# Crowdfunding Guide ### How Crowdfunding Works Crowdfunding is a collaborative way to fund your land project by inviting many people to give however much they can. Ma Earth combines your crowdfunding efforts with [matching funds](/ma-earth/funding-explained.md), meaning your community's participation unlocks even more funding. We’re shifting the focus from *how much* people donate to *how many* people donate. More donors = more matching funds. When your campaign succeeds, so does the collective. When everyone succeeds, and projects collectively reach a shared funding goal, matching funds increase for all. Your role: You know your community best. Engaging with your supporters and community is the foundation of a strong campaign. Have questions? We’re here to help. Reach out at ### Pre-Launch Checklist Congratulations! You’ve been accepted to Ma Earth’s Funding Round 3. Next step: spread the word. **Use this checklist to prepare before your campaign launches:** * Create a list of 50+ contacts. Friends, family, colleagues, past donors, community members. These are the people you’ll tell first when your campaign launches. * Find your flow with your personal pitch. Practice explaining your project campaign in 2-3 sentences. Studies show we have 10-30 seconds to grab someone’s attention. * Identify \~5 allies who will share your campaign. These are your personal influencers. People who are excited to leverage their network. Ask them before the campaign launch if they would be willing to help you spread the word. (Then, be sure to tag them in your campaign posts and send them [pre-written content](#template-4-request-to-share) to make it easy for them to help.) * Update your social media profiles. Add your campaign page link. * Prepare your [launch message](#id-1-launch-message-to-individual-contacts). Draft emails, texts, and social posts ahead of time. Feel free to use our templates to get started. * Plan ahead. Consider reserving a few hours the week of the campaign launch to reach out to your contacts. * [Join a Ma Earth community call](https://luma.com/maearth). Connect with fellow land stewards and allies, ask questions, and get advice on how to make the most of your campaign. ### Launch Strategy & Timeline #### 2 Months Before Campaign Launch: Prepare * Gather photos, videos, and testimonials to support your campaign * Create your list of personal and professional contacts * Draft your outreach messages (or [use our templates](#message-templates) to get started) * Identify up to 5 key allies to help spread the word #### 1 Month Before Campaign Launch: Build Anticipation * Send a "something exciting is coming" message to close friends and colleagues * Mark your calendar for campaign launch day * Join Ma Earth [community calls](https://luma.com/maearth) for logistical questions and conversations with other organizations #### Week 1: Start Strong This is the most important week of your campaign. Day 1: * Add campaign link to all social media profiles * Send [personal messages](#id-1-launch-message-to-individual-contacts) to your top 10-25 supporters * Post on social media with your project and campaign link * Email your mailing list to [announce](#template-2-general-community-message) the launch * Share in relevant WhatsApp, Telegram, or community groups Days 2-7: * Send personal messages to 5 additional supporters each day * Post 2-3 updates on social media * Ask your 5 allies to share your campaign * Celebrate early supporters publicly (with their permission) * Post a video or go live to share about your campaign #### Week 2: Keep the Momentum Going * Continue sending personal messages to potential supporters (suggested: 5 messages per day) * Post 1-2 social media updates * Post a campaign update to all supporters (through your Ma Earth dashboard) * Share to your email list * Share to WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook groups * Send [reminders](#template-3-follow-up-message) to people you contacted in Week 1 #### Final Week: Get to the Finish Line This is a very important week of your campaign. Remember that people often need to see information 10+ times to take action on it—consider sending kind reminders. * Send a "[final reminder](#template-5-get-to-the-finish-line)" message to your full contact list * Post 2-3+ times on social media, emphasizing the deadline * Thank allies who shared and ask them to share one more time * Post an update to all supporters on your Ma Earth page
### Message Templates #### 1: Launch Message to Individual Contacts Intended for: Friends, family, colleagues, and trusted supporters. Channels: Email, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, etc. Optional Subject Line for Email: We’re trying something different with \[Organization Name] Hi \[Name], I'm reaching out because you've been part of \[my/organization name’s] journey, and we’re trying something new. We're launching a campaign to fund \[brief description of your project—one sentence]. It's something we’ve been working on for \[# of years or months], and we’re hoping to accomplish \[project vision or goals]. The campaign launches on \[date] on Ma Earth, a platform designed to directly support nature projects like ours. This isn’t like other crowdfunding you’ve seen: every supporter we get unlocks more matching funds—not just for us, but for all of the nature projects in this round. Your support helps everyone rise. Would you consider being one of our first supporters? Even a small donation (like what you’d pay for a cup of coffee) makes a real difference, and it would mean a lot to have your support. \[Campaign link] Thank you for believing in this project, \[Your name] *** #### Template 2: General Community Message Intended for: Broader networks, social media posts, newsletters Optional Subject Line for Email: Join us in regenerating \[location/ecosystem] Hey everyone! We’re excited to share that we've launched a fundraising campaign for \[Organization Name], a project focused on \[one-sentence description]. The campaign launches on \[date] on Ma Earth, a platform designed to directly support smaller nature projects like ours. Over the past \[# of years or months], we've been working to \[what you've already accomplished]. Now we're ready to \[next phase–project summary], and we need your help to make it happen. This isn’t like other crowdfunding you’ve seen. On Ma Earth, your support doesn't just help one project; it unlocks matching funds that benefit all projects in this funding round. The more people who donate, the more funding flows to regenerative work worldwide. How you can help: * Donate any amount at \[campaign link] * Share this message with 3 people who care about \[project category] * Follow our updates as we bring this vision to life \[include social media links if desired] Every contribution matters, and it means so much to all of us at \[Organization Name] to have your support. Thank you, \[Your name] *** #### Template 3: Follow-Up Message Intended for: People who haven't responded to your first message Optional Subject Line for Email: Following up on \[Project Name] Hi \[Name], I’m following up on our campaign launch. We're \[# of days] into our funding round and have reached \[milestone you've hit—could be "75% of our goal" or "20 supporters so far" or "amount of donations"]. The deadline is \[date], and we would truly appreciate your support. Here's the link to learn more and donate: \[campaign link] If you can’t make a donation right now, sharing the campaign helps amplify our collective mission to \[project mission or goal]. Thank you again, \[Your name] *** #### Template 4: Request to Share Intended for: Asking allies to amplify your campaign Optional subject line for email: Would you help spread the word about \[org or project name]? Hi \[Name], I'm reaching out because I'd love your support—we've launched a collective funding campaign for \[Organization Name] to \[brief project description]. Would you be open to sharing it with your network? The campaign is live on Ma Earth: \[campaign link]. We have \[# of days] left, and every share helps us reach more people and get access to more funding. A few ways you could help: * Share the campaign link with people you think would be interested. * Post about it on social media (see text below. We can also collaborate on a post if easier). * Forward the campaign to any groups or communities where it might resonate. If it’s aligned, I’ve included some text you can use below for emails, social posts, or other messages. I really appreciate your support. Thank you, \[Your name] —- **Version A: Personal Network** To send to your contacts via email, message, or WhatsApp groups. Optional subject line: Supporting a project I believe in Hi \[Name], I wanted to share a project that's doing important work in \[location/field]. \[Project Leader Name] is working to \[one-sentence description of project], and they've launched a collective funding campaign to move into the next phase. What caught my attention is \[why you personally support it/what interests you about the project]. The campaign is hosted by Ma Earth, a platform that combines crowdfunding with matching funds. That means every donation you make is amplified, and projects doing this important work can access more funds. If this resonates with you, here's the link: \[campaign link] Even a small donation (like what you’d pay for a cup of coffee) makes a real difference, and sharing it with others helps too. Thank you for checking it out! \[Ally's name] *** **Version B: Social Media Share** To post on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. I'm excited to support \[Project Name / Project Leader Name] and their work \[brief description]. \[Personal connection—e.g., "I've seen their impact firsthand" / "They're doing the real work of healing ecosystems and communities"] They've launched a collective funding campaign on Ma Earth, which amplifies every donation with matching funds. We have \[# of days] left to help them fund their project. Check it out here: \[campaign link] \#Regeneration #LandStewardship #CommunityFunding \[add relevant hashtags] *** #### Template 5: Get to the Finish Line Intended for: Everyone Optional subject line: Final days: \[Project Name] needs your support! Hi \[Name], We're in the final week of our collective funding campaign! So far, we've \[milestone—raised \[$ amount], reached \[# of supporters]]. The deadline is \[# of days] away. If you've been meaning to support the campaign, now is definitely the time. Even a small donation (like what you’d pay for a cup of coffee) makes a real difference and unlocks more matching funds. Here's the link: \[campaign link] And if you've already donated, thank you. Your support means so much to all of us at \[Organization Name]. Thank you for believing in this work, \[Your name]
*** #### Tips for Success Do: * Start Week 1 strong to set your momentum * Send personal messages, not just mass emails * Thank every supporter individually * Share updates regularly so people see progress Avoid * Waiting until the end to push hard. * Only posting on social media. Personal outreach is key. * Giving up if the campaign slows down. The final week is often where the magic happens. Remember: Your campaign isn't just about your project; it's also about inviting your community into something meaningful. People give because they believe in you and the work you're doing. *** ### Questions? * Join our [community calls](https://luma.com/maearth) to connect with other land stewards * [Contact us](https://maearth.com/contact) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.maearth.com/resources-for-land-stewards/crowdfunding-guide.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.