Email, Messaging, & Video Calls Texting & Messaging 76 76 people found this article helpful What Is Kickstarter and What Do People Use It For? All about the creative crowdfunding platform that's taken the web by storm by Elise Moreau Freelance Contributor Elise Moreau is a writer that has covered social media, texting, messaging, and streaming for Lifewire. Her work has appeared on Techvibes, SlashGear, Lifehack and others. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Elise Moreau Updated on December 30, 2020 Tweet Share Email Texting & Messaging Email Texting & Messaging Video Calls Kickstarter is a funding platform directed toward helping creative projects get off the ground. It's entirely driven by crowdfunding, so donations from the general public fuel these dynamic new ideas. Here's a look at what's involved with creating and backing a Kickstarter project. While nonprofits can start a Kickstarter project, projects can't raise funds for charity or promise to donate to a cause. Igor Kisselev / Getty Images How Kickstarter Works Kickstarter is driven by creators and backers. Creators present creative project ideas, and backers fund those projects. Creators set up a page to display their project's details and prototypes using text, video, and photos. Project creators set a funding goal and a deadline. The creators also create reward levels for backers who pledge specific amounts. The more a backer pledges, the bigger the reward. Once enough backers have funded the project, the creator can develop and produce their vision. Depending on the project's complexity, backers may have to wait months to see the finished product. Creators can't promise backers any stake in the business, including revenue sharing or equity. Starting a Kickstarter Project Although Kickstarter is a great platform for exposure, not everyone gets their projects approved. Every creator must first review the Kickstarter Project Guidelines before submitting a project. Kickstarter accepts about 75 percent of submitted projects. The remaining 25 percent are turned away, usually due to non-compliance with the guidelines. Some of Kickstarter's key general rules for creators say the creator must: Create something that can be shared with others.Be honest and clearly present their project.Not fundraise for charity.Not offer equity.Not involve prohibited items, including contests, political fundraising, drugs, weapons, and more. While many projects fall into the tech category, Kickstarter is a place for creators of all kinds, including filmmakers, artists, musicians, designers, writers, illustrators, explorers, curators, performers, and other creative individuals with great ideas. Kickstarter's All or Nothing Rule A creator can collect their funds only if they reach their funding goal by the deadline. If they don't reach the goal in time, no money changes hands. Kickstarter put this rule in place to minimize risk. If a project can't generate enough funds and can't deliver to current backers when creators didn't raise enough money, it can be tough on everyone. Creators can always try again at a later time. All Backers Have the Opportunity to Receive Rewards Kickstarter requires creators to offer some kind of reward to their backers, no matter how simple or elaborate. When people fund a project, they can choose one of the predetermined awards the creators present. Usually, there's also a way to contribute a small amount without an award, an option that's labeled "Back it because you believe in it." Awards can include: Shout-outs on the project's website.Putting the backer's name somewhere in the finished project.Invitations to a party or performance.A copy or a signed version of the final product.T-shirts.A meeting with a celebrity backer.Anything else the creator can dream up. Once a project has successfully reached its goal funding amount, creators may reach out for more information before sending out rewards to their backers. All Kickstarter pages have an Estimated Delivery Date section to specify when backers will receive their rewards. It may take several months before anything is delivered, especially if the reward is the product itself. Backing a Project Pledging money to a project is easy. Select the green Back this Project button on any project page you choose. Select a donation amount and a reward. Amazon's checkout system processes your information. Credit cards aren't charged until after the project's deadline passes. If the project doesn't reach its funding goal, your credit card is never charged. Whatever the outcome, Kickstarter sends all backers an informational email after the project end date. Browsing Projects Browsing through projects is easy. Scroll through the Kickstarter home page to see featured projects, what's recommended, fresh favorites, and more. Use the search button at the top to search for something specific by name or keyword. If there's a particular type of project you're looking for, browse categories including Arts, Comics & Illustration, Design & Tech, Film, Food & Craft, Games, Music, and Publishing. Patreon is a similar site geared specifically for people who create art, music, writing, or other types of creative services. If Kickstarter doesn't seem to offer you the creative category you need, check out Patreon. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit