Crowdtilt blog

Here are a few ways to use crowdfunding to stay warm in this chilly iceapocalypse...

1. Make Homemade Smores

If you're hunkering down for weeks, you'll need a larger than normal stash of smores ingredients, and a new recipe to mix it up! See how Travis and Emma from Texas collected money from with friends to make tons of homemade bourbon-cinnamon marshmallow smores to share, here. 

2. Group Purchase More Snow Supplies for Cheap! 

Tons of tilters use Crowditlt to take advantage of Holiday group buying discounts. It works great for football tickets, buying iPad Airs, bulk orders of custom T-shirts and eccentric things like "squatty potties" too. To take advantage of holiday sales, collect money from friends through Crowdtilt and buy snow supplies or holiday gifts in one go, to save more.

Use the promo code "groupbuy" to waive fees on all group buying campaigns. Woohoo! 

3. Snow Sports with Friends

Skiing will help keep your blood pumping! Thousands of people use Crowdtilt to collect money for their winter ski or snowmobiling trips. Check out how Jed groupfunded his ski house in Nevada here. 

4. Emergency Funds for Someone in Need 

If someone you know is out of power or supplies during the winter storms, you can use Crowdtilt to start a fundraiser to help. This group of strangers crowdsourced $4,000 in a month to restore power to an elderly, disabled woman's house -- before their help, she had been living in the dark, without hot water or hot meals for 2 whole years. (See the incredible story on Facebook here.)

You can also collect smaller sums to buy Christmas presents or warm care packages for the homeless, like Terry from Austin, TX did here. 

5. Escape the Cold. 

Have you had enough?

Leave it all behind, and pool money with friends for a spur-of-the-moment trip to a warmer destination. Mexico, Vegas and Hawaii are prime spots! People have raised as much as $30,000 with friends in just one week. See how these friends collected money for their spring break trip here. 

Stay warm, tilters! We're sending warm thoughts from SF... 

Love,

The Crowdtilt Team

Last Friday our CEO James Beshara and CTO Khaled Hussein were named in Time Magazine's "30 People Under 30 Who Are Changing the World!" 

At Crowdtilt, we make it beautifully easy for groups to do things together. From organizing a party bus with friends to pooling money for a cause you’re passionate about, we help make the process of paying for group activities seamless and fun. 

Behind all that, though, is a vision to empower everyday people to make real change in the world. The organization our CEO founded before Crowdtilt was called Develo.org, which used groupfunding to alleviate poverty in developing countries. (Read more here) This TIME Magazine shoutout is a great homage to our roots. 

We're stunned and honored to be called out -- but at the end of the day this milestone is more a testament to our community and supporters than anything else.

This quote is pinned up on our office walls, reminding us that it's not us who are changing the world -- it's you: the small group of tilters who dream up crazy ideas each day. You're the one tilting life-changing social justice fundraisers, smashing world records with your parties, and making the world better with your spur-of-the-moment ideas. You're the ones who have been tilting major headlines every week. You're the ones changing the world. 

So thank you. For supporting our mission to bring crowdfunding to the masses, and for dreaming so darn big. Our little team of 30 can't move the needle alone. But with a community/family like you, heck yeah we can! (You've killed it over the last 22 months.) Let's change the world together, one tilt at a time. :) 

See the full feature here, or celebrate with us on Facebook or Twitter! 

Love,

At Crowdtilt, we make it beautifully easy for groups to do things together. From organizing a party bus with friends to pooling money for a cause you’re passionate about, we help make the process of paying for group activities seamless and fun. 

Behind all that, though, is a vision to empower everyday people to make real change in the world. Few know this, but the organization our CEO founded before Crowdtilt used groupfunding to alleviate poverty in developing countries. It was born out of South Africa, where he worked. (Read more here) 

Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, passed away today. But he leaves behind him an inspiring legacy that breathes on in the hearts of our charitable tilters, in Crowdtilt's roots, and in the vision of the Crowdtilt team.

[Learn More About Crowdtilt Here] 

Here are some wise words from this amazing world leader and visionary. We hope they inspire you to #tiltforgood today! 

(Quotes via NewsOne.com)

1. Nothing in this world is impossible and Mandela makes sure to remind us of that.

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

2. A lot of people find it easy to be pessimistic and think of the negatives that can arise out of a situation. But in this quote, Mandela shows us that thinking positive is the only way to go. The more positive you think, the more positive the outcome will probably be. We see this in our Crowdtilt community every single day. :) 

“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”

3. Living isn’t just about doing for yourself, but what you do for others as well.

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”

4. An ode to the fact that racism is not passed on genetically, but passed on through teachings.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

5.  Life is a course with endless obstacles to hurdle.

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”

6. We are too quick to give up and refuse to get up from our failures. If we don’t fight to get up, we are giving up on something bigger — life.

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

7. Sometimes you can leave a place and find that the only thing that has changed after all the years is yourself.

“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”

8. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”

9. Be brave!

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

10. From the poorest of countries to the richest of nations, education is the key to moving forward in any society.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Humanity has lost one of its greatest. RIP Nelson Mandela. Thank you for teaching us a deeper meaning of love, freedom and sacrifice. 

Keep dreaming and doing big things, tilters!

[Learn More About Crowdtilt Today] 

[See a Crowdtilt that raised $131,000 to empower youth in Jamaica, NY]

Love,

A couple fun shout outs from the last two months!!  • Power Tilters Travis Heim and Emma Heim were just featured in Texas Monthly's BBQ section! It's an award winning magazine, mad props guys! Check it out here and search for "Meat Club" • Craig Dunlap and Jeffrey Griffeth's heartwarming Crowdtilt was featured in the Huffington Post. Incredible. Check it out here. 

• SF Gate featured Crowdtilt's record-breaking Halloween Yacht Party! Check it out here.  • If you're interested in art or photography, check out power tilter Cheney's tips for perfect pet photos in The Editorialite! Check it out here.  We also have an incredible Dallas tilter named Jared who's been featured in 14 press writeups just last week. He's reuniting Vanilla Ice and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in a crazy Crowdtilt party. Feel free to check it out here.  Thanks to all of you for inspiring us every day! 

Love,

There's a little team of boys in Spokane, WA who think that Lacrosse is just like Star Wars. The "crosse" (lacrosse sticks) remind them of lightsabers. Lacrosse is a rare, exotic sport over on the West Coast, making it even more magical. It's the kind of thing that young 8-10 year old boys are apt to dream up. 

(Help the boys play Lacrosse here!) 

Two of these boys recently went through a tragic accident: Their beloved dad, David Olinger, lost his leg in a gruesome factory accident in October. He had a 10% chance of survival. His family counts themselves lucky to still have him by their side. 

David's an incredible man -- apart from working full-time in a grueling Purina plant to support his beautiful wife and three boys, he also coaches football in his free time. He's fun, friendly, but most of all is passionate about his family. 

The medical bills were so high that the boys were no longer able to register for the lacrosse team in the fall. 

Rachael Kettner-Thompson heard their story on the news. Though there were fundraisers going on for the family already, she knew that she wanted to do something more. A mom herself, she knew that the the boys needed something to do in the Spring, to brighten up the season while their dad was recovering and all their friends were out on the field. 

In a matter of minutes she created a Crowdtilt and started fundraising from anyone and everyone who also wanted to help the boys play lacrosse in the spring.

We love her proactive, heartwarming efforts to not just help the family, but help bring priceless joy to the boys! You can see her Crowdtilt here. 

Though thousands have already been collected for the family, all of it is going into David's countless surgeries and the fitting of his prosthetic leg. $812 has been raised so far to pay for the boys' lacrosse equipment and registration fees. They're aiming for a solid $1,000 to cover it all, and all extra funds will go to the family to help more with recovery.

This $812 may seem small, but to these young boys, it'll be priceless. 

“It's not enough to just live, we've got to give the boys some joy during this hard time, something to look forward to. It might be small, but it could change everything.”

- Rachael, Our Head Tilter

Rachael stepped up to help a family she didn't even know. As we head into the Thanksgiving season, we're thankful for each of you who go above and beyond each day. With bounds of faith and passion, you guys achieve amazing things on our site. 

You can help Jennifer and David Olinger and their boys out here. Once the $1,000 goal is reached all funds will go to David's recovery. 

To start a Crowdtilt for a good cause or inspired idea today, click here. Use the promo code bloglove to waive the fee. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Love,

Just last month, this fundraiser blew past the most successful campaign on Crowdtilt (previously this $108,000 yacht party)--raising $131,000 for a truly incredible nonprofit in Jamaica Queens, New York. 

LIFE Camp works to eliminate violence in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in New York. Simply watch their campaign video to get a sense for the work they do. From helping kids in the streets turn away from small robberies and gang violence, to comforting and empowering mothers who have lost their children to shootings, LIFE camp is an essential part of the community. 

(To start your own Nonprofit fundraiser, simply click here and use the promo code ilovelife to waive the Crowdtilt fee!)

When they were open, there were 340 days of no shootings in the area and 115 incidents that would've led to gun violence were prevented. But in July their funding got held up by red tape and they closed their doors. Less than a month later, 5 people were shot. 

So they created a Crowdtilt to bring life back to LIFE Camp. 494 donors later, their doors reopened. 

Here are some of the inspiring comments and messages they received (there were hundreds, so check out the campaign page to see the rest!)

Everyday people dug deep, inspired by the cause:  

There were also a handful of celebrities who generously donated:

Kimora Lee Simmons generously donated $50,000! 

Deepak Chopra, a prominent Indian-American author and physician donated. 

Russell Simmons donated $10k: 

Others included David Geffen, a founder of dreamworks; Roland Emmerich (a film producer who directed Stargate, Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow, among others), and more. 

The fundraiser was such a success that it was even featured as the main story in this month's issue of Oprah Magazine! 

We especially loved this snapshot of Erica Ford, our proud tilter, changing out of her violence-intervention gear and getting her chic Oprah makeover!

Erica, you're absolutely beautiful -- both inside and out! Thanks for letting us feature and be a part of your amazing journey. We're humbled and honored to see the amazing things made possible through our site. The passion and dedication of tilters like you inspires us to do what we do. 

Tell us: Did you love Erica's fundraiser? What would you tilt? 

To start your own Nonprofit fundraiser, simply click here and use the promo code ilovelife to waive the Crowdtilt fee! 

We look forward to helping tilt more good into the world through technology, compassion, and collective action. :) 

Love,

Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda crashed through villages last week, blasting through the Philippines with winds approaching 200 mph. It was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded in history. 

Our hearts go out to the more than 11 million victims affected and we love the passion, creativity and generosity of our tilters as they scrambled to help those in need. If you're looking for a way to help, feel free to donate or spread the word about these 5 campaigns! 

(You can start a fundraiser with your friends here. Simply use the promo code typhoonhelp to waive fees.)

Alex's Fundraiser for her hometown

Alex is raising money to rebuild her family's hometown, Estancia, in the Philippines. She's been overwhelmed by the support from her American friends. See her aunt and cousins' live pictures of the disaster here. Send her a message or help below! 

Jamba Juice Matches 100% of Typhoon Relief Funds 

The internationally renowned brand Jamba Juice is using Crowdtilt to socially fundraise from their fans. In just 1 day they've raised thousands from 86 contributors. They're matching your donations dollar for dollar - simply click below to help! 

CA Assemblymember Raises Funds for His Home Country

Rob Bonta, the first Filipino American elected to the California State Legislature, started a Crowdtilt to support relief efforts. Donate or spread the word here. 

Google Employees Fundraising for Relief

Google employees have started a tilt to raise funds that will be matched by their company. Google will match employee contributions up to $1,000! 

Friends Fundraising for Typhoon Victims

Caitlin, a regular girl from Texas, wanted to help! So she got friends together to fundraise online for the cause. It's a great way to give your community an easy way to help.

There are many more fundraisers on our site, and we're sorry we couldn't feature them all! If you want to start a fundraiser with your friends you can do that here. Simply use the promo code typhoonhelp to waive all fees. 

Love,

Hey tilters!

Here are the first three steps to get your Crowdtilt campaign off to a strong, early start! 

These tips are taken from the practices followed in the first few days of 1,000 of our most successful campaigns. 

1. Polish it up

Description: Make it clear, inspiring and brief. Get 5 best practices here.

Title: Learn to convince and rally support with just your title. Follow these 3 tips.

Add a photo: Campaigns with photos or videos are 500% more likely to tilt. 

2. Seed your campaign 

Quick, get 6-8 contributors! Early support on your page makes visitors 74% more likely to join in. Follow these steps. (Better yet, you'll even get a special tweet from our Twitter account once you hit 15 contributors!)

3. Blast it out  

Crowdtilt doesn't give you supporters. Instead, you first need to find people who will support your idea. Follow these 4 tips!

We hope this helps! 

Love,

The Crowdtilt Team

Happy Veteran's Day! Today we want to share with you the stories of a few amazing do-gooders who poured their passion, empathy and spirit into supporting our veterans. 

See their Crowdtilt fundraisers below and click through to their campaign pages to read about their unique efforts.

In honor of our veterans, we'll match 10% of any funds raised for veteran causes before December 31st, 2013. 

1. Using Crowdtilt to buy girl scout cookies for our troops! 

80 people quickly raised $4,000 to buy girl scout cookies as a Valentine's day surprise for their friends in the armed forces. These sweet reminders of home brightened up our troops' days. 

2. Fundraising for a veteran's medical expenses!

300 neighbors and family raised $30,000 over a couple of weeks to help this veteran's family with his medical costs! Captain Edward Klein lost both legs, right arm, three fingers on his left hand and had a broken pelvis. 

3. Growing Your Mustache to Support Wounded Warriors! 

Ben grew out his beard, and raised $2,000 from friends and family to support wounded warriors across the country. We love quick, spur-of-the-moment projects like these! (Psst - Check out our 11% No-Shave-November Matching program here) 

4. Crowdfunding Google Glass for a Veteran! 

Friends and family crowdfunded a pair of Google Glasses for this vet! Josh uses his Google Glass to capture more moments with his two young daughters. 

5. Throwing a Benefit Concert for a Hero 

This community used Crowdtilt to throw an event honoring a Marine who was slain in a school shooting. The event was covered in the local Examiner.

6. Supporting The Children of Our Troops

Military children make huge sacrifices, often having to move every couple of years. This teacher used Crowdtilt to start an anti-stress fitness program for military students at his school. 

7. Creating a Memorial Fund for a Fallen Soldier

Crowdtilt helped this grieving family start a memorial fund for Chris, a NAVY seal and beloved husband, brother and father. 

We hope these crowdfunded stories inspire you to give as our veterans gave this Veteran's Day.

From helping a veteran you know with his medical expenses, to sending sweet care packages from home, Crowdtilt was built to help fund quick, meaningful ideas like these. To help as much as we can we'll match 10% of any funds raised for veteran causes before December 31st, 2013. Message your campaign to [email protected] for more info! 

Love,

Hey tilters! :)

A good title can help your campaign stand out in your friends’ inboxes, on Facebook timelines and on our site’s public feed. 

Try to choose a name that:

Clearly and concisely says what you’re raising money for

Is unique: “Let’s raise $50,000 to buy an American Hero a boat!” will do better than “Raise money for David’s Boat!” and “Great Gatsby Rooftop Party” is more exciting than “My Party Collection Fund”

Includes a call to action: words like “Support...” “Help...” and “Let’s raise...” can help!

As people skim through their inboxes they'll be able to quickly glimpse what you're raising money for and why.

We've gone through some of the most successful campaigns on our site to find campaign titles that do this best. Get inspired! 

(Simply click the picture to see the campaign itself.)

1. This title invokes emotion and says who the money is going to and why...

2. The call to action here is powerful and moves people to action! It mentions a news piece everyone will recognize, helping this small campaign by an everyday Texan citizen go viral.  

3. Short and sweet also works. “Renna’s Wheelchair Fund!” was more concrete than “Help Renna” or “Renna’s Recovery Bills.” Help your contributors envision exactly what they’re paying for!

4. Get your guests hyped up with a unique title that would make Gatsby, the master party-planner proud! :)

5. To tap into heartstrings, paint a picture of the person you’re fundraising for. Mention something people can relate to. Most people will want to help out a wounded army veteran, teenage girl in trouble, or a senior citizen...

5. If something’s secret, it’s good to tell people so that they don’t forward the email along.... ;)

6. Or, you can go with pure elation! Your friends will get excited when you’re excited too!  

A couple extra seconds of work can really help your campaign stand out! We hope these tips help you spice it up a little! 

Finally, for a bit of inspiration (and a hearty belly-laugh), can you imagine how “The Great Gatsby” would have fared if Fitzgerald had settled for his first few title choices? 

Trimalchio in West Egg

On the Road to West Egg

The High-Bouncing Lover

Gold-Hatted Gatsby

Gatsby; Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires

Under the Red, White, and Blue (!!)

Leave a comment! 

Thought of a word or two that you’d change in your description? An extra exclamation mark or detail you’d mention? Let us know, and link your campaign below! :) 

Love,

The Crowdtilt Team

A few weeks ago, we launched Crowdhoster to the world — a full-featured, open source crowdfunding solution. Building on the Selfstarter project by giving creators total control, but also providing key additions like full payment processing, administrative dashboards, and advanced tools so no development work is needed to launch, Crowdhoster struck a chord in the crowdfunding community. Since then, we've launched dozens of branded crowdfunding campaigns: check out Soylent, AdBlock, Vybe, and Summersalt Music Fest for some examples. And in the words of one of the Selfstarter creators, Crowdhoster "represents a maturation of the crowdfunding movement."

Today, we're excited to announce a big update to the Crowdhoster codebase: you can add recurring/subscription billing reward options to your crowdfunding campaigns. 

Now you can let your backers make a pledge not just for one payment, but for a commitment to automatically contribute on a recurring basis. Whether it's once a month, once a quarter, or once a year, now your crowdfunding backers can show their ongoing support for your initiative. 

Subscription crowdfunding, in the wild

We're launching this in conjunction with the (really awesome) San Francisco-based independent book publisher McSweeney's: they just launched a Crowdhoster-powered crowdfunding campaign to celebrate their 15th birthday. And because their bread and butter is subscriptions to their literary publications, they combined traditional crowdfunding rewards and ongoing subscriptions to launch some pretty special pre-order deals: 

Here's the opt-in that customers see upon purchasing:

And the payments dashboard on the backend — looks like their subscription package deals are proving to be pretty popular:

Where does this lead next?

So other than print publishers, what are some other applications for subscription-based crowdfunding? Here are some thoughts on how projects can combine one-off rewards and subscriptions:

Software subscription services: Even if you get a bunch of initial interest for your new subscription feature release, recurring revenue is most important to you. Let your backers opt into choosing to back you forever (maybe?), rather than just once. SaaS, welcome to crowdfunding.

Non-profit fundraising drives: Let your supporters back you with more than a one-time charitable donation, but a pledge to make a consistent donation on a regular basis. Recurring donations can build over time and connect you with the donor on a consistent basis.

Club memberships: Have an existing organization or launching a new one? Launching a crowdfunded fundraiser for memberships is now more effective, with the ability to collect dues or fees on a recurring basis to help cover the costs for the organization.

Content Creators: Want to create for an audience on an ongoing basis? Now you can harness the benefits of crowdfunding (build momentum, discover demand, build a community before launching), and not worry about sustainability.

It's such a new feature to the crowdfunding world, that we're not fully sure yet how project creators will use it — but we're excited by the wide world of possibilities.

Interested in launching a self-hosted crowdfunding campaign with some subscription-based rewards? Sign up for Crowdhoster now, and feel free to drop us a note.

This is the most important tip for getting support on your campaign!

Aim for 15 contributions early on—before sending your campaign out to a larger group. Nobody wants to back an empty page but once you hit 15 donations, others will be 74% more likely to jump in than before! It's best if you hit up your closest friends and family to get some early support on the page, so that future visitors will be more excited about your cause and likely to jump onboard. 

Here's how to do this: 

Reach out to your closest friends and family and try to get your campaign up to 15 people. 

If you're tilting an event or experience: Get 6 to 8 friends to join your campaign before sending it out. 6-8 people is the optimum number at which it'll be easier to convince the masses about your event!

If you're tilting a good cause or personal fundraiser: Get 15 personal friends or family to support you first. Personal phone calls and emails will do the trick!

Pro-tip: Email [email protected] when you hit 15! We'd be delighted to tweet your campaign link our to our Twitter followers! It's a great way to celebrate while getting extra eyes on your page :) 

The best campaigns descriptions are clear, brief and inspire your crowd with important details.

Here are some tips on making a great campaign description: 

Clearly state what you’re raising money for —people are 65% more likely to contribute when they understand exactly how the money will be used. 

Include exciting, unique details. If you include these details, you’ll raise 114% more money on average than if you don’t. Get your friends excited about bringing live music and an open bar to the party! Or if you're appealing to a wider crowd, help them understand your story with details they can relate to. 

Make a strong first line—it shows up in all google searches or Facebook previews! 

Check out two examples below! 

Events / Experiences: Raising $3,000 for an epic Back-To-School Bash! 

Good causes: Raising $50,000 to buy a boat for a hero! 

After you've polished your campaign and seeded it, it's time to blast it out to your entire network! Here are some tips to follow: 

Personal emails to your friends and relatives are the most powerful way to spread the word! People who get a personalized message are 88% more likely to donate, and donate a higher amount on average.

Make a timed splash on Facebook. Ask all your supporters to share your campaign on Facebook at the exact same time. This will make your post stick at the top of your friends' news feeds.

Don't be shy. Reach out to people you normally wouldn't, and ask them to donate $5 or spread the word for you. You might be surprised by how responsive they are. If you sound pretty passionate in your message, they're likely to help your campaign go viral. (One example here)

Update, update, update! Keep your supporters in the loop, give them milestones to celebrate and remind them to spread the word! Check out these tips to write great updates. 

Say thank you. Tag your contributors in Facebook posts, Instagram screenshots and updates about your campaign. This is key to making your campaign more visible and encouraging friends to help you more. 

If you're throwing a large event, create a Facebook event to spread the word! The people you invite will be able to invite more friends and publicize your event more widely. Remember to put your Crowdtilt link in the event! 

If you're running a fundraiser for a good cause, create a Facebook group to spread the word! A Facebook group was key to the success of this campaign that raised $82,000 in one week, and this campaign that raised $50,000 in three days. 

Crowdtilt does not get you automatic supporters. Public campaigns get coverage in our public mobile app timeline, and they often get a few extra bucks here. We also help out by tweeting your campaign out once you've reached 15 supporters. 

Here are some tips for writing great updates to your supporters:

Write an update for every major milestone -- when you raise 25% of your goal, 50% of your goal, or when you get an incredible update like a $1,000 contribution! This will inspire your supporters and make them feel part of the community :) 

Remember to thank your supporters, whether they gave $5 or $500! Appreciative supporters make the experience better for everyone, and they'll help you tilt your goals to infinity and beyond! 

Encourage your supporters to spread the word for you to their own friends and family via email or facebook! 

Tell them to get 3-5 friends to join your cause! Whether it's an awesome party or a heartwarming fundraiser, remind them that the success of this campaign is in their hands! 

Don't be shy. Encourage those you might not normally ask for help, to spread the word for you! :) You’ll be surprised by how responsive these acquaintances are! If you sound pretty passionate about it, this might help your campaign go viral. (One example here) Every person they reach makes a giant impact! 

Check out these campaigns for some examples of great updates to your supporters! :) 

Kirsten's inspiring fundraiser: 

Craig's $50,000 fundraiser to buy a boat for a hero: 

By Eileen Carey

In honor of International OCD Awareness Week, ie #ocdweek, I wanted to share the story of the JCK Foundation and how we used Crowdtilt to help raise awareness for this crippling disorder.  John Kelly was an incredible friend, brother, son and above all else, a true legend.  He was only 24 years old when he tragically took his own life after a long, hard battle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  Though John was suffering terribly inside, he lived his life full of compassion for others. The JCK (John Cleaver Kelly) Foundation was created by his family and friends to raise public awareness about the paralyzing effects of OCD and to help end the stigma of mental illness by sharing his story. 

When John passed away, we knew we had to keep fighting for him.  John was actively involved in philanthropy and the OCD community.  He wanted more than anything to be free from the shackles of his mental disorder. The JCK Foundation’s mission is to spread his story about how challenging living with OCD and mental disorders can be and to teach others to be compassionate towards people with mental illness.

To see us in action speaking to college students about mental health, check out this quick video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eye778Vqp54

Every year since John’s passing, his family and friends gather together for the JCK Legends Tournament in his hometown of Dobbs Ferry, New York.  It’s an amazing event full of hope, love and celebration.  We want to remember John for the wondrous life he lived and not for his untimely death. This year we had over 100 players in the tournament—all adorning John’s little league jersey #7.  Each team is named after the teams John used to play on as a child. Every year we’ve been able to raise over $15k for the JCK Foundation to continue their work speaking on college campuses, conferences and via social media content to share John’s story.

This year we wanted to take donations not only from those who were playing in the tournament but from John’s friends around the world who couldn't make it.  

I had used Crowdtilt to plan trips before and knew it was a sleek, easy to use platform to gather funds.  We built out our campaign on Crowdtilt and shared the link via social media so that more people could donate.  Within weeks we raised close to $3,000 in addition to the money raised at the actual tournament. I loved using Crowdtilt for this process because their customer service team was great and attentive when I had questions and also because without Crowdtilt we never would have reached our 15k goal!  It was so easy to share via Facebook and it was a great way to collect information on our donators. You can check it out here. 

To hear John’s story, please watch the JCK Foundation’s short documentary “Heroes Get Remembered, but Legends Never Die”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1qsu3p8ibs

If you are thinking of starting a non profit or wish to fund raise events for social good, we highly recommend using Crowdtilt.  Whatever cause is near or dear to your heart, do something to help other people.  Using Crowdtilt makes the whole process so simple.  The most valuable lesson our friend John taught us was to give back. ‘Tilt to make a difference!

- Eileen Carey, Proud Tilter

Click here to help make Cote de Pablo's present happen! 

Operation "Bring Back Cote" is a diehard Cote de Pablo fan club. They adore Ms. de Pablo's portrayal of officer Ziva David on the TV show NCIS for the last eight years. And they're pooling funds to buy a giant ad in the LA Times to express their love and gratitude to Cote de Pablo for her birthday! 

You can check out their awesome efforts here: 

They're getting there slowly and steadily. But they really need some help from y'all. So what are you waiting for? :) Feel free to chip in on their page to help these diehard fans. $5 from each of you would help make this happen!

We love seeing the innovative ways that fan groups on Crowdtilt have pooled their resources to surprise their idols in ways previously impossible. There's the MIKA fan club that raised $1,775 in two weeks to name a seat at the Royal Opera House in London dedicated to MIKA for his 30th birthday. There's the group of Phish fans that raised $1,765 in a few days to hire a private jet and spell a secret message in the sky for the band. The list goes on and on... 

Crowdtilt helped these fan clubs and others pool money for the idea while ensuring that nobody would be charged until the full amount of money needed, was reached. We're excited to add Operation Bring Back Cote's present to this list! 

Comment below!

Tell us why you love Cote de Pablo, what your favorite scene of her as Ziva David is, and why you wish she would come back to the show! 

Happy Tilting,