• ‍Set dates for the start and end of the campaign.

• How long do you need to plan?
• How long should the campaign run for?
• Are there any political connotations to the date?
• Does a date that is post-launch lose the urgency of the appeal?

We advise that a campaign runs for an initial maximum of three months - and six to eight weeks is better. Successful campaigns can always be extended, so focus first on delivering rapid success and demonstrating momentum. The launch date should give you enough time to successfully:

• hire or engage key staff,
• carry out mapping, messaging work and testing, influencer engagement, and stewardship planning,
• procure and deliver a functional platform.

Ordinarily, this will require a minimum of three months - and six months would provide greater comfort.

Any non-crowdfunding project dates that are visible to the public should be considered as part of the campaign messaging.

For example - "We need your money to launch" will not work if your project is already launched. This is not particularly complex to manage, but the date, project state, messaging, and launch all need to be joined up.

• Pick a date that is between three to six months off.
• Reflect campaign dates in your messaging.