Superior Ideas, Michigan Technological University’s research and public service crowdfunding website, has received accreditation from Crowdsourcing.org through the organization’s Crowdfunding Accreditation for Platform Standards (CAPS) program.
The CAPS program is designed to promote best practices in the operation of crowdfunding sites. Its goal is to protect both the people pledging and the people using the site to raise funds. Accreditation is based on an interview and a review process. CAPS has only accredited approximately 40 crowdfunding sites.
“Achieving accreditation indicates what a great job the whole team did in developing the site,” said David Reed, vice president for research. “Not only is Michigan Tech the first university I know of to launch a site like this, but the site meets the highest professional standards for serving our donors and project initiators.”
Superior Ideas was established by Michigan Tech to harness the power of crowdfunding to raise support for small, worthwhile University research and public service projects that are not suited to normal grant funding. Individuals can donate small, tax-deductible amounts. The site uses social media and word-of-mouth to spread the news about the projects.
Superior Ideas opened its crowdfunding portal in October 2012. Now 28 Tech researchers and programs have posted 31 projects to the site, raising a total of $76,106.50.
“Receiving CAPS was a significant milestone for Superior Ideas,” said Natasha Chopp, manager of Superior Ideas. “Passing the accreditation process and meeting the criteria proved that our hard work in the planning and building stages on the Superior Ideas site was successful.”
Chopp, who is research development and marketing manager in the Vice President for Research’s Office at Michigan Tech, went on to say: “Our site is secure and compliant and has the functionality and procedures in place. Achieving the accreditation is an affirmation of the quality service we provide to our project creators and donors.”
Recently the University opened Superior Ideas to select projects from other universities. Two have been on the site so far: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville researchers, who are investigating the effects of growth media on rooftop vegetable production, and a graduate student from Central Washington University, who was seeking funds to present her research on improvement of lemur habitats at the European Federation of Primatology’s 2013 meeting in Antwerp, Belgium.
Thanks for your interest in Michigan Tech.
Jenn Donovan
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