Project FAQs
What is Investfunding?
The simple answer is, obtaining funds for an idea, business, project or campaign (etc) through the interest and generosity of investors within iBBank circle of influence, online and off, as well as our circle of clients spreading the word to their clients. InvestFunding is an online, grassroots way to raise money through generosity of family, friends, social network, database, and strangers. It is to ideas and projects what investors and creditors were when there was a lot of money available. If you have a good idea or product learn how to get it through iBank CrowdFunding.
Wikipedia explains it this way:
Crowd funding (sometimes called crowd financing, crowd sourced capital) describes the collective cooperation, attention and trust by people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations.
Crowd funding occurs for any variety of purposes, from political campaigns, to funding a startup company or small business or creating a business venture.
Why do people fund projects?
Evidence suggests that people like to help others succeed. Perhaps it’s a “pay it forward” kind of passion. When they find a project that they can relate to, or are impressed with, they are more likely to want to help out, fund the project, and feel a part of it. Other times, it might be the perk or reward being offered for helping to fund a project. The reasons are varied.
What does it cost to submit a project?
iBBank subscribers can launch a CrowdFunding project for FREE! Subscribers also have access to additional services for additional charges.
We offer the following additional services for a fee. Call for details.
A variety of marketing services including:
Email to our 147,000 iBBank subscribers along with your database
Robo-calling
Contact your social media list; Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, etc.*
Creative services
Audio / video services
And much more
Are there any age or other restrictions?
Yes. You must be at least 18 years old with a valid I.D., have a bank account, be a permanent resident in the U.S. (including territories) or Canada.
Do I need to register to fund or create a campaign?
Yes, you can rest assured that we keep your information private and do not share it with anyone outside of iBank, this site or the campaign you fund.
Are donations tax deductible?
This is not a charity or any other type of tax deductible gift, if you donate to a non-profit 501C3 poject, they will issue a tax deductible receipt.
Are there any projects that would be prohibited?
iBBank CrowdFunding Projects are for businesses and entrepreneurs!
iBBank launches all projects that are legal, moral and ethical that have been reviewed and accepted. We do not accept any project or reward that is illegal, including alcohol, tobacco or drugs, offers any equity or other financial incentive, or contains pornography, or hate materials. In addition we do not allow any type of sweepstakes or lotteries, or contining monthly payments, coupons or discounts. Questionable project submissions would be things such as weight loss aids, fountain of youth elixers, energy boosters, miracle cures, etc. Anything deemed questionable by our reviewers will be denied.
What do I need to create a campaign?
The most successful projects include:
A video (2 minute infomercial)
Featured images, photos, graphs, charts or diagrams
A reasonable funding goal (Maximum 90 day funding objective)
4-5 paragraph story about your campaign (the purpose)
Financial information, bios when necessary
A variety of rewards for contributors based on specific amounts of donations
Your network, social media, database (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc)
Important Note: We insist that you present an honest and authentic case on this site. WE DO CHECK! We will not tolerate misstatements, misrepresentation, misinformation or misuse of any kind. Neither will we tolerate omission of pertinent information. Violations of this provision will result in the campaign being removed and all donations refunded.
Projects of a personal nature, such as vacations, new cars, “help me with…” or other such pursuits are not appropriate to this site. While we realize that many people need help with some of these things, this is not the place for them.
What do I include in my story?
Cover the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your project. Be honest, transparent, and authentic. Explain to a stranger (and your friends and family) what you are raising money for. The written story is typically several paragraphs and describes the cause and the video supports the written story. The more senses you engage the more likely you are to succeed. Engange as many senses as possible.
Be authentic
Explain to your network how this will make a difference
2 minute video overview of your project
Appropriate rewards
How do I market my project?
Marketing your project is your responsibility. Use social media, your database and sphere of influence to broadcast what you’re doing and that you are looking for contributors. Have friends and family start the funding the day you launch to get the ball rolling. Ask them to help spread the word.
Does iBank offer assistance?
iBank’s unique CrowdFunding Center offers you the ability to create and manage email campaigns to friends and family and lets you market, publish, create and manage your project through email marketing, robo-calling (30 second telephone pre-recorded in your voice), links to our network of 147,000 ibank subscribers and integrated links to your social media network. We offer a unique marketing platform that nobody else offers which is fully integrated and accessible through your personal vault on iBank.com, and your social media network.
After you submit your project found on our Create A Project page, and submit your entire project, then we professionally layout your page so it is consistent with the rest of the project pages. In addition, we will send you marketing tips and reminders to keep your project up to date. When we see that you are working at promoting your project, we may feature your project on our blog or newsletter, on the home page, in the rotating graphic on multiple pages of this site and in social media.
Can I change my campaign after I have started fundraising?
You cannot change your funding goal, deadline or rewards that have already been taken advantage of. However you can update your video, your story or images at any time.
Is there a time limit for funding?
Yes, 30-90 days. We recommend most projects to be 60 days.
What happens if my campaign reaches its funding goal before its deadline?
That’s great! Your campaign will proceed to your deadline and you can continue raising money until the project timeline ends. There is no cap on how much you can raise.
What are Rewards?
Offering rewards in exchange for different contribution levels helps people decide if they will contribute and how much. You can offer up to 6 different levels of rewards. You decide what they are. They can be as simple as a public thank you, a final product, or anything related to your campaign. Review other projects for ideas.
How do I send my contributors their rewards?
You will receive a spreadsheet with names and contact information of contributors to your campaign. If it’s a digital file you should email the final product as soon as it is available. If it’s something that needs to be mailed, it is your responsibily to cover the cost of postage/mailing, please plan in advance for those extras.
Do these projects offer equity?
Yes! at this time. We have considered to add equity to Investfunding but not at the Crowdfunding where funds being offered to any Crowdfunding project on this site are to be considered pledges only — meaning gifts but the Investfunding — meaning business!.
*Personal information is kept confidential, we will never release your information to third parties or use it for any other purposes.