Crowdfunding 101

Whether you are new to crowdfunding, or new to BackerKit, we've got you covered!

This page answers the questions most first-time creators ask, in the order you'll need them. Each section links to a detailed help article. Read it top to bottom as your roadmap from idea to launch.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is raising money for a new project from many people at once, before it's made. Supporters (backers) pledge money in exchange for rewards, like the finished product, a special edition or digital content. You set a funding goal and an end date.

All-or-Nothing model: Backers are only charged if the campaign reaches its goal, and those funds are used to make and ship the rewards.

BackerKit runs its own crowdfunding platform, BackerKit Crowdfunding, where your campaign lives start to finish on BackerKit. It's separate from Kickstarter. (BackerKit also offers a pledge manager for after a campaign, which is a different product with its own help articles.)

Key terms

These are the words you'll see most while building and running a campaign.

Term	What it means	Learn more
Backer	Someone who pledges to your project in exchange for rewards. Charged only if you hit your goal.	Terminology guide
Funding Goal	The amount you need to raise by your end date for the campaign to succeed.	Do the Math
Pledge Level	A fixed bundle backers pick first. It sets which rewards they get.	Building Pledge Levels
Items	The individual rewards that make up your pledge levels and add-ons.	Create and Add Items
Add-ons	Extra items backers can buy on top of a pledge level while the campaign is live.	Selling Add-ons
Incentives	Perks for backing early or for returning backers, often in the first 48–72 hours.	Using Incentives
Stretch goals	Bonus rewards unlocked when you raise more than your goal.	Engagement Tools
Pre-Launch Page	Your "coming soon" page, live before launch, where people follow the project.	Using Your Pre-launch Page
Project Updates	Posts you send backers about progress, dates and shipping.	Project Updates

Do you support my country?

BackerKit Crowdfunding supports creators in 34 countries. These include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Norway and most of the European Union.

To launch, you must be able to open a Stripe account and provide identification from your country. This list applies to where the creator is based.

Read more: Supported Countries (full, current list)

What is a pre-launch page, and why does it matter?

Your Pre-Launch Page is a public "Coming Soon!" page where people can follow your project before it goes live. Publish it up to 8 weeks before launch, or as soon as you're ready to share.

Your Pre-Launch Page is a public "Coming Soon!" page where people can follow your project before it goes live. Publish it up to 8 weeks before launch, or as soon as you're ready to share.

It matters because campaigns are won before launch day. Interest you capture early strongly predicts day-one pledges, and a strong first day builds momentum for the whole campaign. Followers can create a BackerKit account ahead of time, so they're ready to pledge the moment you're live.

Use your Pre-Launch Page to:

Test your messaging and ads, then apply what works to your campaign page
Gather feedback with updates, polls and discussions
Build excitement with streams, trivia challenges and follower-only unlocks
Offer pre-launch reservations & incentives for exclusive perks

Once a launch date+time is added, a countdown timer will appear. Projects appear in the "Participate Before Launch" section of the BackerKit homepage.

How do I build my campaign page?

Your campaign page is where backers learn about your project and pledge. You build it in your project dashboard, then request a review from the BackerKit team before you can launch.

The building blocks

Project basics: title, short description and a project image. See How to create images for your campaign.
Story sections: explain what you're making, who it's for and why it matters. See How to Put Together Story Sections and Rich Text Editor tips.
Video (optional but recommended): see How to Create a Crowdfunding Video.
Items and pledge levels: create your rewards as items, then bundle them into pledge levels. See Create and Add Items and Building Pledge Levels.
Add-ons, incentives and FAQs: see Selling Add-ons, Using Incentives and How to use FAQs.

Getting approved to launch

Review takes 2–4 business days, so plan ahead. Before you can submit, your project must pass these checks:

Complete your creator profile (public name, image and bio)
Connect Stripe so you can accept pledges
Verify your identity
Have enough followers: at least 30% of the pledges you need to fund (a "Somewhat Likely" Likeliness to Fund status or better)
Import your past projects (first-time creators can ask the team to override this)
Build your page: image, description, title, at least one story section and at least one pledge level

How do fees and payouts work?

BackerKit charges a 5% platform fee plus payment processing, and only if you reach your goal. Payments run through Stripe, which is why you connect a Stripe account before launch. Backers are charged only after your campaign ends successfully.

When backers are charged: within 24 hours after a successful campaign ends.
When you get paid: BackerKit holds funds for 7 days after each charge, and Stripe adds its own waiting period. Payouts typically reach your bank within 14 days.
Failed payments: backers are told how to update their card. BackerKit retries on day 7 and day 14 after the campaign ends.
Processing fees: vary by currency and whether the card is domestic or international (for example, USD is 2.9% + $0.30 domestic).
Funding summary: your dashboard's Funding Summary page updates 14 days after the campaign ends.

You can also offer Pay Over Time, which lets backers split larger pledges into installments.

Platform fee: BackerKit charges 5% of total funds raised, plus payment processing fees. There are no upfront costs, and you only pay if your project reaches its funding goal. See BackerKit Pricing.

How do I engage my backers?

BackerKit Crowdfunding is built for two-way conversation with your community. Engagement tools turn followers into backers and backers into superfans, before, during and after your campaign. Your BackerKit Campaign Strategist can help you brainstorm ideas for your project.

Polls: ask backers campaign questions and let them vote, such as picking a pin design or a new character. Polls are the top driver of engagement and help create mid-campaign urgency. See How to use Polls.
Updates and discussions: post project updates, and let backers start and reply to discussions on your Community page. Pin important discussions to keep them at the top. See How to use Project Updates.
Achievements: goals your community unlocks together. Use them for classic funding stretch goals, or for backer counts and social media shares. See How to set up Community Achievements.
Streaming: go live on your page for big moments like launch day, product reveals and mid-campaign updates. See Streaming on BackerKit.
Incentives: free extras for early backers or returning backers, like a bonus item, digital content or credit. Skip percentage discounts and free shipping; use a discounted pledge level you hide later instead. See How to use BackerKit Incentives.
Pre-launch extras: trivia challenges and follower-only unlocks build excitement before launch. See BackerKit Trivia Challenges.

Read more: BackerKit Engagement Tools (overview with real campaign examples). The best way to become familiar with the platform is to pledge to a live campaign.

What happens when I launch, and after it ends?

When your countdown hits zero, your campaign goes live, your pre-launch page sends visitors to your campaign page, and backers can pledge right away. Launch day sets the pace, so plan your launch-day emails, stream and posts in advance.

While you're live

Keep backers engaged with the tools above: updates, polls, achievements and streams.
Track performance with visit and pledge tracking, and add a pixel for ad attribution.
Promote with BackerKit Launch emails and expert promotion tips.
Finish strong with Overtime Mode, which keeps your campaign open 10 minutes past the end time for as long as pledges keep coming in.

After it ends

If you reached your goal, backers are charged and funds move to your Stripe account (see fees and payouts above). Next, you'll collect backer details like addresses and sizes, then produce and ship rewards. Keep posting project updates the whole way through; they're your backers' main source of news.

What your backers will experience

Knowing the backer side helps you write a clearer page and answer questions before they come in. Many of your backers may be new to crowdfunding too, so these articles are worth sharing with them.

Pledging: backers pick a pledge level, can add add-ons, and are charged only if you hit your goal. There's a backer guide for editing a pledge.
Not a store: rewards aren't guaranteed by BackerKit. Creators are expected to deliver and follow BackerKit's rules, and your page shows your fulfillment history.
Currency: backers may pay in a currency other than their own, so exchange rates can affect what they're charged.
Reservations and Overtime: if you use pre-launch reservations or Overtime Mode, backers have their own guides explaining how they work.
Staying in touch: backers can contact you directly, and your project updates are their main source of news.

More Resources

Ready to start? Browse every creator article in BackerKit Crowdfunding help, and the backer side in BackerKit Crowdfunding for backers.

Making a tabletop game or TTRPG? Follow the Tabletop Games Crowdfunding Roadmap. It walks you through six stages: getting started, ideation, community, prototype, playtest and campaign. It's written for tabletop games, including RPGs, but much of the community-building advice applies to any project. Some older linked pages mention Kickstarter; on BackerKit Crowdfunding, use the help articles above for page setup and approval.

Still have questions? Email the Creator Success Team at crowdfunding@backerkit.com.