Fund the music, art and stories your community believes in
Raise money for an album, an exhibition, a play or a short film with one link your fans and friends can send mobile money to. Creating a campaign is free.
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About Music, Arts & Creative Projects fundraising in Africa
Across the continent, the people making music, painting, writing plays and shooting films rarely have a patron waiting with a cheque. The money comes from the people who already love the work: friends, family, fans, the regulars at the open mic, the choir that has heard you sing for years. SenteMe turns that goodwill into something you can actually count. You create a campaign for your album launch, your exhibition or your theatre production, you get one shareable link, and the people who back you send mobile money straight to it.
This is pooled patronage, not investment. Nobody who contributes is buying a share of your record or expecting a cut of ticket sales. They are backing a person and a piece of work they want to exist. A musician in Nairobi raising for studio time, an artist in Kampala covering framing and gallery rental, a small theatre company in Accra funding costumes and a venue for a three-night run: each of these is a clear ask that real people can rally behind.
What makes it work is that everyone can see what is happening. Every campaign has a public running ledger that shows each contribution as it lands and every withdrawal you make. So the auntie who sent something from Mombasa and the producer friend who chipped in from Lagos can both watch the total climb in real time. That visibility is what builds trust around a creative project, where people often worry their money will quietly disappear.
The cost is simple and honest. Creating a campaign is free, contributors pay nothing extra on top of what they give, and SenteMe keeps a flat 7.5% fee that comes out only when you withdraw what you have raised. There are no monthly charges and no surprises. SenteMe is mobile-money-native and live in 12 African countries, so contributions arrive through the wallets people already use every day.
The creative economy here is enormous and it largely runs on community support rather than grants. A poetry and spoken word night, a music video shoot, a documentary about your neighbourhood, a debut EP, a sculpture commission: these are the projects that get made when enough people put in a little. Whether you are funding a recording session, a music video, a gallery show or a film project, the pattern is the same. Tell people clearly what you are making, share the link, keep them updated as the money comes in, and let your community be the patrons of the work they want to see and hear.
How to raise money for music, arts & creative projects
01
Describe what you are making
Be specific. "Recording five tracks at a Nairobi studio over three weekends" or "Framing twelve pieces for a one-week exhibition in Kampala" tells people exactly what their money does. Add a photo, a demo clip or a sketch so they can feel the project.
02
Set an honest target
Add up the real costs: studio hours, a videographer, gallery rental, costumes, printing, a venue deposit. Put that number as your goal so contributors know what finished looks like and can see how close you are getting.
03
Create your campaign and get your link
Setting up is free and takes a few minutes. You get one shareable link that works across WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and SMS. Contributors send mobile money straight to it, nobody needs an account or a card.
04
Share it where your fans already are
Post the link after a gig, pin it to your bio, drop it in the group chats and the fan pages. Ask three or four close supporters to give first so newcomers see momentum before they decide.
05
Keep your backers in the loop
Post studio photos, a rough cut, opening night details, a thank you. People give again and tell their friends when they can see the work taking shape. The public ledger already shows every contribution, so updates add the story behind the numbers.
06
Withdraw and make the work
Pull funds to your mobile money wallet when you are ready to pay the studio, the printer or the venue. The flat 7.5% fee comes out only at withdrawal, so contributors never pay extra and you always know what lands.
How to support music, arts & creative projects causes
Open the campaign and read the ask
See exactly what the artist is making, what it costs and how far along they are. The public ledger shows every contribution and withdrawal, so you know your money is going toward real studio time, framing or a venue, not into a black hole.
Send any amount by mobile money
Contribute straight from the wallet you already use. There is no extra fee for you and no account to create. Even a small amount helps a recording session or an exhibition get over the line, and every contribution shows up on the ledger.
Share the link and back the work
Forward the campaign to the people who would love this album, show or film. A play or a music video often gets funded because one fan sent the link to ten more. You are a patron of the work, not an investor, and the reward is seeing it made.
Frequently asked questions
How do I raise money for my album or recording session?
Create a free campaign describing what you are recording, how many tracks and where, then set a target that covers your studio hours, mixing and any session musicians. You get one link to share with your fans and friends, who send mobile money straight to it. As the total grows you can withdraw to pay the studio, and the flat 7.5% fee only comes out at withdrawal.
Is SenteMe an investment platform? Do my contributors get a share of my project?
No. SenteMe is for pooled contributions, not investment. People who back your album, exhibition or film are patrons supporting work they want to exist, not shareholders. They do not receive equity, royalties or any financial return, and you should never promise one. The reward is the music, the show or the film getting made.
What does it cost to run a fundraiser for a creative project?
Creating a campaign is free and your contributors pay nothing extra on top of what they give. SenteMe keeps a flat 7.5% fee that is deducted only when you withdraw the money you have raised. There are no monthly charges and no listing fees, so if you raise nothing you pay nothing.
Can I use SenteMe to fund a theatre production or a play?
Yes. Theatre companies use it to cover costumes, set, rehearsal space and a venue for a short run. Describe the production, your dates and your budget clearly, then share the link with your audience, your cast's networks and local arts circles. The public ledger lets everyone see contributions arrive and helps build trust before opening night.
How do contributors know their money is actually reaching me?
Every campaign has a public running ledger that shows each contribution the moment it lands and every withdrawal you make. Anyone who opens the campaign can see the totals and the activity. For creative projects, where backers are often spread across cities and countries, that transparency is what reassures people their support is real and accounted for.
Which countries and payment methods does SenteMe support?
SenteMe is mobile-money-native and live in 12 African countries. Contributors give through the mobile money wallets they already use every day, so there is no need for a bank card or a new account. This makes it easy for fans and family at home and across borders to back your project.
Can my fans abroad contribute to my music video or film?
Yes, as long as they can reach a supported mobile money method. Many creators raise from a mix of local fans and friends or family living in other countries. Share the same single link everywhere, on WhatsApp, Instagram and TikTok, and contributions from different places all appear together on one public ledger.
What kinds of arts and creative projects can I raise for?
Album launches and recording sessions, music videos, art exhibitions and framing costs, theatre productions, short films and documentaries, poetry and spoken word events, and instrument or equipment purchases. If it is a clear creative project with real costs and a community who wants to see it happen, it fits.
How quickly can I get the money I raise?
You can withdraw to your mobile money wallet whenever you are ready, for example when it is time to pay the studio deposit or the gallery. You do not have to wait until you hit your full target. The flat 7.5% fee is taken at the point of withdrawal, so what you see is what you can use.
How do I get people to actually contribute to my exhibition?
Be specific about what the money buys, add real images of your work, and ask a few close supporters to give first so the campaign has visible momentum. Share the link right after performances, openings or rehearsals when people are excited, and keep posting updates as costs get covered. Visible progress and genuine updates move people far more than a single broadcast.
Example scenarios
What music, arts & creative projects fundraising looks like
Hypothetical, composite examples. No real person is named.
A musician funding a debut EP in Eldoret
Imagine a singer in Eldoret booking three weekends of studio time for a five-track EP. She sets a target covering the studio, a mixing engineer and a session drummer, then shares the link after her open mic sets. Her regulars, her church choir and a cousin in the diaspora chip in, and the ledger shows the total climbing toward the studio deposit. This is a composite example, not a real person.
A community funding a neighbourhood theatre run
Picture a small drama group in Kampala staging a three-night play about life in their estate. They need costumes, a rented hall and printing for posters. The cast shares one link with families, former teachers and the local arts crowd, and contributors watch each amount land on the public ledger ahead of opening night. The group withdraws to pay the venue once they are close. This scenario is illustrative.
Resources for music, arts & creative projects
- Music In Africa
Pan-African platform with a directory of studios, producers and venues, plus funding news and guides for musicians.
- Goethe-Institut Kenya
Runs cultural programmes, exhibitions and arts funding opportunities for creatives in Kenya and the region.
- Goethe-Institut Kenya: Culture programmes
Listings of grants, residencies and cultural projects open to artists, musicians and filmmakers.
- UNESCO Culture
Global hub for cultural heritage and the creative economy, including support for artists and creative industries.
- Institut français
France's cultural network supporting artistic projects, residencies and exchanges across Africa and beyond.
- Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
Supports culture, language and creative cooperation across member states, including arts and film initiatives.