The University of Iowa this week launched its first-ever crowdfunding platform: GOLDrush, open to College of Engineering faculty and staff members and others on the UI campus.

A growing national trend, crowdfunding has made it simple to raise funds for projects from colleagues, family, friends—and even strangers who want to support a particular activity.

GOLDrush supports research and other academic-related activities, and provides an easy way for UI alumni, students and others to make tax-deductible contributions to specific UI-based organizations and projects. The name is based on the gold in Hawkeye black and gold (as well as a reference to money), and “rush” is related to the short timespan for most crowdfunding projects: typically 30 days or less.

To learn more about GOLDrush, go to http://research.uiowa.edu/impact/news/crowdfunding-comes-university-iowa-goldrush.

The GOLDrush website is located at https://goldrush.uiowa.edu/.

Engineering faculty and staff members interested in submitting GOLDrush project proposals should contact Theresa Jubert, digital fundraising strategist at the University of Iowa Foundation, at 319-467-3659 or theresa-jubert@uiowa.edu.