What is USEED?
USEED is software as a service (SaaS) platform that provides online fundraising for higher education. The platform itself is a tool that provides crowdfunding for higher education institutes, like the University of Delaware.
How much of my gift will go to the projects I support?
All costs associated with developing, operating, and administering UD’s USEED have been paid for by the University of Delaware’s Entrepreneurial Studies Program. Therefore, 100% of the money donated to projects will be used to fund student projects – NO EXCEPTIONS.
When you make a gift, the project’s sponsoring faculty member will direct your gift to the project you selected. The student(s) will then use the gift to complete their project. If it turns out that the project raises more money than it needs, then excess funding may be shared with other great projects within the same academic program. For example, excess funding for a specific service learning project might be shared with another service learning project.
Sharing excess funding is advantageous for two reasons. First, it ensures that donations will be used efficiently to provide as many students as possible with powerful, experiential learning opportunities. Second, it ensures that all gifts are tax-deductible.
How do I make a gift?
Making a gift is simple. Just search for projects you want to support, click “Make a Gift,” enter your billing information, select the gift amount of your choice, and click "Submit." You will then be sent to a secure form to enter payment information.
All donations made through UD’s USEED route through the University of Delaware's central gift processing system to ensure that you receive proper credit for your contribution, and all gifts are tax-deductible.
How do I know my gift will be spent wisely?
All projects are course-embedded, program-embedded or faculty supervised. This means that they have been vetted to ensure that they have academic merit or enrich the educational experiences of University of Delaware students. It also means that students will only be able to spend the funding they receive on goods and services that are appropriate for the completion of their projects.
What does “buzz indicator” mean?
The “buzz indicator” provides a visual representation of how often a project has been shared through social media. Every time a supporter shares, promotes, connects, or provides feedback to a project, that supporter is directly influencing the “buzz indicator” bar.
Does a high “buzz indicator” score have any affect on how much funding a project receives?
No. The project’s “buzz indicator” has no direct effect on the amount of funding that will be directed to it. The only way students receive funding is by having supporters make charitable gifts to their project.
Why have a “buzz indicator” feature?
The “buzz indicator” incentivizes supporters to share projects with their networks in order to help win those students and projects more fans and potential donors. It also recognizes the tremendous intangible benefits that students can gain when alumni and community members connect with them on LinkedIn and provide helpful comments for their projects. (It’s also kind of fun).
Who developed UD’s USEED?
The initial idea for UD’s USEED is attributable to alumnus Steve Roettger and his business partner Wes Garnett. The development of UD’s USEED involved a close collaboration between the University of Delaware's Entrepreneurial Studies Program and USEED, an entrepreneurial venture founded by Newark native Brian Sowards and co-founded by alumnus Matthew Racz to commercialize the platform that supports the portal. The University's Development Office, General Counsel's Office, Office of Alumni Relations, and Lerner College of Business & Economics also played important roles in the development of UD’s USEED.
