From 3D-printable clothing to virtual reality headsets, crowdfunding has made many personal, professional and political dreams possible.
In Squamish, the generosity of the local community and strangers far and wide has brought three recent campaigns to life, while a fourth – One Duck Brewing – failed to take off despite a successful campaign.
Backers are eagerly willing to contribute thousands of dollars to projects and issues they believe in and the results can be exceptionally positive for those involved.
A revolutionary wallet
Imagine a wallet with the endurance of outdoor equipment and the elegant simplicity of refined climbing gear.
Having spent two decades creating award-winning outdoor gear for brands such as Arc’teryx and Sea to Summit, Nathan Kukathas felt urban life needed something akin to outdoor life and created the Cardamon Wallet to fill that gap.
“It’s so hard to find a wallet that’s truly small and minimalist, but not to the point where it compromises everything and you have just a rubber band,” he said.
“I had this vision for taking a material, which could not only be sewn but welded, thermoformed and manipulated into this thin shape of almost indestructible material… while looking refined with a pretty aesthetic.”
He put his idea to his now Cardamon colleagues, David Pearson and Josh Simpson, four years ago and has been personally testing the wallet’s durability in his own back pocket ever since.
“I wanted to build a wallet that would last forever... it needs to look brand new after several years of use.”
(In fact, if your Cardamon Wallet ever wears out or is damaged or destroyed, it will be replaced free of charge.)
In December, convinced by their wallet’s durability, Cardamon was ready for Kickstarter (see www. bycardamon.com for more).
Their initial goal of raising $10,000 in new orders over 30 days was soon eclipsed, and eventually closed at $86,000.
It was a great result that made their first production run possible and reinforced the passion the team felt about their product. For more details, visit bycardamon.com.
Though donors could buy a wallet for just a few dollars, the 1,400 backers pledged an average of $60 each. Of those backers, 10 per cent came through Kukathas’ personal Facebook friends, though their strongest city was Singapore and there was almost an equal number of North American customers as international ones.
In addition to relying on social media, the Cardamon team devised a solid strategy well before the Kickstarter campaign launched, something he recommends to others.
“We looked at a lot of different projects and also outside of Kickstarter… and built a strategy that we thought could cause the result we were intending.”
This included Facebook ads and media reviews, which he said had a direct impact on the results.
After delivering this current production run in March, the next step is to start selling the wallet online while continuing to build their following of Cardamon fans, ready for the next product launch.
Bikes for kids in need
In 2007, after watching the news and finding it especially depressing, he decided to create some uplifting news instead.
“He rallied together a group of fellow cycling enthusiasts, bought a bunch of bikes, put them together and began giving them away to kids through neighbourhood houses, churches and youth centres,” said Kim Brennan, Pinkbike’s marketing coordinator.
The annual fundraising initiative has continued ever since and has supplied new bicycles for children worldwide, from Squamish to the Czech Republic, India, South Africa and New Zealand.
More than just teaching children to ride a bike, explained Brennan, Share the Ride encourages freedom, independence, activity, wellness, social skills and a greener way to get around. For details, visit pinkbike.com/sharetheride.
With Indiegogo as their crowdfunding platform, Share the Ride receives donations from around the world, ranging from as little as $5 to hundreds of dollars.
In 2016, they received 2,084 donations and surpassed the goal of raising $45,000.
The first bikes are already on their way to a BMX track in the U.K., a school in Calgary, a community in Richmond, Calif. and children in an oncology unit in the Czech Republic.
Every single cent raised goes to the children, she said.
“Helmets, bikes, locks, shipping, sticker packs – nothing goes to us or the people who volunteer.”
For Share the Ride, crowdfunding has been a great success. It has enabled them to utilise videos, photos and regular interactive updates.
When setting up a campaign, getting your details just right is very important for a successful outcome, she explained.
“The more detailed your purpose and end goal and how you will get there, the greater chance of success you have.”
You also need to be actively engaged with your donors, she recommends.
“Lots of people will write in to say they are really proud to be part of Share the Ride. Responding back to thank them for their contribution is really important.”
The mountain biking community is such an incredibly giving one, she added. “We are so very grateful for everyone’s contributions and interest.”
The Lye Family Fund
Jessica Udell has known Selinda Lye and her family since their children were little.
In 2010, Lye’s husband, Philip, was diagnosed with brain cancer and underwent surgery, leaving him unable to work and in a great deal of pain.
At the end of 2016, the tumour returned and he had a second surgery just before Christmas.
When Udell heard about this and the costs the family faced, she teamed up with a mutual friend, Erin Chittle, to start a fundraising campaign.
So far, they’ve raised just over $11,000 of the $20,000 goal, with donations from family and even high school friends in Thailand.
“I really felt like the community was coming together to help,” said Udell, adding one of the biggest expenses has been replacing Philip’s mobility scooter.
“We’ve also been able to purchase a lift into the vehicle… which has really helped Philip’s quality of life and general happiness. Being 36 years old and having two young kids is really hard – he wanted to be that active involved father, but hasn’t been able to do it as much because of limitations. Being able to have the scooter and that freedom is nice.”
The money has also helped hire a care aid for Philip while Lye works which, she says, wouldn’t have been possible without the funds. And there are still more expenses to come, she added.
Udell said it’s taken a lot of weight off Selinda’s shoulders.
“There’s enough going on without having to worry about the financial side of things.”
To all the donors, Lye said, she is grateful beyond belief, and added the messages they’ve received have moved both her and Philip to tears.
For details visit gofundme.com/lye-family-fund.
Brewery on hold
Though these three campaigns have been successful, securing funding doesn’t guarantee success. For example, the unforeseen challenges experienced by One Duck Brewing were enough to have them halt – potentially indefinitely – the new venture proving that, as with any business, successful backing alone isn’t enough.
Jesse Paine, who is originally from Whistler, planned to open a craft brewery that specialized in Belgian-style beer in Squamish during 2015.
To help with the cost of equipment, he launched a Kickstarter campaign and raised $16,045 from 198 backers but, according to a post on Facebook by One Duck Brewing, the man who sold them the equipment did not actually own it because he was in debt to a mortgage company.
“After hiring lawyers and consulting with anyone who can offer advice One Duck is on the verge of closing up shop (before even opening its doors) and filing for bankruptcy,” the post in October reads.
Although Paine didn’t respond to The Chief’s request for comment, another post in December indicates the brewery is on hold indefinitely and that the family has moved to Eastern Canada to be closer to relatives who will help look after their three children.
“The aim still is, and always will be, to get ODB up and running one day. I can’t thank you all enough and I am truly heartbroken and sorry that this has all happened,” the post reads.
