Crowdfunding app rewards donors with space on a digital wall

Back in 2006 UK university student Alex Tew raised more than USD 1 million by selling 100-pixel blocks of space on the Million Dollar Homepage. Inspired to bring such capabilities to everyone, Supporter Wall is a site that lets anyone put a like-minded app on their own web page to raise funds for a specific project or accept ongoing donations. Now in alpha, New York-based Supporter Wall is an interactive grid that can be customized and installed on any website, allowing visitors to donate small amounts of money in exchange for their own spot on the wall. Each time they do, the square they purchase displays the photo and link of their choice; the funds they pay, meanwhile, go to the wall owner’s PayPal account. Possible uses include personal, organizational, charitable or other types of fundraising. Once the site launches in full, Supporter Wall users will be able to pay a flat fee up front to install their Supporter Wall, but then collect the full amount of all funds raised; alternatively, they can install a wall for free but then pay a small percentage of the donations collected, according to a report on Startupli.st. In the meantime, Supporter Wall has set up a wall of its own to fund its private beta testing stage, which will begin in March. Those interested simply purchase a square on the site’s Beta Wall, and they’ll receive a beta invitation that entitles them to create, customize and deploy a similar wall on their own website. Paid squares range from USD 10 to USD 100. Those who donate USD 20 or more will be able to install their Supporter Wall and collect donations without any fee. Beta invites will be released in stages, with USD 100 donors receiving theirs first. As in so many aspects of life, consumers sometimes value the ability to flaunt something almost more than they value the thing itself. That, however, can be difficult with donations, which typically reward donors in more intangible ways. A picture featured online certainly grants donors the recognition they often crave. One to try out for your own fundraising efforts! (Related: Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises — In Belgium & France, fans buy shares to fund comic books — Crowdfunding platform for web and mobile startups.)