Start from the quote, not the wish
The goal is the cost of finishing one project. Add the quotes, the tax, the install, the cost of making and posting your rewards, and the platform and card fees. That sum is the number.
Anything above that is a wish, and wishes are what stall at 20% funded.
Build the fee line in
Pledzy takes 5% of each pledge — 3% for verified nonprofits — and card processing of $2.90 per $100 plus 30¢ per pledge comes out of the payout too. On a $10,000 raise that is roughly $790.30, leaving about $9,209.70.
If the project costs $10,000, raise a little over it rather than exactly it.
Why an achievable goal raises more
- A campaign passing its goal is a story people share. A campaign stuck below half is one people quietly skip.
- Pledzy is keep-what-you-raise, so a modest goal costs you nothing — pledges keep coming after the bar is passed.
- You can always post an update announcing what the next chunk of money would buy.
Common questions
What if I raise more than my goal?
Nothing stops. The campaign keeps accepting pledges until the deadline, and you keep the whole amount minus the same fees.
Can I lower my goal mid-campaign?
Goals are meant to stay fixed once backers have pledged against them. Plan the number carefully before you publish.
Keep reading
Every fee on a crowdfunding pledge in plain language — platform fee, card processing and the hidden costs most owners forget — with the real math on a $25, $50 and $250 pledge.
Everything worth finishing before you hit publish: the project, the numbers, the photos, the reward costs, the warm list and the review step.