The hurdle of finding funding for sports organisations or individuals just got easier to jump with the launch of the crowdfunding website – Sportfunder.com.

The aim of the Sportfunder platform is to connect sport's amateurs and professionals, schools, teams and sports clubs with sport enthusiasts and fans to enable the successful funding of sports related projects using what is known as the 'crowdfunding' model of fundraising.

Sportfunder was founded and developed by Craig Williamson of Taranaki who has had extensive experience in managing sport and sporting organisations along with fundraising and finding sponsorship for athletes and sporting events.

As executive officer for Surfing Taranaki Incorporated, Mr. Williamson has hosted the ASP Women’s World Surfing Tour in Taranaki for the last three years. To do so, he has managed to raise approximately NZ$500,000 each year to run the event and provide the necessary prize money.

“This experience made me realise that sport in general was in dire need of a better and more efficient way for sport to truly connect with sports fans and raise funds,” says Mr. Williamson. “Crowdfunding is the ideal model so I decided to build Sportfunder from scratch, creating the world's first global crowdfunding platform with an absolute focus on all things sport.”

The sole purpose of the website is to help sportspeople and sporting organisations raise funds and sponsorship via 'the crowd' so that they may reach their true potential, by chasing and capturing their sporting dreams says Mr. Williamson.

The Sportfunder website provides all the tools for individuals and organisations wanting to raise funds to create a project profile online complete with a project description, funding target, funding deadline, and an ability to upload images and videos to support their funding drive.

Potential sponsors or supporters can browse the website by sporting discipline or keyword and support a project by choosing a reward offered by the project owner. They then make a financial commitment by way of a pledge or donation, via PayPal, through the Sportfunder platform.

All donations are processed immediately, and the pledges are registered against the project, once the project meets its funding target prior to its deadline, the sponsor’s credit card is debited by PayPal.

For elite surfer, Paige Hareb, the website is an ideal way to generate the funds she needs to compete on the ASP Women’s Tour in 2013.

“Times are tough out there – and if I don’t get more funds in it will actually cost me to be on the tour next year,” says Hareb who will be competing for her fifth year on the ASP tour in 2013.

“The sponsorship funds I raised and prize money I have won in 2012 were really only just getting me from event to event around the world. The website’s launch is perfect timing for me as it will make it easier for people to get behind me and help cover my airfares and accommodation costs.”

And the Sportfunder site is already working for Paige who raised with more than $1500 in the first three days since her project went live on the Sportfunder site on Friday, September 21.

Sportfunder reinvests any commissions it receives back into running, improving and marketing the Sportfunder crowdfunding platform for the benefit of sport at all levels, from grass roots and community based initiatives through to assisting professional athletes and major events the world over.

“In the midst of a global recession, with many brands suffering and most marketing budgets slashed, sponsorship and funding for sport can be incredibly hard to come by, and even when some is secured, it is often not quite enough,” explains Mr. Williamson.

“From junior teams needing new uniforms to athletes competing in international events, Sportfunder’s aim is to connect them with people who are willing and able to support them.”