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The Big Read: The cause may have an effect on crowdfunding’s results

SINGAPORE — They had a story they fervently believed in, and an unbridled enthusiasm to tell it in a documentary.

Final year NTU students (from left) Goh Chiew Tong, Jade Han and Clarissa Sih. Photo: Ernest Chua/TODAY

Final year NTU students (from left) Goh Chiew Tong, Jade Han and Clarissa Sih. Photo: Ernest Chua/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — They had a story they fervently believed in, and an unbridled enthusiasm to tell it in a documentary.

But for undergraduates Goh Chiew Tong, Jade Han and Clarissa Sih of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), their final-year project lacked a vital ingredient: The funds needed to make it possible.

“We wanted to be able to see our vision come to pass, and not be restricted by what we can … (and) cannot afford because that could make or break the product,” said Ms Goh.

So the trio — 22-year-old communication studies majors at NTU’s Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) — took to crowdfunding platform Indiegogo last November, in hopes of raising money to partly fund the S$10,200 project.

The documentary, Peumulia Jamee — Acehnese for “honouring your guests”, traces how Acehnese fishermen had offered refuge to Rohingya Muslims after the latter’s escape from Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.

The Rohingya are a persecuted religious minority on the receiving end of violence in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar.

At the close of their two-month crowdfunding drive in January, the team had exceeded their US$5,000 (S$6,753) target, garnering US$5,717 in donations.

Besides the proceeds from crowdsourcing, the team received about S$4,500 in direct donations and forked out S$3,000 of their own money.

For students, whose options to raise funds are limited, the success of crowdfunding campaigns often determines whether a project sees the light of day.

“We remind ourselves that (the project) would not have been possible if not for the support of so many people,” Ms Goh told TODAY.

Added Ms Sih: “To be honest, I don’t know where else we could have gotten the money.”

Nevertheless, the trio stressed that what kept the contributions flowing was a concerted appeal to friends and relatives to donate.

“Ultimately, we still tapped a lot on our personal networks and Indiegogo was merely a platform … to put (out) our content,” Ms Sih said.

Indeed, the outcome of crowdfunding varies significantly: While some campaigns soar, many others languish, gaining little traction and falling short of their targets.

A crowdfunding effort in 2014 by another group of WKWSCI students — who have since graduated — to raise funds for their documentary on the Sherpa community in Nepal had, for instance, raised just US$1,165, slightly more than one-tenth of its US$10,000 target.

The group did not actively seek out donations through their personal networks, but relied on friends and family to spread the word.

“It’s a bit strange if we go around asking for money… We don’t want to force people who don’t want to help us,” said team member Tan Pei Lin, 23.

The associate producer added that although the fund-raiser fell short of its target, the money raised helped to cover some of their expenses: “Any contribution is a good contribution”.

Team-mate Hariz Baharudin, 26, said crowdfunding is just one of several avenues that can be tapped to raise funds. “I won’t say it’s the surefire way,” said the journalist.

To pay for the rest of their expenses, the team dug into their own pockets and took up freelance jobs.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of crowdfunding hinges on the cause being promoted, Ms Tan said. “Our documentary is admittedly … very niche. It’s not a topic that is close to Singaporeans’ hearts.”

The causes advanced by individuals who turn to crowdfunding run the gamut, from aims as practical as going on a vacation or an internship abroad, to impassioned pleas for help to fund costly medical treatment.

Atopic eczema sufferer Eu Huiling’s recently concluded crowdfunding campaign on gofundme.com is a case in point. Battling the severe skin condition since childhood, Ms Eu, 34, decided to give crowdfunding a shot to raise funds for intensive treatment in Kerala, India, in October this year.

It prompted an outpouring of support within days of her campaign going live. The former civil engineer raised US$31,334  — more than five times her goal of US$6,000  — within just 12 days.

Ms Eu said turning to crowdfunding meant a lot of time and effort was saved on spreading her story by conventional means.

“It’s a legitimate platform that makes my campaign publicly viewable and easily shareable,” she said.

For Madam Jamie Chua, 30, crowdfunding and other forms of donations have helped her to raise more than half the expenses needed for her toddler’s treatment in the United States.

Her daughter, two-and-a-half year old Xie Yujia, was born with oesophagal atresia, a medical condition where the oesophagus and stomach do not connect, and is fed through a tube.

So far, the family has raised S$1.2 million of the estimated S$2 million required for Yujia’s medical treatment at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Mdm Chua said when the family turned to crowdfunding last June, she did not expect such an overwhelming response.

Crowdfunding, she added, also opened doors to media interviews, which helped spread the word.

Her family hopes to hit its target by year-end, and make the trip to Boston next April.

While the surgery carries risks, Mdm Chua is determined to have her daughter treated. “I chose this road and I’ll follow it through,” she said.

Crowdfunding is also helping sportsmen such as national squash player Vivian Rhamanan to raise funds.

Last month, the Singapore Cricket Club’s squash committee started a crowdfunding effort to raise money for his professional career.

The gogetfunding.com page has since garnered S$2,000 from 17 backers. Mr Rhamanan, 30, had said earlier that he would require nearly S$60,000 to fund his career.

The father-of-two, who turned professional last October, said the funds raised “will definitely ease some financial burden”, and could be used to pay for coaching services, and accommodation and flights when he travels for training. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LOUISA TANG

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