more information.