Mesenaatti campaigns are almost all reward-based: you’re not asking for donations, but offering something concrete in return. Rewards are the reason someone funds your project specifically. A well-designed reward selection makes a campaign credible, attractive, and legally compliant.
This guide explains what rewards are, what the law says about them, how to price and package them, and how to deliver them to funders after the campaign ends.
What a Reward Is — and What It Isn’t
A reward is genuine content or a product that the funder receives in exchange for their support. It can be a physical item, a service, an experience, or digital material. The reward must be real and its value must be justifiable.
- A reward is genuine content, not just a thank-you
- Rewards at different price points must differ in content, not just in price
- The price must be justifiable by the reward’s value
- The minimum price on Mesenaatti is €10
- If you ask for donations without a reward, you need a fundraising permit or a small collection number — and in that case you may not offer actual rewards at all
A reward-based campaign is not a fundraiser. You don’t need a fundraising permit, but this requires that the rewards are genuine. Mesenaatti reviews every campaign and will help you formulate rewards so they meet the requirements of Finnish law.
What Makes a Good Reward
A good reward arises naturally from your project. Don’t invent rewards in isolation — think about what is valuable to a funder in your project.
- Concrete: the funder knows what they’re getting
- True to the project: the reward reflects what the campaign is about
- Deliverable: only promise what you can actually provide
- Appealing: the reward feels worth the money
- Clearly described: an image, title, and description immediately convey what it is
Avoid over-promising. If you promise a handmade item to 50 funders, think about whether you’ll have time to make them all. Delivering rewards is your responsibility, not Mesenaatti’s.
Building Your Reward Selection
First think about who your funders are. Different people fund for different reasons and at different amounts, so a campaign needs a variety of rewards.
- Friends and close circle — support with small amounts; a thank-you on the campaign page is often enough
- Core audience — familiar with the topic and wants a concrete product or experience
- Larger supporters — want something special, such as a limited edition or personal experience
- Companies — want visibility, client gifts, or employee events
A functional selection contains 4–8 rewards. Too many options fatigues the funder; too few limits your reach.
Pricing Tiers
Build rewards in tiers so that each price point offers a clear added value over the previous one.
| Price range | What it typically includes |
|---|---|
| €10–25 | Light entry: digital reward, card, thank-you |
| €25–60 | Basic package: product, ticket, or book |
| €60–150 | Extended package: the above plus something extra |
| €150–500 | Special edition: limited run, signed or personalised |
| €500+ | Experience or corporate reward: meeting, workshop, visibility |
These tiers are guidelines. Price according to your project and your audience.
Reward Types and Examples
A reward can be anything concrete. Below are the most common types on Mesenaatti.
Physical goods — Book, record, t-shirt, poster, card, plant, food product, handicraft. Works in almost any project.
Digital material — Download code for music, e-book, PDF guide, video course, wallpaper. Cheap to deliver and suitable for international funders.
Access and invitations — Concert ticket, preview screening invitation, workshop spot, trial access to a service. Ties the funder to the project.
Experience — Studio visit, artist meet-and-greet, dinner, guided tour, workshop participation. Works well at higher price points.
Personalisation — Name in the credits, signed copy, custom character in a game, dedication. Makes the reward unique.
Corporate reward — Logo on the campaign page, mention in print materials, sponsorship package, employee event, client gifts. Enables larger sums from a single funder.
Corporate Rewards
Companies fund with a different logic than individuals. They need a rationale and a return that serves their business.
- Visibility: logo, mention, social media package
- Event: a dedicated event or places for employees
- Client gifts: products for the company’s own customers
- Collaboration: a joint product or content
Price corporate rewards significantly higher than individual ones. A typical range is €500–5,000, and more for larger campaigns. In the reward description, state concretely what the company receives and when.
Delivery and Practicalities
Rewards are delivered only after the campaign has succeeded. Keep delivery in mind from the planning stage.
- Estimate realistically when you can deliver
- Factor in postage costs either within the price or state them separately
- Domestic and international postage differ — clearly state where you ship
- List digital rewards separately; these can also be offered internationally
- If a reward requires additional information (t-shirt size, colour, address), add a question to the order form when creating the reward
Keep funders updated after the campaign. Updates on delivery schedules build trust and reduce enquiries.
Tax and Other Obligations
Campaign revenue is taxable income — for individuals, associations, and companies alike. Don’t try to handle taxation alone; the Finnish Tax Administration is happy to advise.
- Declare revenue on your tax return
- You can deduct expenses if they are tax-deductible
- If you pay wages or fees to other people from the campaign, standard withholding tax and employer obligations apply
- If reward sales exceed the VAT threshold, the activity falls within the scope of VAT
- Tax treatment may differ for companies and associations compared to private individuals
Mesenaatti does not give tax advice, but will point you to the right authority if needed.
Advanced Tips
Once you have the basics down, these will help you get more out of your campaign.
Stretch rewards and limited editions. Make one reward clearly limited (e.g. “only 20 available”). Scarcity encourages funders to act faster and raises the average order value.
Bundle logic. A higher tier includes the lower-tier reward plus something extra. The funder can see they get more by choosing the bigger package.
Early bird. Offer a limited batch of a regular reward at a slightly lower price in the campaign’s first days. You generate momentum immediately — and the start matters a lot.
Collaboration rewards. If you have a partner (a publisher, a bar, another artist), build a reward together. You bring a new audience into your campaign’s orbit.
Annual rewards. A club card, annual membership, series of events. Ties the funder in for longer and works especially well for community-based projects.
Avoid the most common mistakes:
- Only one reward offered at two different prices
- “Thank you” as the sole reward at over €10
- A reward unrelated to the project (e.g. a gift card to an unknown shop)
- A delivery promise you can’t keep
- All rewards clustered in the same price range
Pre-Launch Checklist
Go through this list before submitting your campaign for Mesenaatti’s review.
- Every reward has a clear title, image, and description
- Rewards differ from each other in content, not just price
- The price is justifiable by the reward’s value
- All rewards are at least €10
- Delivery time and method are stated
- Postage costs are included in the price or stated separately
- The order form asks for any necessary details (size, colour, etc.)
- The selection covers both lower and higher price ranges
- You’ve considered whether you can actually make and deliver all the rewards
What’s Next
Once your reward selection is ready, submit your campaign for Mesenaatti’s review. We check all campaigns and help formulate rewards to meet legal requirements where needed. If anything is unclear, get in touch — preferably before publishing rather than after.