When Marc Erlbaum was trying to raise $150,000 to finance a series of short films on the meaning of life, he turned to Indiegogo, a site that makes it easy for people and organization to advertise and raise money for projects.

He learned as much about what’s meaningful to people from fundraising as he has from his filming project. When people give through a site like Kickstarter or Indiegogo, “they’re contributing because they believe in something and they know it will come around, ultimately. That’s what’s really refreshing.”

But successful campaigns on mass fundraising sites aren’t easy to run. They often require building relationships with a group of dedicated supporters who are willing go beyond their donations and collaborate on a project.

In the most recent episode of Social Good, The Chronicle’s podcast about social media for nonprofits, Mr. Erlbaum shares what he’s learned from his campaign, where to start, and how to work with a large group of contributors.