Crowdfunding continues to gain momentum as one of the world’s favourite forms of alternative finance, with start-ups, creative ventures and charitable causes reaching their funding goals through appealing to their unique crowds.
In four years of operation, there have been many note-worthy campaigns that have used the ZAAR platform to find success, from arts, creative and community projects to educational and business-themed projects.
The New Victorians – an award-winning Maltese sister duo making music and theatre – has successfully crowdfunded twice on the ZAAR platform, attracting a total of 197 backers who supported their projects.
The Concept EP campaign smashed its original funding target of €2,500, with the final figure more than doubling that at €5,390. With new songs and three music videos included, the Concept EP told stories that truthfully represented the goals and challenges faced by the sisters’ generation.
The New Victorians also en-joyed massive success in their Edinburgh Fringe Festival campaign on ZAAR, raising their desired target amount of €10,000 that supported taking their original show, Mara, to the Edinburgh Fringe. The ensemble-driven, multi-disciplinary piece was performed live by an all-female Maltese company at the renowned Pleasance Theatre and celebrated women through time by means of sound manipulation and electro-acoustic music.
Wiċċna – The Book campaign originally set a €4,000 target, which it comfortably exceeded by successfully raising a final figure of €5,787, thanks to the support of 127 backers.
Crowdfunding continues to gain momentum
It supported the production of a high-quality, portable book titled Wiċċna (Our Face) featur-ing 200 lith-printed portraits by Yugo-Maltese photographer Zvezdan Reljic. The book was the culmination of years of work by Reljic, producing a dynamic and intimate snapshot of the diverse faces that inhabit and pass through an island, as well as of the diversity of contemporary Maltese society.
More than doubling its original funding target of €5,000, the crowdfunding campaign supporting the production of the first ever autism handbook in Maltese for Maltese parents raised a total of €10,680 with the help of 46 backers.
Ran in collaboration with the Autism Parents Association (APA), the campaign aimed to produce a 120-page book that would provide Maltese parents with guidance on how to cope in the early years of their child’s autism diagnosis. As a Maltese registered NGO, the APA is made up of parents of children on the autism spectrum who volunteer their time to support those with autism and their families.
As a full-time weightlifter, Yazmin Zammit Stevens has achieved several notable goals in the world of women’s weightlifting in Malta and turned to crowdfunding to help her realise her Olympic dreams.
The campaign aimed to support the first phase of Zammit Stevens’s road to the Olympics, where she would compete in both small scale and major events all around the world to build experience and earn a place at the games. With the contribution of 101 backers, the campaign raised a total of €4,585, more than doubling its €2,000 target and successfully funding Yazmin up to the World Championships held in November 2018.
Aiming to develop a sustainable form of tourism, Eco Marine Malta hoped to offer a new eco-friendly experience that is respectful of nature and useful to learn how to protect the ocean and planet.
The eco-boat marine tours are designed for small groups of people who can take part in the search and observation of marine life in order to enhance their education on marine environment and gather vital scientific data for international research.
The tours were funded with the contribution of 29 backers who raised a total of €6,195 in the campaign, well over the original funding goal of €5,000.
The Eco Market is a community of creative minds, who work together with responsible businesses, change-makers and innovators to carefully curate an event that would facilitate a shift towards an environmentally-friendly way of living for the Maltese community.
Held every month in different locations across Malta and Gozo, the Eco Market consists of multiple vendors with fresh organic produce, natural food and snacks, ethical fashion, toys and housewares, natural and non-toxic personal care products, arts and crafts, innovative technologies and more.
The campaign supporting the Eco Market had an €8,000 target, and successfully raised €8,379.91 in total from 135 backers.