Our innovative crowdfunding platform Click wins award

Click, the University of Essex’s innovative crowdfunding platform, has been honoured at the Heist Awards 2017.

Click is now one of the most prolific higher education crowdfunding platforms in the world. Since it launched, 130 student groups have launched projects. Of those groups, 99% hit their fundraising targets.

From new business start-ups like a mobile bar and apps that help disabled people use smartphones and help students manage mental health, to sports teams, conferences, and new plays at the Edinburgh Fringe, Click has helped students turn their ideas into reality.

The Heist Awards celebrate the excellence and innovation of everyone involved in education marketing and Click won the Best Alumni, Development or Fundraising Initiative category.

Managed by the University’s Advancement team, Click is open for all students, staff or recent Essex graduates to put a project forward for crowdfunding – a format which funds a project by raising lots of small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the internet.

James Martin, who manages the Click platform, said: “I'm really thrilled that we've won this prestigious Heist Award. Click has really revolutionised the way the University funds student experience projects, meaning we've been able to help more students than ever before. More than that though, I am really passionate about how Click not only helps fund projects, but acts as a positive outlet for our amazing students to grow their digital skill sets, and showcase their bold and tenacious personalities.”

Click uses innovative digital technology and is completely free – so students no longer need to use fee-based commercial platforms to host their fundraising projects.