At Code Club, we know that one of the awesome ways to inspire children to be excited about programming is to let them get their hands on hardware with which they can experiment.
We also know this hardware doesn’t grow on trees, so we’ve got a solution – the crowdfunding platform Hubbub.
Hubbub allows you to fundraise for cool stuff for your club within your local community. It’s very simple to set up a campaign, but we thought it would be useful to invite Christina from Hubbub HQ to tell us a bit more about how the platform works, and how it can benefit you…
Hi Christina! First of all, could you explain a bit about what Hubbub offers our volunteers, and how crowdfunding works?
Hi Code Club! Certainly. Hubbub offers volunteers and schools an exciting way to raise extra funds for their Code Clubs by crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is a great way to bring communities together for a good cause! It works by different amounts of money being donated by lots of people to reach a target in a set deadline.
Volunteers can create a crowdfunding project explaining what they’d like funds for (they may need more Raspberry Pis for their classes, for example). A moderator will look at the page to make sure it’s just right before going live.
Volunteers and the school can then promote the crowdfunding campaign to the community. If the target is met, the school will receive all the funds to carry out the project. If the target isn’t met, no money is exchanged – donors keep their money! The volunteer/school can continue updating donors during and after the project so they know how their donation has benefitted each Code Club.
To get started on an inspiring project, head over to the Create page on Code Club’s crowdfunding site. 
Do you have any tips on how our volunteers can promote their campaigns or encourage their school/ local communities to donate?
People are often excited to support volunteers who are bringing technology to children! The key thing is to not be afraid to share your project with the school you’re supporting or to ask for donations.
I would recommend that volunteers get in touch with the head teacher, teachers and PTA at the school they are helping and explain their campaign. Ask if the campaign can be included in the school newsletter, if teachers can pass it on to parents and ask them for donations.
If you’re raising £300 – that would mean every parent in a class of 30 could donate £10 to reach your target which then benefits the whole class with an even better Code Club experience! PTAs are also great to contact and always looking for better ways to fund initiatives that benefit pupils. Check out our handy guide for more crowdfunding advice.
How much should our volunteers be aiming to raise?
There’s no limit to how much a volunteer can raise but the higher the target, the more you have to promote! Don’t set a target higher than what you actually need: a few hundred pounds could be easier for a small community project. That said, the sky’s the limit with crowdfunding!
What happens if a campaign doesn’t get funded?
If a campaign doesn’t reach its target, don’t worry! Donations will only ever leave donors’ accounts if the minimum target is met.
Do you have any great examples of successful ed tech crowdfunding campaigns?
Of course. Charlotte from High Beech Primary School raised an amazing £2,198 from 80 supporters to upgrade all the technology equipment at her school. Take a look at her campaign here.
What if our volunteers have extra questions, or need help in setting up their Hubbub campaign?
If volunteers have any questions about getting involved in crowdfunding for their Code Club, I’d be happy to help! Simply pop an email to christina.pashialis@hubbub.net.
To get started on a project, head over to the Create page on Code Club’s crowdfunding site here: https://codeclub.hubbub.net/projects/create/
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