Monadnock Buy Local received a grant from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund to support The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock, a locally based crowdfunding platform. TLC Monadnock empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations and initiatives that grow wealthier and healthier communities in the region. Since launching in March 2017, over 200 supporters contributed $35,000 to four campaigns through TLC Monadnock's platform. These campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture, bicycling and independent retail. This winter's campaigns include topics such as community solar, complete streets and outdoor learning. TLC Monadnock is a collaboration of regional economic development organizations including Southwest Region Planning Commission, Monadnock Buy Local, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and Monadnock Economic Development Corporation. For more information, contact Monadnock Buy Local at 603-499-7950.
The New England Grassroots Environment Fund energizes and nurtures long-term civic engagement in local initiatives that create and maintain healthy, just, safe and sustainable communities using stories, tools and dollars to fuel local activism and social change. Since 1996, the Grassroots Fund's core grantmaking program continues to fund nearly 150 grants annually, giving more than $4 million in 20 years to initiatives by better than 2,000 community groups covering more than 60 percent of New England's cities and towns. For more information, please visit grassrootsfund.org or call 603-905-9915.
In 2017, The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock -- a locally based crowdfunding platform -- supported campaigns based in Keene, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Swanzey and Winchester. In the New Year, we’re excited to announce that we’re expanding into Alstead, Jaffrey and Peterborough, too! What does that mean to you? It means that if you have a great idea -- one that strengthens your local economy and community -- and live in one of these eight towns, you can apply to launch a crowdfunding campaign with TLC Monadnock. If you’ve heard of Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you might understand how crowdfunding works. However, TLC Monadnock is different from other crowdfunding platforms. It’s designed specifically for rural communities. Also, you’re not alone when you launch a campaign with TLC Monadnock -- we provide education, support and hyper-local tools to connect local businesses, organizations and community groups with the capital they need to thrive. These differences recently earned us a Crowdfundie Award presented at the Global Crowdfunding Conference in Las Vegas. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the crowdfunding industry. People are beginning to notice what our community is doing to inspire more local investing!
Since we launched in March, four crowdfunding campaigns have collectively raised $34,946 from over 200 individuals. Our most recent campaign, the Bicycle Mayor of Keene, met its $1,300 goal just five days after publicly launching. Tiffany Mannion, the inaugural Bicycle Mayor of Keene will focus on three areas during her two year term: education, connection and creation. TLC Monadnock funded her first goal, to create an online hub that connects our community of riders to each other. Connect with her at bicyclemayorofkeene.com. Two TLC Monadnock campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture: Archway Farm’s Farm to Table on Wheels project and Stonewall Farm’s Barn Raising project. Archway Farm bought a Sausage Cart and traveled to various community events this summer, introducing their pasture-raised pork and other local products to new people throughout our region. Stonewall Farm plans to invest their funds in a new barn for their small animals and offer more space for the farm’s education programs.
Our third campaign, the Monadnock Placemaker project, focused on independent retail and the power of online tools to inspire more of us to spend our dollars at locally owned businesses. Funds from this campaign will go into launching a local rewards program this winter. Learn more about all four projects. Three new campaigns are now in the development stage: Safe Streets project from the Hinsdale Beautification Committee, Moving Outdoors project from the Montessori Schoolhouse of Cheshire County and Chesterfield Community Supported Solar project from the Monadnock Sustainability Network.
Once these new crowdfunding campaigns launch, you can join with your friends and neighbors to support the campaigns that inspire you -- by giving any amount of money you feel able and moved to give (from $1 on up!). Some campaigns provide rewards for your support -- a thank you gift for funding their project. Sign up for our e-newsletter to stay updated. Just send us an email and we’ll add you to our contact list.
So, now we turn to you and ask: Do you have a great idea that could use a lift? Will your project support community goals, while keeping to a budget of $10,000 or less? Are you, or is your business or organization, based in Alstead, Chesterfield, Hinsdale, Jaffrey, Keene, Peterborough, Swanzey or Winchester? If yes, then please consider funding your project through The Local Crowd Monadnock. We are accepting crowdfunding proposals until January 12, 2018.
Learn more about our current request for proposals. Here’s an added incentive to submit a proposal now: TLC Monadnock will select one proposal to receive a free video, donated by 710 Main Films, to support their crowdfunding campaign. Crowdfunding campaigns with pitch videos receive four times more funds than campaigns without a video. TLC Monadnock is hosted by Monadnock Buy Local and supported by a leadership team that includes the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Southwest Region Planning Commission, New Hampshire Small Business Development Center, Monadnock Buy Local, Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce and Monadnock Economic Development Corporation. We’re looking for other economic development groups beyond Keene to join our leadership team. Contact us today for more details at jen@monadnocklocal.org or 603-499-7950. As our TLC Monadnock crowd expands, we hope you will join us. We are collectively funding the things we want to see more of in our little corner of the world.
We're honored to share that The Local Crowd (TLC), a rewards-based crowdfunding platform, recently won a Crowdfundie Award at the Global Crowdfunding Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. This award recognizes outstanding contributions to the crowdfunding industry. Locally, The Local Crowd is hosted by Monadnock Buy Local and called The Local Crowd Monadnock. Since we launched in March 2017, four Monadnock Region businesses/organizations/initiatives have collectively raised $34,946 from over 200 individuals. TLC Co-founders Diane Wolverton and Kim Vincent accepted the award at a VIP event at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. “We are super excited to receive this reward — on behalf of all The Local Crowd communities,” Wolverton said. “TLC's host communities, like The Local Crowd Monadnock, have worked very hard to launch this tool. It is very gratifying to see this work recognized.” The Global Crowdfunding Conference, founded by Ruth E. Hedges, is the crowdfunding industry’s flagship event. This convention brings the global crowdfunding community together to learn, share and co-create the future of the industry—an industry that is experiencing explosive growth. In 2016, start-ups, nonprofits and entrepreneurs raised more than $60 billion in capital from crowdfunding. This is a huge jump from just four years ago, when crowdfunding raised $1.7 billion in capital. Hedges commented, “I love what The Local Crowd is doing. It fills a very important niche in the industry.” The Local Crowd platform is specifically designed for rural communities and is currently in 13 states. In conjunction with The Local Crowd Monadnock, TLC provides education, support and hyper-local tools to connect local businesses and organizations with the capital they need. The Local Crowd Monadnock is now accepting crowdfunding proposals for 2018. Details are available at monadnocklocal.org/rfp. Congrats to The Local Crowd and all thirteen TLC Communities!
Exciting news: The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock will have one of its campaign videos highlighted at the 6th annual Global Crowdfunding Convention in Las Vegas on October 23 and 24, 2017.
This video exemplifies how TLC Monadnock provides more than just a crowdfunding platform, but leverages the skills, resources and talents of our community to help businesses, organizations and citizens reach their fundraising goals. "With a proper ecosystem of crowdfunding technology, education, and training, startups and growing enterprises can increase their ability to raise the capital they need, scale up, and compete in today's world," said Ruth Hedges, CEO and Founder of the Global Crowdfunding Convention. "When Global Crowdfunding Convention founder Ruth Hedges asked me for campaign videos to showcase the The Local Crowd platform, I immediately thought of TLC Monadnock's Stonewall Farm campaign," said Diane Wolverton, CEO and co-founder of The Local Crowd. "Their video tells a great story -- in just 97 seconds!"
TLC Monadnock's connection to The Local Crowd, a program supported by a USDA Small Business Innovation Research Grant, amplifies the region's assets by providing the technology, coaching and training needed for this local effort to thrive.
Stonewall Farm's crowdfunding video was donated and produced by 710 Main Films based in Keene.
View Stonewall Farm's archived crowdfunding campaign
The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock will highlight the opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses based in Winchester to raise funds using this innovative crowdfunding platform. JOIN US: September 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Winchester Pickle Festival
TLC Monadnock will attend the Winchester Pickle Festival with Mark Florenz of Archway Farm. Mark successfully raised over $5,000 through TLC Monadnock's crowdfunding platform. With the funds he purchased a food truck, allowing him to sell his pasture-raised pork and other locally made products at events like the Winchester Pickle Festival. He plans to sell his own hot dogs, sausage, and something pickled (of course!). Please RSVP on Facebook and help us spread the word!
We did it!
Thanks to 59 supporters, we did it! We reached our crowdfunding goal -- so we're bringing Placemaker to the Monadnock Region!
What's next?
Down to the final days
Thank you for all the shares on social media -- we really feel the local love for Placemaker! We just need $470 to meet our crowdfunding goal, so one more shout out is very appreciated.
We spoke with Placemaker and if we make our goal it looks like we can launch the program this November -- just in time for this year's Shift Your Shopping season and Plaid Friday event!
New Sponsored Reward
Debbie Daniele Photography of Keene donated one Lifestyle Portrait Photography Session, plus one 11x14 enlargement for donating $250 to our crowdfunding campaign. Thanks Debbie!
Thanks to Nest :: mother child home
A big thank you to Kim Peck from Nest :: mother child home in Peterborough for her video lending support to our campaign.
We need your help sharing our story about the power of Placemaker. We'd love a very short video of you sharing why you support bringing Placemaker to the Monadnock Region. This would mean the world to our campaign -- as we try to convert interest into support. Post your video on your favorite social media platform and send us an email to let us know it's posted. (If you need help with this, please let us know -- we're so happy to help!) Thank you so much in advance!
We're excited to share we surpassed the half-way point yesterday and reached 65% of our fundraising goal. Woo-hoo! Thank you to the Monadnock Food Co-op for hosting our TLC Monadnock Night at the Co-op last night (and for Mother Nature for a rain-free evening). Next week, we plan to join the Dan Mitchell radio show and broaden our outreach quite a bit. We'll also be at the Farmers' Market of Keene next Saturday.
Hopefully, you've already browsed our amazing rewards for contributing to our Placemaker campaign -- but have you considering getting an early jump on your holiday shopping through our campaign? Have someone on your list looking to get more healthy in 2018? Get them one of our yoga or fitness rewards. Know someone who would love to see a Peterborough Players play? Get them the Picnic and a Play Package with the Jack Daniels Inn. A Citizen Membership to Monadnock Buy Local would also make an amazing gift for a buy local enthusiast. Check out all our rewards on the right side of our campaign page.
Visit our Placmemaker Crowdfunding Campaign
We surpassed the $2,000 mark this week -- and are now reaching towards the halfway mark (we're 41% there!). We built up 5,000+ Placemaker crowdfunding video views on Facebook BUT very few viewers watched long enough to learn what this awesome program is all about. So, we added a new Facebook video just about the Placemaker Program -- feel free to share it with your Facebook contacts.
Join Us for a Stronger Community! from Katrina Scotto di Carlo on Vimeo.
Please join us for TLC Monadnock Night at the Monadnock Food Co-op on Friday, August 4 from 4 - 6pm in Keene. Visit our table to say hello, share your questions and enjoy a special treat or two! Also, plan to stay for the Co-op's Local Food BBQ.
RSVP on Facebook and Help Spread the Word!
Last week, the Monadnock Shopper News featured our Placemaker crowdfunding campaign. Here's to hoping it reaches more community members and inspires them to vote with their dollars to bring Placemaker to the Monadnock Region!
Please Read and Share: Making Connections Visible and Rewards Sweeter
We're so excited!
The Monadnock Food Co-op will host The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock Night on Friday, August 4, 2017 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at its store in downtown Keene.
RSVP on Facebook to help spread the word!
You're invited to visit our table outside the Co-op and learn more about TLC Monadnock's latest crowdfunding campaign: Placemaker Local Rewards Program. Be sure to stay for the Co-op's Local Foods BBQ, too!
Placemaker is an online loyalty platform that tracks purchases made at locally owned businesses and offers gifts and discounts to users who spend their dollars locally. It is a powerful tool to inspire more community members to shop at locally owned business, while also giving community economic organizations access to valuable data -- regarding how much the region is shopping locally to grow a more local, green and fair economy. Individuals can contribute to this crowdfunding campaign online at http://c-fund.us/b3w. TLC Monadnock is a locally based crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals to support the businesses, organizations and initiatives that grow wealthier and healthier communities in the region. Crowdfunding, or the practice of raising funds to support a project from a large number of people, is a viable alternative to recruiting businesses from outside the region to boost economic activity.
Since launching on March 15, 2017, TLC Monadnock has raised over $10,000 from 164 supporters.
The Local Crowd Monadnock - Keene, NH
