Why is a goal-based fundraiser the best way to raise funds for a creative project?
The simplest way to finance a creative project is through a goal-based fundraiser, meaning collecting funds from your community for a specific, clearly described goal. In the Polish market, you can launch one on buycoffee.to in just a few seconds: go to the goal-based fundraisers tab, enter the name, target amount and description, and your community will immediately see what you are raising money for and support you through a simple link, paying by BLIK, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, without creating an account.
The progress bar shows in real time how much you have already raised, which genuinely motivates people to contribute. And even after you reach your goal, supporters can still keep adding to it. You withdraw the funds to a Polish bank account in PLN. The money for your project reaches you within 1 business day. You can run several fundraisers at once and edit them at any time.
I have a problem: I have a good idea, but no money to make it happen
Most creative projects die not because of a lack of talent, but because of a lack of initial funding. You know the feeling: you have a clear vision, but bringing it to life requires money you do not have here and now. Traditional funding routes have their drawbacks. A loan means risk and commitment. A grant means months of waiting, forms and uncertainty about whether you will receive the funds at all. A sponsor wants influence over what you create, and that often clashes with your vision.
Meanwhile, you have a resource at hand that is easy to overlook: the people who already follow what you do and already trust you. They do not need to be convinced that you are good, because they already know it. They only need a simple way to help you get started and clear information about exactly where their money is going. That is exactly what a goal-based fundraiser provides.
Will a goal-based fundraiser on buycoffee.to help me bring my idea to life?
A goal-based fundraiser is a way of raising funds for a specific project, where you define the financial goal in advance and clearly describe what you are raising money for. It differs from regular donations because it has a clear goal and visible progress, which helps your community understand what they are taking part in and makes it easier for them to decide to support you.
What makes the biggest difference is the progress bar. It shows in real time how much has already been raised and grows with every contribution. It works like a social engine, because people are more willing to contribute to something that is already gaining momentum than to an empty counter. You can read more about the psychology of goal-based fundraisers in our post: “What happens when a fundraiser exceeds 100%? On the psychology of goal-based success.”
When you reach your goal, the fundraiser does not close automatically. Supporters can still contribute, so you can use the surplus to expand the project or complete it faster.
Why it simply works
A goal-based fundraiser on buycoffee.to removes all the friction that usually kills enthusiasm before a project even gets started:
The entry threshold for supporters is minimal. Your fan does not need to create an account or register. They click the link, choose an amount and pay by BLIK, card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or online transfer. The shorter the path to payment, the more people will complete it.
You have full flexibility. You can edit the fundraiser at any point while it is active, and if you are running several projects at the same time, that is not a problem, because there is no limit to the number of fundraisers. You can also increase its visibility by adding a cover image, setting a unique link that describes the goal and pinning the fundraiser to your profile so it immediately catches the eye of visitors.
The money reaches you quickly. You request a withdrawal yourself, at any time, and the funds are sent to a Polish bank account in PLN within 1 to 2 business days. No currency conversion, no waiting for an international transfer, no high withdrawal thresholds.
It works, goal-based fundraisers on buycoffee.to have already proved successful for hundreds of other Creators. If you want inspiration for what you can raise money for on buycoffee.to, keep reading. Below, we have prepared a list of ideas and real cases from other Creators in the creative industry.
Is my idea definitely suitable for a goal-based fundraiser?
Remember: raising money for a creative project through a goal-based fundraiser is a common practice. What you raise funds for and how you describe it depends 100% on you. But if you are lacking inspiration or confidence that it can work, take a look at the stories of our Creators. They simply took action. And until you try, you will not know whether it works.
How Creators make their dreams come true on buycoffee.to, case studies
See how diverse initiatives, from physical products to infrastructure and software, successfully raise funds on buycoffee.to, and get inspired to apply these ideas to your own work. And these are only selected examples. There can be many more ideas.
Product projects, books and publishing
Fundraisers based on a final physical product achieve excellent success rates. Supporters treat their contribution as a form of pre-order, which gives them the feeling that they are genuinely helping bring something to life.
Publishing a book about emotions for children: The project aims to finance the printing of a richly illustrated book that teaches the youngest readers how to recognize, name and manage emotions. By engaging the target audience, parents and educators, the Creator offered the community unique value, while the progress bar is growing rapidly thanks to strong trust in the educational mission of the project.
Support the publication of a book that teaches children how to recognize, name and manage emotions.
💡 How you can use this yourself, inspiration: Are you creating an e-book, a comic book, a poetry collection or a photo album? Write that you will thank your supporters with a personal dedication in the book. You can also add a digital bonus, for example an extra chapter or a behind-the-scenes video showing how the work was created, which you can include in the thank-you email for a virtual coffee.
Reprinting the publication “HOW NOWY FORDON WAS BUILT” by Błażej Bembnista: A great example of a historical monograph built around local identity. When the first print run sold out in no time, the author launched a goal-based fundraiser worth PLN 10,000 to print additional copies. The fundraiser’s progress was driven by the so-called FOMO effect, the fear of missing out, as well as the local patriotism of residents, who eagerly reserved their copies through contributions.
Reprint of the publication How Nowy Fordon Was Built
💡 How you can use this yourself, inspiration: Has your product, such as a physical album, board game, poster or merch, already sold out once, but people are still asking about it? Instead of risking your own money on another edition without knowing whether it will sell, say it directly: “I’m raising funds for a reprint of at least 100 copies. If the progress bar reaches 100%, I’ll order production.”For the biggest donors, offer to include their names on a special thank-you page in the new edition.
Digital archives and project maintenance
Not every fundraiser has to offer a product you can put on a shelf. Often, a community simply wants to protect and maintain a digital resource they use every day.
Annual server maintenance for staremaniowy.pl, creator: Marek Wojtaszek: The Social Photographic Archive of the village of Maniowy, a village flooded during the construction of the dam, is a project of great emotional value. A goal-based fundraiser on buycoffee.to makes it possible to regularly cover the fixed costs of infrastructure, servers and domains. Here, the progress bar works like a shared responsibility: the community is not paying for something new, but for the survival of a unique history they can access at any time.
Annual server maintenance for staremaniowy.pl
💡 Jak możesz to wykorzystać u siebie (Inspiracja): Prowadzisz darmowy portal z wiedzą, niszowego bloga, mapę historyczną, aplikację open-source lub internetowe radio? Raz w roku zorganizuj akcję: „Utrzymajmy [Nazwa Projektu] przez kolejny rok”. Rozpisz koszty (serwer, domena, certyfikaty) i pokaż społeczności, że ich drobne wpłaty gwarantują, że projekt nie zniknie z sieci i nadal będzie wolny od agresywnych reklam.
Infrastructure and equipment investments, workshops and studios
Investment projects require Creators to clearly show how new equipment will improve the final quality of materials for their audience.
Help with renovating the REVO-RAVElution audiovisual studio and Studio Equipment at PaniSztuka: Two goals that show how to build a creative workspace step by step. Creators raising funds for a studio renovation or the purchase of physical furniture and workshop stations engage people by promising future benefits, for example better recording quality, the possibility of organizing workshops or inviting patrons into the new space. A clear description like “we are raising funds for acoustic soundproofing” sparks the imagination much more effectively than general slogans
Help with renovating the audiovisual studio
https://buycoffee.to/panisztuka/Manipura
💡 How you can use this yourself:
Do you want to open a small tattoo studio, ceramics workshop, carpentry workshop or podcast studio? Show the raw, unfinished interior on your social media and create a fundraiser for one specific element: “I’m raising funds for a professional chair, kiln, shadowless table.”
In return for support, organize a private open day only for the people who contributed to the fundraiser.
Digital tools and resources
Your community knows perfectly well that creating great things requires advanced tools. Do not be afraid to ask for support in your technological development.
Purchasing specialist software and effect libraries for video editing at Lot nad Kukułczym Gniazdem: This case perfectly shows how a goal-based fundraiser solves the problem of lacking an initial budget. Instead of taking out a loan for expensive professional software licenses, for example for video post-production, or sound packages, the creator communicated it clearly to viewers: “These tools will shorten my working time and give you cinematic quality.”
- Viewers were happy to contribute to the progress bar because they knew they would be the direct beneficiaries of better videos.
https://buycoffee.to/lot/zbiorka
💡 How you can use this yourself: Are you an editor, podcaster, graphic designer or musician who needs an annual license for Adobe software, yearly access to a music library, for example Epidemic Sound, or professional Photoshop brushes? Set up a goal-based fundraiser. Explain it to your audience like this: “Thanks to this license, my podcasts will sound cleaner, and my videos will come out every week instead of every two weeks.”As a thank-you, you can offer supporters a pack of free phone wallpapers created by you, or mention them in the end credits of your next piece of content.
What can these stories teach you?
Whether you are creating a local monograph, building a studio or need new editing software, a goal-based fundraiser on buycoffee.to simply works. The key is to break a big dream down into smaller, tangible goals that your audience can easily click and fund with BLIK in just a few seconds.
Starting with a goal-based fundraiser and feeling ready for more?
A fundraiser is perfect for a specific, one-off goal. But many creators discover along the way that their project is not a one-time burst of activity, but something they want to create regularly. This is where running a fundraiser in a place where you also have other support models at hand gives you an advantage.
On buycoffee.to, a goal-based fundraiser is one of three models available in the same dashboard. Alongside it, there are one-time coffees, which your community can use to support you spontaneously, and subscriptions, meaning regular monthly support with a 5% commission. This means that a fundraiser for a specific project can smoothly turn into ongoing funding for your creative work, without moving your community to another platform. You start with one goal and end up with a ready-made support ecosystem.
By comparison, some platforms focus only on one-time payments or only on subscriptions, while goal-based fundraisers are available in a limited form or not at all. buycoffee.to is one of the few places in Poland where fundraisers, one-time payments and subscriptions coexist under one profile.
Security and taxes, peace of mind
A fundraiser means handling real money from your community, so it is worth making sure it happens within a regulated system. buycoffee.to operates as a Small Payment Institution, in line with anti-money laundering regulations. You can verify your identity with an ID card, passport or the mObywatel app, in a single step that ensures withdrawals are legal.
When it comes to taxes, the rule is simple. Support is generally treated as a donation, and contributions of up to PLN 5,733 from one person over the last 5 years are tax-free. Both individuals, companies and foundations can use the platform, without the need to run a business.
How to launch your fundraiser, a quick plan
Clarify the goal. The more specifically you describe what you are raising money for, the easier it is for your community to make a decision. “For a new podcast microphone” works better than “for growth.”
Set a realistic target amount. It should cover the project, but not scare people away. You can always raise more after reaching the goal.
Launch your fundraiser on buycoffee.to. Add the name, amount and description, and you are ready to go.
Make it visible. Add a cover image, set a clear link and pin the fundraiser to your profile. Share the fundraiser link on your social media, in your bio link, stories and private messages. Add the link to Cuplink, the free link tree for buycoffee.to Creators.
Tell your community about it. Show the behind-the-scenes process, explain why the project matters to you and keep people updated on the progress.
Key takeaways
- Most creative projects do not get off the ground because of a lack of initial funding, not a lack of talent.
- The fastest path to funding is your own community, which already trusts you, through a goal-based fundraiser for a specific purpose.
- On buycoffee.to, you can launch a fundraiser in just a few minutes by adding a name, amount and description, while the progress bar motivates people to contribute.
- Supporters can donate without creating an account, using BLIK or card, and the funds reach a Polish bank account in PLN within 1 to 2 business days.
- A fundraiser on buycoffee.to works in the same dashboard as one-time payments and subscriptions, so a one-off project can smoothly turn into ongoing support.
FAQ
Where is the best place to raise funds for a creative project in Poland?
The simplest way is through a goal-based fundraiser aimed at your own community. In Poland, you can launch one on buycoffee.to, where you set a goal and amount, and supporters contribute through a simple link, paying by BLIK or card without creating an account. You withdraw the funds to a Polish bank account in PLN within 1 to 2 business days.
What is a goal-based fundraiser?
It is a way of raising funds for a specific, predefined goal, for example equipment, releasing an album or creating a series. It has a clearly stated target amount and a progress bar, so your community can see what you are raising money for and how close you are to reaching the goal.
How do I launch a goal-based fundraiser on buycoffee.to?
Go to the goal-based fundraisers tab, click to add a new fundraiser and fill in the name, financial goal and description. The fundraiser is ready right away, and you can increase its visibility with a cover image, a unique link and by pinning it to your profile.
What happens after the fundraiser reaches its goal?
The fundraiser does not close automatically. The progress bar keeps growing, and supporters can continue contributing until the fundraiser ends. You can use the surplus to expand the project or complete it faster.
Can I run several fundraisers at the same time?
Yes, there is no limit to the number of goal-based fundraisers. You can also edit each of them at any time while they are active.
Do I have to pay tax on the funds raised?
Support is generally treated as a donation. Contributions of up to PLN 5,733 from one person over the last 5 years are tax-free. Above this threshold, tax obligations may arise, so it is worth monitoring the amounts you receive.
Do I need to run a business to organize a fundraiser?
No. Fundraisers can be run by individuals, companies and foundations, without the need to register a business.
At buycoffee.to, we believe that a good idea should not have to wait for a budget. A goal-based fundraiser gives your community a simple way to help you bring it to life, while giving you full control over the goal and the funds. Launch your fundraiser and show your audience what you can create together.