University of Tennessee Launches New Crowdfunding Platform For Students, Faculty & Staff Projects

Earlier this month, University of Tennessee in Knoxville launched a crowdfunding platform called the VOLstarter to offer an alternative way for students, faculty and staff to raise funds for on campus projects.

VOLstarterAccording to Tennessee Today, VOLstarter links donors with opportunities to support specific projects and initiatives. Some of the projects already on the platform are:

  • Freedom by Design: The funds raised during the campaign will help students in the university’s architecture department purchase the necessary materials for projects in which they create vital modifications to the homes of families in need in the community.
  • Big Orange Combine: The project’s contributions will go towards offset student costs for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Students majoring in business, sports management, and communications will travel to Glendale, Arizona, for the Super Bowl and participate in community service through the NFL as well as other organizations in the city. The culminating experience is working Super Bowl events before and after the game.
  • Enhancing Literacy: All funds will help the Center for Literacy, Education, and Employment provide current educational research to instructors and administrators across the state of Tennessee to help better their practices, which in turn will give low-literacy adults the ability to harness strong critical thinking skills in their workplace and everyday lives.

Another project on the new platform seeks to provide fourteen scholarships so that even more freshmen may attend the university’s Ignite program, which holds six different sessions ranging from three to six days before the start of the fall semester and engages new students in leadership development.

Sally ParishDirector of the Center for Leadership and Service, Sally Parish, shared, “We know that Ignite makes a difference in the lives of our students, and it is important to our office and to our university that any students seeking leadership and service experiences is able to gain access to them. The Ignite scholarship itself is a tremendous example of the Volunteer spirit, which is something we teach at Ignite. The spirit of the scholarship is truly selfless, and is about providing opportunities for others to lead, serve, and ultimately thrive at UT.”

Student co-director of the 2015 Ignite Summit program, Joseph Perry, noted, “Attending Ignite was the best decision I have made since graduating high school. As a result of coming to Ignite, students develop as an individual, a team member, and an upcoming leader on campus. It’s the first opportunity you are given to step up, be a leader and choose how you want to start the next four years of your life.”

Scott Rabenold

Those part of the campus community may now submit applications to VOLstarter, but should have a funding goals, along with a timeline. A committee, which is put together by the university, will then review and choose the projects that will be featured on the new platform based on the social impact, feasibility, quality and overall commitment to the funding process.

Vice chancellor for development and alumni affairs, Scott Rabenold, added, “We are pleased to offer VOLstarter as a way to connect our alumni and friends more closely with the great work of our students, faculty and staff. Every gift, no matter the size, will help each project reach its goal and have a positive impact on the many people involved.


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