{"id":3936,"date":"2017-03-20T13:52:54","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T20:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.backerkit.com\/blog\/?page_id=3936"},"modified":"2021-04-14T14:37:05","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T21:37:05","slug":"stretch-goals","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.backerkit.com\/blog\/guides\/the-practical-guide-to-planning-a-crowdfunding-campaign\/stretch-goals\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 5: Stretch Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stretch goals are financial targets set above a creator\u2019s initial funding goal. They\u2019re designed to make better use of excess funds raised in a campaign by offering improvements to projects or providing additional rewards to backers.<\/p>\n

Including stretch goals<\/a> in a crowdfunding campaign can be immensely beneficial to keeping excitement levels high well after your campaign is funded. For example, they can be used to create additional rewards that may whet backers\u2019 appetites, potentially spurring more financial contributions and giving your campaign more momentum.<\/p>\n

Sometimes Stretching is Necessary<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor me, the initial funding goal is the bare minimum at which I can produce the smallest possible work,\u201d Kobold Press founder Wolfgang Baur says. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t actually cover my costs.\u201d Baur has successfully raised funds for 17 games on Kickstarter, and has completed several crowdfunding campaigns on other platforms. His most recent tabletop RPG project, <\/span>The Scarlet Citadel<\/span><\/a>, raised more than four times its $30,000 funding goal with $155,429 total raised.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his experience, backers find stretch goals to be more palatable than having a higher initial funding goal. \u201cStrangely enough, people don\u2019t believe what the actual costs are,\u201d Baur says. \u201cIf I go in and say, \u2018A hardcover book in full color, 8.5 x 11 in size with good quality binding and code plates throughout is going to cost $50,000, the audience I have just doesn\u2019t really believe it,\u201d he laughs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could make a much cheaper work, but part of the appeal of Kickstarter and crowdfunded projects is to make something of higher quality than I could without having the capital there at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Possibilities and Pitfalls<\/h2>\n

Baur uses stretch goals to energize backers and spark greater interest in his projects. \u201cIt\u2019s a strategy to say, \u2018I\u2019m going to ask for the minimum and spend my time talking about stretch goals,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s a long 30 days when you\u2019re tracking to keep your backers engaged.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stretch goals can make crowdfunding campaigns more complicated. The production of extra elements and rewards can create an additional layer of risk in terms of shipping and production costs.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, stretch goals can add a whole new level of complexity to your campaign. So you have to ask yourself if you’re up to the task. The creators of Torment: Tides of Numenera issued an <\/span>apology to backers<\/span><\/a> after some of its campaign\u2019s stretch goals \u2014 which were supposed to fund extra features, such as a companion roster and Italian localization \u2014 had not been met. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stretch goals bring in more funds, but they’re also about rewarding your backers. If you bite off more than you can chew and aren’t able to follow through with these rewards, just imagine the damage it could do to your reputation. You probably won\u2019t <\/span>get many repeat backers<\/span><\/a> for your next campaign if people question your ability to deliver.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ensuring Stretch Goals Are a Benefit, Not a Hindrance<\/h3>\n

To avoid setbacks, veteran game creator <\/span>Jamey Stegmaier advises<\/span><\/a> creators to keep the following guidelines in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n

Stretch goals should add value:<\/strong> Don’t add these additional rewards because you think it’s something you’re supposed to do or to simply raise more money. Your stretch goals rewards should enhance your project and get backers excited.<\/p>\n

Stretch goals should be financially feasible<\/a>:<\/strong> You shouldn’t have to borrow money from your own pocket to finance the production of stretch goals. You also don’t want to take funds earmarked for the production of the initial rewards you offered.<\/p>\n

Stretch goals should be available to every backer:<\/strong> You risk alienating or just confusing backers if only people at the higher pledge levels are eligible for the stretch goals.<\/p>\n

Should You Stretch?<\/h2>\n

Christopher Haskins, owner and head of game development at Nord Games<\/a>, says that stretch goals should be used with care. While the company\u2019s recent dungeon tile project<\/a> used stretch goals to add more value to backers\u2019 pledges, an upcoming project \u2014 a card game \u2014 has no stretch goals at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cStretch goals are really cool for getting people excited and spreading the word about certain project, but there\u2019s not always a need for them,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not always wise, in my opinion, to force it. When people say they\u2019re going to throw in this and that, you may find that no one really cares about that \u2014 they would rather have whatever you\u2019re offering at a good price.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a project is significantly overfunded, it might be tempting to turn to stretch goals. But Kickstarter urges caution<\/a>: \u201cStretch goals trade long-term risk for a short-term gain.\u201d Baur concurs. \u201cThe greatest pitfall with stretch goals for me is that I get excited about them and want to promise them even if the funding isn\u2019t there,\u201d he says. He often consults his biggest and most supportive backers about his projects and stretch goals and solicits their feedback. These are typically people who are super backers, who have contributed funds to more than fifty projects. \u201cSome make concrete suggestions like, \u2018You\u2019re offering this thing, which I have zero interest in,\u2019 and I rebuild things based on that feedback,\u201d Baur says.<\/p>\n

If projects are overfunded, it may be more prudent to use the windfall in funds to cover any unexpected shipping or manufacturing costs, which are bound to arise during the fulfillment phase, or put funds towards improving the final product for backers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Haskins\u2019 next project, he\u2019s using any excess in funding to order more units for resale, and to reinvest back into the company for its future endeavors.\u201cThe price gets lower per unit, which helps us out because our profit margins go up and we\u2019re able to be more profitable as a company and invest money back into new projects, research and development, artwork, that kind of thing,\u201d he says. \u201cBeyond that, the remaining amount of money goes to the writers and creators of the product.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stretch Goal Alternatives<\/h3>\n

Add-ons are \u00e1 la carte items that backers can purchase without changing their pledge or reward level. They give your backers a chance to get items that they may have missed out on during your campaign or that weren’t included in their pledge level. Add-ons also bring in additional funds for creators. So if you want to offer backers something extra, this is an excellent route to take.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The add-ons for <\/span>Chopsy<\/span><\/a>, a multi-use food preparation station, include food storage pods and cutting boards. These add-ons complement and enhance the original product in the same way that stretch goal rewards typically do.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"stretch<\/b><\/p>\n

Another option is <\/span>BackerKit’s add-on stretch goals<\/span><\/a>. This feature allows you to set an “order goal” for an add-on and then run an item-based “stretch goal” campaign. This is a nice alternative for creators who have stretch goal items in mind, but want to gauge interest in that item before committing to producing it. BackerKit add-on stretch goals are best for new standalone items and not replacement items. So for example, a good add-on stretch goal item for a tabletop game would be a new item, such as a miniature, not an alternate cover that backers get to choose from. <\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s a Good Stretch?<\/h2>\n

Baur says stretch goals should strike a balance between adding value to a project and satisfying a creator\u2019s artistic vision. His most recent tabletop RPG campaign for The Scarlet Citadel had 19 different stretch goals including character art and player handouts. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"stretch<\/p>\n

Here are a few more popular stretch goals for tabletop projects:<\/span><\/p>\n