You are a Mauritian or a resident on the Mauritian soil, and you want to help our country by helping a cause that is dear to you or that moves you? You are a Mauritian non-profit association that runs social and environmental projects or a foreign non-profit association that runs foreign social and environmental projects in Mauritius?
Small Step Matters is designed for you! Small Step Matters was created with the aim of offering you a better overview of what is done on a Mauritian scale, but also beyond the borders.
The project promoter’s guide on how to turn your campaign into a real success
Welcome to the manual of the Small Step Matters project promoter!
We wrote these guidelines by drawing on the experience of many project promoters of crowdfunding projects worldwide, and particularly in France and the United States. Mauritius only awaits your talent and motivation to develop and bring your projects to center stage! That’s why we wanted to give you a little helping hand by sharing a small handbook, full of tips and tricks to help you create and promote your project.
Begin the adventure with Small Step Matters: every project and every donation counts!
Your first (small) steps
Each project posted on Small Step Matters should have a social or environmental vocation. We wish to put forward individuals, foundations and NGOs run by Mauritians or for Mauritians, to enable them to reach more people and foster useful donations. So if you are an adult (of legal majority age) and you long to improve the lives of Mauritians by running a project dear to your heart, you have come to the right place!
First of all, please consult our Terms of Use, which you must accept if you want to submit a project to the Small Step Matters platform.
Once this step is completed, it is essential to define your project and your goals, in order to give you the means to succeed and materialize your good intentions through actions that will make a difference. The project is the basis of everything: you have to convince us that it is realistic, thorough, but also absolutely transparent. Small Step Matters is a platform based on trust: if the Committee has reservations about the credibility of your project’s outcome, it therefore considers that it would be the same for potential donors. Be true and realistic! To that effect, we invite you to visit our section Our Project Selection Sriteria.
Once upon a time…
Your project is a story. Tell it as if you were telling it to your friends or your family! Catch our interest at first, and then surprise your future donors once your project is online. Be creative, motivated, and remember that the contents are as important as the format. Do not forget that the mere presence of the project on the platform does not necessarily guarantee any donations in its favour.
We want to know (at least) :
- Who are you? Are you fit and able to promote this project?
- What is the project you wish to promote about? Does it fit well in a field of intervention identified by our Committee?
- Where does it come from? How did you get the idea?
- Who is involved with you? If you are not the direct beneficiary, did you obtain the necessary authorizations to promote the project?
- How much money do you need to bring the project to light (taking into account of the extra 10% for the platform’s operational costs)? Is it a total amount or can you divide it into different project phases? Can the funds be collected in Mauritian rupees?
- How long you do you want to run your campaign on our platform (up to a maximum of 90 days)? What are the deadlines of the project?
Photos and videos are sometimes stronger than words: do not hesitate to use them! The more contents you present on your project, the more you will convince your future benefactors. But beware: less can be more, and the more the contents are directly to the point and relevant, the more your readers will feel ready to make their donation to your project.
Funding
We need to know your fundraising target. You can submit a request for a fundraising campaign of a maximum of Rs 500,000. For this, you will need to set a budget.
Make a detailed list of all conceivable expenses that you will have to make in order to realize your project.
Allow a margin of safety: it is possible that your campaign ends before you have reached your desired amount! You therefore have to think about this possibility before submitting your project. If, after your campaign, you have not reached your funding pot, the Committee appointed by Small Step Matters will contact you to decide, in consultation with you, on the best alternative(s) to achieve your target amount. To that effect, we invite you to read more in our section Our Commitments.
When your budget is established, you should then raise the amount by 10% to cater for the deduction for operational costs of the Small Step Matters platform. To that effect, we invite you to read more in our section The Values that guide us.
Set a deadline for your campaign (up to a maximum of 90 days). Shorter campaigns inspire more confidence in your donors, and encourage you to be efficient. Establish a well-crafted communication plan and work on your network! If your project is large, maybe you can divide it into several phases, with a project for each phase?
In summary: be realistic, transparent, and far-sighted!
When you’re ready to launch your project, submit it to the Committee appointed by Small Step Matters: by email at stepin@smallstepmatters.org or by post to our headquarters: Small Step Matters Ltd, 4th Floor, IBL House, Caudan Waterfront Port Louis, Republic of Mauritius. If your project is accepted, we will contact you with regards to its posting on our Site and to the launching of your fundraising campaign.
Do not be afraid to « sell » your project!
Use the right arguments to convince donors of the merits and the positive impact of your project, and remember that your goal is to raise money for a good cause! This is a project for social or environmental purposes, so get involved, being smart and relevant, especially when it comes to respecting human dignity and the values of the Republic of Mauritius.
Firstly, establish a communication strategy. You must know what your targets are and how to attain them. Make a list of persons to contact in connection with your project.
Once your project is online, announce its publication around you and online: Facebook, Twitter and other social forums and networks will be your best friends! Also, let your friends and family know and encourage them to talk about your project. Word of mouth remains a key trigger to raise awareness of your project. However, do not overwhelm your social networks with messages and invitations to donate! Nothing is more damaging than spams. Why not contact the press, if your project can benefit from wider media coverage? Dare, you will not be disappointed!
Create a community around your project
You must keep your donors informed of the progress of the campaign in real time. Today’s world moves quickly, and they will expect to be informed of the progress of the project they committed to. They like consistency, honesty and relevance of content. Do not forget, they are the ones that will allow your project to materialize. Create a real relationship with them; this will facilitate word of mouth. This will also facilitate other projects that you might post on the Site in future: if you win their trust, they will follow you more easily on future constructive projects.
Keep your promises!
As project promoter, you will be expected to contact your donors at the end of your fundraising campaign to inform them of the implementation of the project they have contributed to finance. Donors support you in achieving a project dear to your heart, and so they will want to know whether the project was successful, and how it could impact the environment or the lives of its beneficiaries. It is a common solidarity that has linked you altogether, and it is important that you keep the promises you made to them through your use of the platform of Small Step Matters.