If you’re sitting in class fidgeting with an idea that is sure to launch your career, then the time to start is now. Kickstarter has a record of solid success stories under its belt at this point, and its 2012 pledge projection just edges out the National Endowment for the Art’s 2012 budget, proving the power of a young and motivated public. But research shows that school-affiliated projects raise more funding than most Kickstarter pitches, so if a postsecondary institution has got your back, this is the time to plan your pitch. Your school may even feature its own curated page on the Kickstarter site, offering you more exposure than the average pitch.

Kickstarter accepts 75% of applicant ideas (the other 25% are rejected for not meeting Kickstarter’s project guidelines), nearly half of which meet their funding goal. These crowdfunding projects benefit from thousands of donors pledging a range of dollar amounts for a level of incentives related to the project their funding. Those who pledge to a successful project usually walk away with some sort of swag, like a copy of the finished product or a limited edition. Even though Kickstarter is fairly new (it was launched in April 2009), the crowdfunding site has helped launch 70,528 projects and has raised $351 million in funding for art, tech, design, film and video, music, and publishing projects.

This infographic breaks down Kickstarter by project type and pitch strategy to prepare the innovative student for crowdfunding success: