Big Data, Crowdfunding and the Fundraising Technology Craze

Oh, and then there was the $175,000 gift from the Mars family, which brought the total to nearly $300,000.

Lessons learned
There were many things Vassar learned through this crowdfunding campaign. One, which it was prepared for at the recommendation of Illinois Wesleyan, was to have staff assigned to responding to messages coming in about the campaign. From the moment the Vassar500 launched to the moment it ended, McCarthy says, people were calling and writing in about the campaign. So having staffers on hand to handle those inquiries and conversations was vital.