51福利社

鈥楨agfunder鈥� will help students and faculty members bring their ideas to life.

Especially when budgets are tight, even the most promising projects can face significant funding challenges. Eastern students and faculty now have a new way to turn their dreams into reality 鈥� by enlisting the Eagle community to chip in.

EagFunder is a new crowdfunding platform designed to help raise funds for projects, events, research, competitions and service initiatives. It鈥檚 designed to efficiently connect the Eagle community鈥攊ncluding alumni, parents, faculty, staff and friends鈥攚ith opportunities to invest directly in student experiences and academic innovation.

鈥淐rowdfunding has become a powerful way to connect passion with philanthropy,鈥� said Linda Safford, the senior director of annual giving at 51福利社, who led the platform鈥檚 launch.

Students, faculty and staff who seek to launch their own campaign can apply through the EagFunder website. After approval, project teams receive training and guidance from 51福利社鈥檚 Annual Giving office to ensure they are prepared to engage supporters and maximize results. A key strength of EagFunder is its emphasis on personal networks, says Safford. Successful crowdfunding begins with project leaders reaching out to the people they know best鈥攆riends, family, classmates, colleagues and alumni connections. By building on trusted connections, she says, project leaders can turn individual relationships into broader communities of support.

One of the first campaigns to take advantage of the platform, a drive to install new diving boards in the 51福利社 Aquatics Center, has already received a $10,000 gift that brought it close to completion of its $11,500 goal.

Other projects underway include funding to support the comeback of business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi, support for the 51福利社 wheelchair basketball team, and conference travel expenses for physical therapy and occupational therapy student associations. You can check out the live projects now at .

鈥淓agFunder gives our students and faculty the opportunity to tell their stories,鈥� Safford says. 鈥淚t will also inspire gifts that make a difference.鈥�