Guest Post: Build the Crowd Before You Need the Money.
From Devin Thrope - CEO & Founder of Superpower Good
Background:
Gen Z students aren't waiting for graduation to enter the gig economy — for many, it's already here. A4R Media Hub gives students the technical grounding to become skilled citizen journalists, but craft alone doesn't build a career. Students now need to treat audience-building as core curriculum: learning to use the platforms around them to grow a loyal following is what actually turns training into a sustainable livelihood. Devin has kindly highlighted how they can get started.
AT A GLANCE:
Devin Thorpe emphasizes that sustainable crowdfunding requires building an audience before asking for money. Rather than relying on unreliable social media algorithms, creators should launch simple email newsletters via platforms like Substack to foster direct community relationships. Success begins with rewards campaigns for validation, transitioning later into regulated investment crowdfunding as a business model matures.
Build the Crowd Before You Need the Money
For artists and creators, talent is essential. But talent alone rarely pays the rent, funds the next project, or turns a creative practice into a sustainable career.
Crowdfunding offers a different path.
At its best, crowdfunding is not begging. It is not charity. It is an invitation. It says to the people who already care about your work, your voice, your community, or your mission: “Come with me. Help me build this.”
That invitation can start small. Over time, it can become the foundation for something much bigger.
Start With the Crowd, Not the Campaign
The biggest mistake many creators make is waiting until they need money to start building a community.
A crowd is not something you find on launch day. It is something you build before you need it.
Your first crowd may include friends, classmates, relatives, teachers, collaborators, customers, neighbors, followers, former clients, or people who simply believe your voice deserves to be heard. The goal is not millions of followers. It is direct relationships with people who care.
Social media can help, but it is rented land. Algorithms change. Platforms rise and fall. A follower is valuable, but it is not the same as a direct connection.
That is why one of the first things every creator should do is start a newsletter.
Yes, Start a Newsletter
Email can feel old-fashioned. In 2026, inboxes are crowded, open rates can be frustrating, and everyone complains about too much email. Still, there is no better low-cost, mass-direct communication channel for a creator who wants to build a real community.
For many young creators, the easiest place to start is Substack.
Your newsletter does not need to be fancy. It can include behind-the-scenes updates, new artwork, reflections, event invitations, early access, or notes about what you are learning. The point is to create a home for your community.
Start saying, again and again: “Join my list so I can keep you posted.”
That list may someday help you sell tickets, launch a product, fill a workshop, promote a film, publish a book, or raise capital. For a refugee creator, or for someone helping a refugee creator, this can be especially powerful. A newsletter can help reconnect supporters across cities, countries, and time zones.
Build the crowd before you ask the crowd to fund you.
Use Rewards Crowdfunding as Your First Test
For many creators, the first crowdfunding step should be a rewards campaign.
Supporters contribute money and receive something in return: a print, a signed book, an album download, a ticket, a limited-edition shirt, a thank-you credit, a class, or early access to the finished work.
A rewards campaign can help fund a short film, photo essay, music release, fashion drop, art show, podcast season, digital magazine, community mural, or creative workshop.
But the money is only part of the value.
A rewards campaign teaches you how to explain your work clearly. It forces you to say what you are making, why it matters, who it is for, what it will cost, and why people should care now. Those are not just crowdfunding skills. They are career skills.
A successful rewards campaign also creates evidence. It shows that people care, supporters are willing to pay, and you can deliver on a promise.
That evidence can help you take the next step.
From Creative Project to Creative Business
Not every creative project should become a company. Some work is art for art’s sake. That is good and necessary.
But some creators eventually realize they are building more than one project. They are building a business.
A musician might start a production company. A visual artist might launch a merchandise brand. A filmmaker might build a media studio. A teaching artist might launch an online education platform. A creator with lived experience in an underrepresented community might build a platform that employs, trains, or amplifies others.
This shift matters because funding a project is different from funding a business.
A project has a beginning and an end. A business has a model. It has customers, costs, revenue, operations, and a plan to grow. When you can explain that model, you may be ready to think beyond donations, grants, or rewards.
That is where investment crowdfunding enters the picture.
When the Crowd Becomes Capital
Investment crowdfunding allows ordinary people to invest in private businesses through regulated online platforms. Instead of receiving a poster, ticket, or thank-you gift, supporters receive an investment interest.
The simple distinction is this:
Rewards crowdfunding helps fund a project.
Investment crowdfunding helps fund a business.
In the United States, Regulation Crowdfunding allows eligible companies to raise capital from both wealthy and non-wealthy investors through SEC-registered intermediaries. In the United Kingdom, investment-based crowdfunding also allows people to invest in businesses through regulated platforms, often by buying shares or participating in business-backed investments.
This matters because traditional startup investing has often been limited to wealthy insiders, professional investors, and people with the right networks. Investment crowdfunding opens the door wider.
For creators, that is powerful. Artists already know how to move people. They know how to tell stories, build identity, create meaning, and invite emotional connection. Those are real advantages in crowdfunding.
But investment crowdfunding also requires seriousness. Investors are not donors. They deserve honesty, disclosure, transparency, and regular communication. They are taking risk. They may lose money. A founder should never treat that lightly.
Are You Ready?
A creator may be ready to explore investment crowdfunding when they can say:
I have more than a one-time project. I have a business model.
I know who my customers or community members are.
I have evidence that people will pay for what I create.
I can explain how this business could grow.
I am ready for legal, financial, and disclosure obligations.
I am prepared to communicate with investors after the raise.
I understand that investors are not just fans; they are partners in risk.
If that list feels intimidating, that is okay. Investment crowdfunding is not the first step. It is a later step.
Start a newsletter. Share your work. Invite people in. Sell something small. Run a rewards campaign. Document the results. Strengthen the business model. Build a team of advisors. Then, when the time is right, explore investment crowdfunding.
Your First Assignment
Here is a simple exercise you can do today.
Write one paragraph answering four questions:
What am I building?
Who is it for?
Why does it matter?
How could people help?
Then send that paragraph to five people and ask them: “Is this clear? Would you support it? What would make it more compelling? Who else should hear about this?”
That is how a crowd begins. Not with a viral post. Not with a perfect pitch deck. Not with a million followers.
It begins with clarity, trust, and an invitation.
You do not need to wait for permission from a gallery, label, studio, publisher, employer, investor, or institution to begin building your creative future. You can start by gathering the people who already believe in you, one email address and one honest update at a time.
Build the crowd with care.
One day, that crowd may become the capital that helps you build something much bigger.
Join the conversation
🔗 Read and listen to our latest collaborative drops directly here.
This piece was produced as a guest contribution to the Arts4Refugees Media Hub, in collaboration with the BizGees community and the Gen Z Vibers co-creating it.
Devin Thorpe is the CEO & Founder of Super Powers for Good. They support the growth and development of the impact crowdfunding community, including both investors and issuers. Their founding principle is that cooperation and collaboration are essential for growing the number of impact investors supporting social entrepreneurs and traditionally underrepresented business owners.
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