What to Do After You Hit Your Funding Goal

Hitting 100% on a FanBell funding goal isn't a finish line that demands one required action — it calls for three: publicly confirm the goal is met and thank supporters, follow through on the specific plan you described when you asked, and decide whether to keep the goal open, add a stretch amount, or close it. Nothing forces the choice on a deadline.

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and applies a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays (pricing).

A FanBell funding goal reaching 100% is a milestone, not a deadline. FanBell's Project Support documentation — the primary source for how the feature behaves — describes a goal with "no reward tiers, physical perks, or campaign deadlines to manage — just a clear goal and a progress bar your fans can move," in which "support adds up on the progress bar" and "contributions pay out through Stripe" as it arrives rather than unlocking only once the target is hit (Wishlist & Project Support). A creator who reaches 100% therefore has real options rather than one forced next step (how it works).

What are the first steps after hitting a funding goal?

There are three first steps after a funding goal hits 100%: post a short public confirmation that the goal was reached, begin the specific work you said the money would fund, and decide the goal's next state — open, stretched, or closed. Do the first one within a day or two while supporters are still watching the bar.

GoFundMe's published fundraising guidance recommends exactly that pairing at the 100% milestone, telling organizers to "celebrate and thank your donors for their help, and provide any updates on how the funds are already being used" (Fundraiser update tips). Skipping straight back to normal posting is not a fatal error, but it leaves supporters guessing. The gap between "funded" and "delivered" is also measurable. Kickstarter's fulfillment report — an independent study by Wharton professor Ethan Mollick sampling 65,326 successfully funded projects from April 2009 through May 2015 — found that 9% of funded Kickstarter projects failed to deliver rewards, and that 8% of dollars pledged went to failed projects (Fulfillment report). A public confirmation post is the cheapest signal that a creator is not in that 9%.

Each step is covered below. None of them requires waiting on a calendar date: a FanBell goal has no campaign deadline attached to it, so the timing is set by the creator, not by the platform.

How do you announce that you hit your goal?

A single public post is enough, and it needs three facts: that the goal reached 100%, what the money was for, and what happens next. Keep it to a few sentences. This is a confirmation, not the full thank-you message — a longer, personal thank-you to the people who actually gave belongs in a separate message rather than buried in the same post.

GoFundMe's fundraising guidance attaches a figure to the habit: "frequently keeping your community updated on your fundraiser can help lead to two times more donations". The funded-goal post is the single update supporters are most primed to read.

Something like "We hit the goal for the new mic — recording starts this week" does the job in one sentence, because it answers the three things a supporter actually wants to know: did it work, what was it for, and what happens now. The same one-sentence format works just as well for a more urgent goal, like one set up to replace stolen or damaged gear. Fill-in announcement templates for all three outcomes — keeping the goal open, adding a stretch amount, and closing it — appear under "What should the announcement post actually say?" below.

Should you keep the goal open, add a stretch amount, or close it?

You have three real options once a goal hits 100%, and none of them is the "correct" default: keep collecting toward the same target for supporters who missed the announcement, raise the target so extra support goes toward a defined stretch item, or close it out and start a fresh goal for the next project. Pick based on whether more money still has a job to do.

The choice is genuinely open because the money is already yours: on FanBell, "contributions pay out through Stripe" as support adds up. That is the opposite of Kickstarter's model, where "if your project doesn't reach its goal, then funds don't get collected, and no money changes hands" (Kickstarter funding handbook) — an all-or-nothing threshold FanBell goals do not have. If the real driver is ongoing, recurring costs rather than one named project, it's worth checking how a one-time funding goal differs from a Patreon-style membership before you decide to just keep the same goal running indefinitely.

Kickstarter's stretch-goal mechanic is the most widely recognized version of this choice, and Kickstarter is explicit that a stretch target isn't part of the base platform — it's something the creator sets: "a stretch goal is a funding target set by the project creator beyond the original Kickstarter goal," and "funds are collected whether stretch goals are met or not, as long as the project has met its Kickstarter funding goal" (What are stretch goals?).

"Stretch goals are not part of the official Kickstarter platform. Rather, a stretch goal is a funding target set by the project creator beyond the original Kickstarter goal." — Kickstarter Support, What are stretch goals?

GoFundMe's help center describes the same logic for closing instead: a fundraiser owner can "turn donations off, but keep the fundraiser active," which GoFundMe recommends specifically because it "allows you to continue posting updates, leaves a record for future reference, and helps inspire others" (Ending your fundraiser).

What should the announcement post actually say?

A funded-goal announcement needs four elements: confirmation that the goal hit 100%, the purpose the money was raised for, the next concrete action and roughly when it happens, and the goal's new state — staying open, stretched to a new number, or closed. Three or four sentences covers all four.

Run this checklist before you post:

• Confirm the number. Say "we hit 100%" or "fully funded" in plain words, not just a screenshot of the bar.
• Name the purpose again. Supporters who gave weeks ago have forgotten the exact item.
• State the next action and rough timing. "Ordering it this week" beats "soon."
• Say what happens to the goal now. Open, stretched, or closed — pick one and say it out loud.
• Thank people publicly, personally later. The public post confirms; the personal thank-you is a separate message.

Then use the template that matches your decision. Replace the bracketed text. The public confirmation below still isn't the personal thank-you itself — for guidance on that separate message, see how to thank the fans who chipped in.

Scenario 1 — keeping the goal open:

We hit 100% on the [new mic] goal. Thank you — genuinely.

[The mic is ordered and should arrive Thursday], and the first recording
with it goes up [next week].

I'm leaving the goal open for anyone who missed it. Anything past 100%
goes to the same thing: [the mic, the stand, and the cable].

Scenario 2 — adding a stretch amount:

The [new mic] goal is fully funded. Thank you all — I'm ordering it [today].

One thing I underestimated: [shipping and a pop filter add about $80].
So I've raised the target to [$580] to cover exactly that, and nothing else.

To be clear: the mic happens either way. The extra [$80] is the add-on,
not the base. If we don't get there, you'll still get [the recordings].

Scenario 3 — closing the goal:

Funded and closed: the [new mic] goal hit 100%. Thank you to everyone
who chipped in.

[The mic arrived, and the first session is booked for Saturday.]

I'm closing this goal so the page stays accurate. I'll open a new one when
[the next project] has a real number attached — no vague "support me"
placeholder in the meantime. Progress updates will land [here].

Each template carries the two things GoFundMe's 100%-milestone guidance asks for — thanks to donors, plus a note on how the funds are already being used (Fundraiser update tips). If you are stretching, put the new number and its purpose in this same post rather than in a follow-up nobody sees.

What if the project ends up costing more than you raised?

If the real cost comes in above what you raised, say so and raise the target by a defined amount rather than quietly asking for more without explanation. Name the exact shortfall — "$200 short on shipping" — instead of a vague "give more," so supporters can see precisely what the extra money buys.

That is a practical recommendation, not a measured conversion result: we have no data comparing the two ask formats, and we are not claiming a specific lift. It rests on the plain logic that a supporter can evaluate a named number and cannot evaluate an open-ended request.

Kickstarter's own guidance on this exact situation warns creators to think it through rather than adding targets reflexively: "if adding stretch goals, think carefully about how to announce them to your community," and to weigh project complexity, since "any time you add new stuff... the demands increase" (What are stretch goals?). On FanBell, that means naming the specific shortfall (a $200 gap for shipping, a longer studio booking) rather than resetting the whole goal to a vague higher number.

GoFundMe's help documentation confirms the target itself is editable at any point, not fixed once set: fundraiser owners "can increase or decrease your goal amount at any point" (Choosing your goal amount). Whether or not that specific mechanic matches your setup, the underlying practice is the same: adjust the number, explain why, and keep the ask specific.

How quickly do you need to deliver after the goal is funded?

No platform deadline applies to a FanBell goal, but supporters reasonably expect visible progress within roughly the timeline described in the original ask — not an exact date, a credible follow-through. Going quiet for weeks after a public "we hit the goal" post costs you the benefit of the doubt on the next ask.

Even on a platform built around fulfillment dates, on-time delivery is not universal: Kickstarter's fulfillment report found that 65% of backers agreed or strongly agreed that "the reward was delivered on time," meaning the other 35% did not agree. Saying "this will take longer than I said" is the cheapest way to stay in the 65%.

Kickstarter's creator guidance frames this as an ongoing obligation, not a one-time announcement: funded creators are expected to communicate with backers, "especially when they encounter problems or expect delays". FanBell doesn't attach a reward-fulfillment contract to a goal the way a Kickstarter campaign does, but the trust principle transfers directly: if the timeline slips, say so before someone has to ask.

Do you need to keep posting updates once the goal is met?

Yes. The funded-goal announcement and the ongoing update habit are two different jobs: the announcement is one post, the habit is a recurring task that runs until the project is delivered. Plan a small number of milestone updates across the life of the project rather than trying to cover everything in the initial "we hit the goal" post.

Kickstarter publishes an explicit cadence for the period after funding closes, and it is monthly:

"It is our expectation that creators will post at least one new update a month once funding is finished, to keep their backers in the loop." — Kickstarter Support, What are project updates?

FanBell imposes no such requirement — there are "no reward tiers, physical perks, or campaign deadlines to manage" on a Project Support goal — but a monthly update is a reasonable benchmark to borrow, because it is a published standard from a major rewards-crowdfunding platform rather than an invented rule of thumb.

For the full framework on when and what to post as the project moves from funded to delivered, see how to keep supporters updated on a creator project. That guide covers the funded-goal update as one of four milestones; this page is specifically about the decisions that happen in the days right after 100%.

Can you start a new funding goal for your next project?

Yes — closing out a funded goal and opening a new one for the next specific expense is a normal pattern, not a workaround. A goal is meant to represent one current, named project, not a permanent fixture on your page.

Set up the next goal the same way as the first: pick one specific project and set an amount you can explain. For a recurring pattern — new gear every few months, a new EP each season — treat "close the old goal, open the next one" as a routine part of the cycle, using the Wishlist / Project Support tool the same way each time. The same close-and-reopen pattern works if the next goal isn't new gear at all but is instead funding a channel restart after time away.

What mistakes should you avoid right after hitting a goal?

Two mistakes cause most of the avoidable damage after a goal is funded. The first is silence: hitting 100% and moving on without a public confirmation, which leaves supporters guessing whether their contribution mattered. The second is scope drift: spending the funded amount on something other than what was described, without saying so.

• Don't go silent. Even a one-line "we hit it, thank you" post prevents supporters from wondering if the goal was abandoned.
• Don't redirect funds without saying so. If the plan changes materially, explain the change rather than letting supporters find out later.
• Don't overpromise a stretch goal you can't deliver. Added scope adds production demands, whatever the project's size.
• Don't confuse "funded" with "finished." The goal bar hitting 100% means the money arrived, not that the work is done.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to close my goal once it hits 100%?

No. FanBell's Project Support documentation describes a goal with "no reward tiers, physical perks, or campaign deadlines to manage," where "contributions pay out through Stripe" as support adds up — so there is no expiry date and no all-or-nothing threshold to clear, and reaching 100% neither closes the goal automatically nor requires you to close it manually. Keeping it open, raising the target, or closing it are all normal choices.

What should I post when I hit my goal?

A short, specific confirmation: that the goal was reached, what it was for, and what happens next. Save the more personal, individualized thank-you for a separate message rather than combining both into one post.

Can I ask for more money if the project costs more than expected?

Yes, but name the specific shortfall rather than asking vaguely for "more." Kickstarter's guidance on stretch goals recommends explaining your intentions and plans clearly before adding scope (What are stretch goals?); the same clarity works for a FanBell goal.

Do I need to give supporters a full report of every dollar spent?

Not necessarily, but you should be able to explain, in general terms, what the raised amount funded and confirm meaningful progress. For the framework on what a fund-usage explanation should cover, see what fan contributions actually fund.

What does FanBell charge on a funded goal?

FanBell is free to start with no monthly fee and applies a 12% platform fee only when a fan pays. Typical US card-processing rates apply on top of that; Stripe's published pricing puts typical US online-card processing around 2.9% + $0.30.

Create your free FanBell page and turn "we hit the goal" into a clear next step for the people who got you there.