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crowdfunding

Written bySamuel Greengard
Samuel Greengard
Samuel Greengard has written or contributed to eight books and penned more than 2,000 articles for consumer and trade magazines. His most recent book is The Internet of Things (MIT Press, 2021). He lives outside Portland, Oregon and enjoys travel, cooking and gardening.
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crowdfunding, a kind of crowdsourcing and alternative financing by which people, via the Internet, can contribute money to a person, cause, event, or business venture. This method has been used to fund startup businesses, help communities suffering from a natural disaster, and aid families and individuals in financial need due to a medical emergency or a death. Crowdfunding is now a common method for connecting entrepreneurs and investors—offering an alternative to bank loans or venture capitalists—and it is now a popular way of supporting cultural institutions, such as art organizations and charities. Billions of dollars are raised annually via this fundraising method.

How crowdfunding works

There are three components to crowdfunding: the person seeking money to help fund or pay for an idea, product, or expense; those who support the concept or business and are willing to invest or help pay for it; and a platform or service that brokers the financial transactions. In addition to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter and direct email solicitations, numerous platforms exist to facilitate crowdfunding, including Kickstarter, Indiegogo, GoFundMe, and Crowdfunder. These services generate revenue by taking a percentage of the total amount of funds collected as well as by charging a fee per pledge and credit card transaction. These fees and charges vary, but often the total cost of a crowdfunding campaign can range between 5–12 percent of the donated funds.

Typically, a person or business posts a request on a digital site, and potential contributors can browse offerings and decide whether or not to participate. Those interested in a project can typically contribute as little as $5. Individuals or businesses posting a crowdsourcing request often send emails to friends, acquaintances, and customers. Many of the listings include photos, videos, and detailed descriptions about the product, service, or cause. A brief biography about the person soliciting pledges is also typically included.

Many contributors do so altruistically (for nothing in return except the satisfaction of supporting a person or a cause), though some funders may receive products or gifts in exchange for their contributions. On some crowdfunding platforms, organizations are charged a fee only if the project meets its funding goal by the stated deadline. On other crowdfunding sites, a minimum level of donations must be met before the host can receive any of the contributed funds.

Top platforms often have teams dedicated to overseeing crowdfunding requests. If they see a violation of terms they may impose penalties, including terminating a request and pulling it from the platform. In the United States, for example, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) oversees and regulates equity-based crowdfunding. Among other things, it requires that all transactions go through an SEC-registered intermediary, either a broker-dealer or a funding portal. It also limits a company to raising a maximum aggregate amount of $5 million through crowdfunding offerings over a 12-month period.

Examples of successful crowdfunding

A high-profile example of crowdfunding is Oculus VR, now part of Meta (the parent company of Facebook). It produces virtual reality headsets and other hardware and software. The firm’s founder, Palmer Luckey, used Kickstarter to raise $2.4 million (U.S.) in 2012, vastly exceeding its crowdfunding goal of $250,000. Facebook purchased the company for $2 billion in cash and stock in 2014.

Another business success story is the natural fibre shoe company Allbirds, which in 2014 raised nearly $120,000 (U.S.) within five days on Kickstarter. After receiving conventional forms of funding in the following years, the company exploded in popularity, especially among celebrities. By 2022 Allbirds’ lifetime net revenue had topped $1 billion (U.S.), with estimates of the company’s value exceeding $4 billion.

Individuals have also benefited from these platforms. These include school campaigns for purchasing books, funds to help animal shelters, and donations that help people with medical conditions.

Pros and cons of crowdfunding

For entrepreneurs and startups the advantages of crowdfunding include the ability to bypass banks and venture capital firms. This makes it possible to launch a project quickly and without the restrictions normally associated with a traditional financial arrangement. A secondary benefit is that crowdfunding can help enhance a brand and marketing efforts by creating an extended community that might also extend to crowdsourcing ideas.

Moreover, for individuals posting a request or fundraiser, crowdfunding offers a way to get immediate relief in a difficult situation. It extends the reach of a request—including the ability for a plea to go viral over the Internet and social media—and it bypasses the need for handling cash and checks. However, some campaigns have been associated with fraud, swindling the public with fake causes.

For businesses, crowdfunding can also have some disadvantages. Projects usually require a significant investment of time and resources. In some cases, if an entrepreneur fails to reach a funding goal on some crowdfunding platforms, all the money must be returned to the contributors. Large, complex projects can also be difficult to describe and to raise funding for.

Samuel Greengard