It's easy to balk when you're asked to donate a hundred bucks to this cause or that or to take on an open-ended, monthly donation to help some individual or cause on the other side of the planet or the other side of town.
That's where crowdfunding comes in. What if you could just kick in five bucks to help famine relief in the Sahel or to promote the next big idea? If enough people chip in just a little it turns into a lot very quickly.
By visiting Web sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, you can give money to any number of causes. These Web sites collect small amounts from many individuals in what is known as crowdfunding to finance everything from business start-ups to charitable causes to art projects.
While online crowdfunding is still relatively new, it has already demonstrated that many small contributions can add up. Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm, estimates that the largest 30 crowdfunding sites raised more than $1.5 billion over the last five years, and expects that in 2013 alone the number could be $3 billion.
It's a terrific idea. You can make an affordable contribution, distributed among several causes, knowing that, with the generosity of a lot of likeminded people, you'll put together some serious money for projects that can make a difference and those who most need it.
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