KickstarterForum.org

Is it morally acceptable to fund your own Kickstarter, given the following situation:

(tldr: given that you pay some people for their pledges.)

Let's say you need to raise $10,000, but nearing the end of your campaign you're $4000 short. Kickstarter won't allow you to pledge to yourself, but you could easily pay four people $1000 to pledge $1000 and make your campaign a 'success', thus receiving the $6000 in legitimate pledges and $4000 of what is basically your own money.

On the one hand, your project is funded, your fans get their pledges, and Kickstarter gets their fees.

On the other hand, Kickstarter operates under the premise that you need the whole amount for the project to work. When people pledge to your campaign, they aren't just buying something, they're also pledging because they believe that without the support, the project will not reach its goal and will not receive any funds.

Could you call this fraudulent? Deceptive at least?

What would you do?

For me it would matter how short I fell from my goal. I can see why KS considers it unethical, but at the same time if you don't reach your goal you get nothing.

Yeah, I'd be willing to do it for $500 worth. What would you say the specific reasons are that KS sees it as unethical. I have my reasons, but what do you think?

That would be speculation. I guess it just speaks against the principle of crowd funding. I mean, essential in terms of money, it doesn't make a difference to them. Good question, what do you think?

You're not really hurting anyone funding that last little bit. If it means the difference between success and failure, why not? The life of your project depends on it.

I'm getting ready to launch my first campaign next week. Nervous and excited I've thought about this question myself.. assuming it comes to it... I personally wouldn't. It seems contradictory to why you would launch your campaign. But everyone has their own reasons for doing it.

I think if you pledge yourself, shows you have a commitment in your own project as well.

i mean it used to be that if you wasn't happy to pledge your own cash then that showed a greater risk.


however i think the amount may also be a factor, i mean make sure you have the cash. funding 3 grand which you don't have to get money from project could be a bad plan. project id likely to fail as you didn't reach you goal so underfunded and paying your own cash when you are counting on funds in project to clear your debt can only lead to trouble.

We are in the midst of an active Kickstarter Campaign (3 weeks to go). In June-July, 2014 (three months ago, basically), we ran our first Kickstarter campaign. It was a veritable nail-biter, because we stagnated at the 40% mark for about 30 days of the 33-day campaign. Then, in the last 24 hours, out of the blue, one early backer and one late backer each independently raised their pledges. Indeed, the late backer initially CANCELLED their first pledge, an almost sent us looking or defilbrators! Then, suddenly, that backer returned, and backed us to the point where we were only $120 shy of our $6,000 funding goal, with just 24 hours to go.

At that point, a pal suggested to me that I should pitch in to fund the campaign (technically, it is my wife's project, but although I know relatives can back it, I've been reticent to do so, as I am immediate family). I wrestled over the decision, as my wife was opposed to anything even remotely unethical. In the end, I got my mother (the early backer) to increase her pledge by $120, and I wired the $120 funds to her bank account, all with just 2 hours to go! We got funded, actually overshooting our goal by $1! Close shave that was! But, I still felt guilty, even though I never let on (till now) that I had nudged Mom to the Rescue when push came to shove.

My wife didn't take any chances with our current campaign: http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/675870 ... fairy-tale

I just launched a kickstarter campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/36 ... d-bow-ties
and find all of this information very helpful! I definitely believe it is a bit morally wrong, however it is difficult to say. I want this so bad, it would be a lie that I woudln't be tempted by such a thing.

Whether it is morally acceptable or not, pledging to your own project is not allowed by Kickstarter. The Kickstarter website specifically states as much, although I didn't find the actual wording until yesterday. It is located on the following page of the Kickstarter website, the third item from the bottom, as of the time that I post this:

https://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/creator+questions

Specifically, the relevant part states:

Can I pledge to my own project?

Pledging to your own project is not allowed by either Kickstarter or our payments partners.