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Think you’d like to start crowdfunding?
An online class can teach you everything you need to know about crowdfunding and what it takes to execute a campaign that gets results.
Ready to get started? Benzinga is here to help you identify a crowdfunding course that best suits your needs.
Quick Look: Best Crowdfunding Courses
Take a peek at Benzinga’s top picks:
- Crowdfunding by the University of Pennsylvania
- How to Crowdfund by Udemy
- Crowdfunding Training Course: Everything You Need to Know by Udemy
- An Introduction to Tax Deductible Crowdfunding by Udemy
- Crowdfunding to Win by Udemy
- Crowdfunding: How to To Crowdfund Anything by Udemy
- The Complete Crowdfunding Course for Kickstarter and Indiegogo by Udemy
- Creating a Successful Crowdfunding Video: The Complete Guide by Udemy
- Crowdfunding for Change Makers by Udemy
- Crowdfunding for Artists: Get Funding to Create Your Artwork by Udemy
- Facebook Fundraising: The Complete Crowdfunding Course by Udemy
- 5-Step Crowdfunding Masterclass – Kickstarter PR by Udemy
What Makes a Crowdfunding Course Great?
Here’s what to look for when evaluating crowdfunding courses to find the best fit.
Interactive
You want a class that’s led by a well-versed instructor who adopts an interactive teaching approach. This person should also provide supplementary resources, like readings, assignments and quizzes to complete as you work through the material. These supplements allow you to apply your knowledge and demonstrate your expertise in a practice setting.
Self-Paced
Not all crowdfunding initiatives are the same. Some are relatively straightforward, while others require you to spend a substantial amount of time in the planning stage. Only consider self-paced courses that allow you to spend as much time working through the material while you build your own campaign.
Affordable
The best crowdfunding courses are competitively priced. Avoid classes that are too steep for your budget — you can always level up to pricier options as you free up cash. Plus, a more expensive course doesn’t always mean it will add more value.
Our Top Picks
We’ve conducted extensive research to compile our list of the best crowdfunding courses. They are offered by leading online learning providers, Coursera and Udemy, and facilitated by accomplished instructors.
We’ve organized classes categorized by skill level — beginners, intermediate students and advanced students. We’ve also included a description and enrollment fee for each course to help you make an informed decision.
Best Online Crowdfunding Courses
These crowdfunding courses are viable options to consider.
1. Crowdfunding by the University of Pennsylvania
Price: Free
Offered by the University of Pennsylvania, this free course pulls back the curtain on the science behind the most successful crowdfunding campaigns. It examines historical data and covers various crowdfunding approaches and best practices when organizing your campaign.
Led by Associate Professor of Management Ethan Mollick, Crowdfunding involves 4 modules. Here’s what you can expect to learn in each:
- Module 1: What Crowdfunding is, What it Does and Equity vs. Reward-Based Crowdfunding
- Module 2: How to Prepare for a Successful Campaign
- Module 3: How to Develop and Manage a Live Crowdfunding Effort
- Module 4: The Science Behind Crowdfunding
The modules feature video lessons, reading and quizzes. There are also exclusive interviews with campaign creators who have gotten exceptional results, including the founder of Indiegogo.
Ultimately, you will walk away with the knowledge and skills needed to establish a solid foundation for your crowdfunding initiative so you can get the results you’re seeking.
It takes approximately 5 hours to finish the class.
2. How to Crowdfund by Udemy
Price: On sale
Seeking a comprehensive course to learn the fundamentals of crowdfunding from scratch? Consider this highly rated option from Udemy to show you the ropes.
You will learn when you should or shouldn’t use crowdfunding, which platforms are best, how to set up an effective campaign, how real estate and equity crowdfunding work and so much more. Plus, there are lessons on managing your crowdfunding campaign, using copyright, patents and trademarks to protect your ideas and the JOBS Act.
How to Crowdfund includes these segments:
- Introduction: How to Think About Crowdfunding
- Tools of the Trade: Computer Resources and Social Media Tools
- How to Protect Your Ideas
- Crowdfunding Platforms
- How to Run a Crowdfunding Campaign
- Equity Crowdfunding
- Real Estate Crowdfunding
- The JOBS Act
- Title IV of the JOBS Act
- DC Equity Crowdfunding
Register today for full lifetime access to 1.5 hours of on-demand video and 7 downloadable resources. You will also get a certificate of completion when you complete the course.
Instruction is provided by economist and author William Michael Cunningham.
3. Crowdfunding Training Course: Everything You Need to Know by Udemy
Price: On sale
The Team at ReadyFundGo brings you this highly-rated course that will help you create your crowdfunding launch plan in record time. It features 34 lectures and 7 downloadable resources that walk you through the entire process from start to finish.
Crowdfunding Training Course: Everything You Need to Know consists of 10 sections:
- An Introduction to Crowdfunding
- Planning Your Campaign
- Your Pre-Campaign Research
- Your Campaign Story and Campaign Page
- Creating Your Video
- Your Reward Strategy and Campaign Target
- Building Your Crowd
- Launching Your Campaign
- During Your Campaign
- Delivery and the Wrap-Up
Get started today at a price that’s too good to pass up. Also, know that the class comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you’re unsatisfied for any reason.
4. An Introduction to Tax Deductible Crowdfunding by Udemy
Who it’s for: Beginners
Price: On sale
In just 1 hour, you can learn how to optimize your crowdfunding campaign to achieve a success rate of at least 75% using Hatchfund. This highly-rated introductory course from Udemy will show you how.
An Introduction to Tax Deductible Crowdfunding entails these segments:
- AIM Hatchfund
- Prepare for Your Campaign
- Campaign Development
- How to Leverage Your Local Network
- Outreach Beyond Your Intermediate Network
- Execution and Updates
You will walk away with the knowledge to research and develop a not-for-profit crowdfunding campaign that’s effective and helps you meet your goals.
The class is facilitated by Dillon Nicholson. He is the program director at AIM Hatchfund.
5. Crowdfunding to Win by Udemy
Price: On sale
Presented by creative content communications consultancy Inner Ear, this course moves beyond crowdfunding basics to help you plan and launch more meaningful campaigns. You will discover proven strategies to assess and select the most viable crowdfunding options, align your technique with broader goals, establish a winning campaign and so much more.
Crowdfunding to Win is facilitated by Tim Wright. He divides the course into 5 modules:
- Introduction to Crowdfunding to Win
- Principles
- The TAMP Process
- Practical Considerations
- After Winning
Sign up today to access 15 lectures jam-packed into 1.5 hours of on-demand video and 20 downloadable resources.
6. Crowdfunding: How to To Crowdfund Anything by Udemy
Price: On sale
Crowdfunding: How to Crowdfund Anything shares secrets you should know to meet and exceed your fundraising goals when crowdfunding. You will discover how to attract businesses, investors and manufacturers to raise capital for your company, the core benefits of raising money from customers, how to convert potential investors into partners and more.
Here’s a look at the syllabus:
- How to Crowdfund Anything
- Additional Content 1: Crowdfunding Success Code eBook and Audio
- Additional Content 2: Just Kickstart It eBook
- Additional Content 3: Charity Fundraising
- Additional Content 4: Launching an ICO (Initial Coin Offer)
- Additional Content 5: Venture Capital Article
The enrollment fee includes 1.5 hours of on-demand video, 5 articles and 8 downloadable resources. Plus, you get a certificate of completion when you finish the course.
Instructor Jens Belner is an experienced business coach. He’s also the founder of businessgrowth.coach, an online platform that teaches entrepreneurs how to breathe life into their fledgling businesses.
7. The Complete Crowdfunding Course for Kickstarter and Indiegogo by Udemy
Price: On sale
The Complete Crowdfunding Course for Kickstarter and Indiegogo is facilitated by seasoned developer Angela Yu. It delves into a seamless process to create Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns from the ground up and drive traffic to your initiatives through growth hacking tools.
This Udemy bestseller is comprised of 8 sections:
- Introduction to the Course
- What Are the Benefits and Pitfalls of Crowdfunding?
- Pre-Campaign Research
- The Kickstarter Ranking Algorithm
- Creating a Kickass Campaign
- Crowdfunding Analytics
- Growth Hacking Your Campaign Traffic
- After the Campaign Ends
Enroll today for full lifetime access to 38 lectures condensed into 4 hours of on-demand video and 1 article. Also, know the course can be completed when convenient since the materials are accessible 24/7 on your desktop, laptop, television, smartphone or other mobile devices.
8. Creating a Successful Crowdfunding Video: The Complete Guide by Udemy
Who it’s for: Intermediate students
Price: On sale
Do you have an amazing idea that needs funding but struggle to create the perfect video pitch? Consider this course to learn how to create a crowdfunding video that compels potential donors to take action.
Documentary and commercial filmmaker Dandan Liu teaches you how to structure and time the perfect pitch, edit your footage with Adobe Premiere Pro, convert the film into a file for distribution and more. She also shares tips and tricks to help you film your video with a cinematic eye.
Here’s an outline of the course:
- Introduction
- Story Structure
- Cinematography
- Audio
- Interview
- Transfer Footage from Camera to Edit Room
- Editing
- Bonus Tips and Tricks!
- Conclusion
Enroll right now to get instant access to 1.5 hours of on-demand video and 6 downloadable resources.
9. Crowdfunding for Change Makers by Udemy
Price: On sale
The team from StartSomeGood, a leading crowdfunding platform for changemakers, brings you this detailed course to lend a helping hand to ensure your campaign is successful. It is designed for individuals who want to crowdfund for a community cause, project, social enterprise or nonprofit.
Crowdfunding for Change Makers includes the following modules:
- Overview
- Understanding Crowdfunding
- Creating Your Campaign
- Telling Your Story
- Building Your Community
- Designing Rewards
- Creating a Video
- Final Advice
- BONUS Materials and Templates
It only takes a few minutes to enroll and you can access 2.5 hours on-demand video, 7 articles and 15 downloadable resources right away.
10. Crowdfunding for Artists: Get Funding to Create Your Artwork by Udemy
Price: On sale
Do you need funding for your creative project? Crowdfunding for Artists: Get Funding to Create Your Artwork shares a realistic strategy to get the money you need to bring your idea to life.
Here’s a layout of the class:
- Course Introduction: So...What is This Going to Be?
- Introduction to Crowdfunding — for Artists!
- Planning Your Campaign — Every Big Project Needs a Good Plan. Don’t Skip This!
- Creating a Rocking Video that Turns Page Visitors into Campaign Supporters
- Create an Effective Text for Your Crowdfunding Page
- Your List of Irresistible Offers (AKA Your Rewards) that People Can’t Turn Down
- Getting People to Visit Your Campaign (AKA Promotion)
The registration fee includes 34 lectures condensed into 3 hours of on-demand video.
Instructor Tal Jakubowiczova is a crowdfunding artist. She’s also the founder of the “Hide and Seek Theatre” with more than 15 years of industry experience.
11. Facebook Fundraising: The Complete Crowdfunding Course by Udemy
Price: On sale
Interested in learning how to raise funds with Facebook? Look no further than this popular course from Udemy. It’s led by Marketing Hero, a leader in professional online marketing education, and teaches you everything you need to know to create and target Facebook ads to get optimal results.
You will also learn how to develop subscription and product landing pages that convert, use Mailchimp to capitalize on e-mail marketing and more.
Facebook Fundraising: The Complete Crowdfunding Course is divided into these sections:
- Introduction
- Facebook Fundraiser: How to Set Up, Manage and Promote Your Fundraiser
- Mailchimp Email Marketing Mastery: Build a Mailing List for Your Fundraiser
- Facebook Ads Mastery: Drive Traffic to Your Facebook Fundraiser
- Final Words: How to Get Started and Stay Connected
Join over 6,000 students who have chosen this course to level up their Facebook fundraising knowledge. Register now to get started.
12. 5-Step Crowdfunding Masterclass – Kickstarter PR by Udemy
Who it’s for: Advanced students
Price: On sale
The 5-Step Crowdfunding Masterclass – Kickstarter PR is a free course that explores ways to boost your conversion rates when using Kickstarter to raise money.
Crowdfunding Consultant and Kickstarter Video Expert Michael Zeligs shares valuable insights through 7 lectures:
- How to Get the Most From This Course
- Crowdfunding Myths – Avoid the Common Errors
- Product Market Fit – Planning Your Campaign With Data
- Video Production Tutorial – Exact Steps to a Killer Video
- Grassroots Outreach – How and When to Activate Your Team
- The Big Bang Method of Your 48-Hour Launch
- Getting Support – Steps I Take to Get Even More Backers
It only takes 31 minutes to finish the course, and you’ll be equipped with the knowledge to scale your online crowdfunding efforts.
Get Started with a Crowdfunding Course
Don’t spend hours searching for the best crowdfunding courses. Start with an option from our list of recommendations and enroll to level up your knowledge. They’re interactive, self-paced and affordable, so you can get the most from your online learning experience without spending a fortune. Best of all, you can work when it’s convenient for you.
Related content: SeedInvest Review
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