CROWDFUNDING INFINITY

THE CHALLENGE

After the record-breaking success of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrors exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the AGO had an unprecedented opportunity: acquire its own Infinity Room for $2 million. With limited acquisition funds and several fundraising priorities already in motion, the gallery needed a new approach to fund the purchase while engaging the public and building awareness of its charitable status.

WHAT WE DID

I led the development of a custom-built crowdfunding campaign, bypassing costly third-party platforms to save over $30,000 in transaction fees. Drawing inspiration from a 1958 AGO fundraising campaign, we created an interactive webpage where donors unlocked parts of the artwork as funding milestones were reached.

The platform was built using existing tools like Wufoo and Chase to process payments efficiently. We also automated backend workflows, integrating the system with our fundraising database and issuing instant tax receipts — innovations that now save the organization hundreds of hours annually.

Marketing efforts drove nearly 5 million impressions, and the campaign converted 6.2% of website visitors into donors, far exceeding average fundraising benchmarks.

MY IMPACT

I developed the campaign’s digital infrastructure, creative concept, and end-to-end execution strategy. In 34 days, the campaign raised over $650,000 from more than 4,700 donors. Nearly half were new donors, contributing close to $200,000. Active members gave another $300,000 with a 3% conversion rate. By building a bespoke solution and streamlining internal processes, I helped the AGO raise the funds needed, broaden its donor base, and modernize its fundraising operations — all while turning a one-time acquisition into a highly visible, community-driven success story.