Running a purely donation crowdfunding campaign can be a daunting task. By not providing a sound product or service as a perk, you can only appeal to altruistic feelings of other people in order to have them funding your cause.
However, there are many charitable souls out there willing to give their money to someone who can make a difference. They want to give you their money. But you must earn it.
Bekkers and Wiepking analyzed more than 500 scientific articles on Charity to discover what makes people donate their money to a cause. While not aimed at crowdfunding, that is a must read study for anyone running a campaign for a cause.
In short, what motivates people to donate their money is impact of the project and its transparency.
Your project does not need to be so ambitious but the more impact you can cause, the better. A neighborhood project is not likely to raise many funds nationwide, but if you can spread your influence to a whole town or even across states, your odds of success are increased. Still, you should make sure you can really make that impact.
Then there is transparency: you should not tell your backers how much money you do need. Instead, focus on how you are going to spend their money. Breakdown your expenses so you tell them exactly how much will be spent in each different area. Be transparent on where you are located. Show your past deeds to your backers to make them feel comfortable to give you money. And be open to both small and large donations.
Charity crowdfunding campaigns are very appealing to the press and the public. They tend to be shared in social media if they touch people hearts. iCrowdNewsWire can help you out with that.