How to Get Funding (and an Engaged Crowd) for Your Big Ideas
Want to better your community but don’t know where to start? Enter It’s the Little Things: a weekly Strong Towns podcast that gives you the wisdom and encouragement you need to take the small yet powerful actions that can make your city or town stronger.
It’s the Little Things features Strong Towns Community Builder Jacob Moses in conversation with various guests who have taken action in their own places and in their own ways.
At Strong Towns, we talk a lot about Strong Citizens. These are the folks who love where they live and, as individuals, do what they can to make their town stronger.
I think there are two kinds of Strong Citizens. The first kind are the good neighbors, and they do the everyday acts—waving to their neighbors, picking up trash. The second kind are the big idea people, and they’re those people who see a void in their neighborhood, such as a lack of healthy food, and immediately think, I’m going to fill that void.
Both are equally important to creating strong towns, however, the latter type of person faces a daunting obstacle. They may have the vision of a stronger Denton, a stronger Brainerd, a stronger [enter your town here], but they often lack the funding to execute their vision.
The result? That big idea—a food co-op, a parklet, a non-profit organization—that would improve the livability of your neighborhood remains a pipe dream.
Enter Bill Huston, who is this week’s guest. Huston is a crowdfunding legend (like, top 19 crowdfunding consultants in the world according to Inc. Magazine—that kind of legend). For over 15 years, Bill has helped strong citizens, community leaders, and non-profit organizations get funding for their big ideas.
Bill helps you do this not through a loan, nor through a maxed out credit card, but instead, through a crowd of friends, family, and neighbors who understand the value of your big idea and want to see it come to fruition.
Do you have a big idea that can make your town stronger? Check out this episode to learn how to make it a reality.
(Top photo via flickr.)