I'm all for dimes marching towards a common cause. Pennies added up have often made many dollars. We have a jar to prove it. I love the idea of crowdfunding, and watching the ideas come to fruition. I've had some random thoughts on Crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding is the new hot way to get your idea pitched to the internet and therefore to the world. I may be imagining it, but it seems that everyone with an idea has thought (or at least joked) about pitching it through one of the crowdfunding sites.
To start a campaign and thusly pitch your idea to an international audience simply establish an account on your favorite crowdfunding site and describe your project. I am familiar with Kickstarter and IndieGoGo. I found this link to a Forbes article that describes several more crowdfunding sites based upon your project and need. Some of these cater to businesses looking for investors.
Of course, the most successful campaigns have intriguing and exciting videos and a community base on which to build.
Some really good projects couldn't have gotten started with a crowdfunded beginning. DeezMaker's Bukobot was started with a Kickstarter project. DeezMaker is a Pasadena based 3D Printer group. The LA Makerspace got some much needed funding with a Kickstarter project. I have attended some very cool events at the LA Makerspace. The Long Beach Arts Council partially funded a project with an Indiegogo project.
If you are coordinating outreach for a project, you need to find the interested by making as many connections as you can to your campaign. Your family and friends, certainly, but also seek out lists and Facebook pages, Meetup groups, blog sites and groups with interests similar to your own. Physical presence at as many events as you can.
And of course, it helps if it's a cool project.
It's Not a New Idea
Crowdfunding is an extension of the way businesses are always started. Those with ideas reach out to those who may be interested in supporting the ideas. Before it was Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa and all the aunties, uncles and siblings.
The Sou-Sou
When I was young, my mother would refer to a sou-sou. This is a traditional form of crowd saving. Everyone would pool their funds, providing the same amount each month. When the target goal was reached, the first person would be able to take the entire proceeds and use it for his/her business startup funds. Everyone, including the person who has already received his/her share would continue contributing. This continued until everyone had received their portion of the collected funds. I thought this was a Chinese tradition, but poking around on the internet, I find references that are Trinidadian and African, but not Chinese. I should note that traditional sou-sous were done within closely knit physical communities. (everyone knew each other). I don't think my family ever actually participated in one.
Perhaps we did.