Websites for Crowdfunding Projects
Crowdfunding websites offer a place for creators and supporters to find each other. You can now choose from many different hub sites, each with its own business model and theme. Some are global, while others have smaller scope. A website typically offers a place to describe the project, a link to its homepage or blog, some kind of goal (which may involve a money threshold and/or a deadline), and one or more payment options. Some also provide interaction methods such as a forum, comments, private messages, etc.
When exploring sites to host your fundraising project, or to browse for projects you'd like to sponsor, look at their parameters for comparison and contrast. These are some points that are important to consider:
Nationality and Language -- Crowdfunding happens all around the globe. Many sites have global reach, while others focus on a smaller region. This can affect who can use a given service. The following list focuses on English language websites, with a few exceptions, because my website is in English too. Some crowdfunding sites have several languages to choose from, and others appear only in a foreign language. If you want a language other than English, hunt around, they're out there.
Theme -- A majority of crowdfunding websites support multiple project types; a few will take anything that's legal. Others specialize in a broad (books, music) or narrow (photojournalism, African music) category. One very useful feature in some sites is a search function to find projects by type, so you can look for art or literature or education, etc.
Project Approval -- Hub sites may or may not screen projects before they get posted. Some have quite rigorous standards, intended only for professionals; these usually have topical experts making the approvals, especially in narrow themes. Most sites are more lenient and mainly concerned with blocking spam, fraud, hateful or illegal content, etc. A few are very open and will accept anything legal, or have direct posting without an approval process at all.
Funding Model -- The two main options are "all or nothing" and "keep what you earn." All or nothing means the project only gets funded if it meets its goal; otherwise the funds don't transfer or they are refunded to donors. Keep what you earn means that the creator receives however much money has been raised, even if it falls short of the goal. A few sites offer flexibility so that creators can choose which model suits their project. This is ideal, because some projects will only work if they get full funding, while others can make good use even if they only raise part of the intended amount. Not yet available, but desirable for the future, would be stacked goals allowing creators to stipulate budgets for minimal or optimum funding.
A very different model is donor-driven rather than creator-driven. Donors subscribe to the service with a monthly fee, which may be fixed or flexible. This is then divided among all the participating websites that they visit each month. It's an easy way to support places based on your frequency of use. For creators, it can be a good source of ongoing income that doesn't require a specific campaign with a fundraising goal and a deadline.
Payment Method and Currency -- I have made note, where a site's information says so, of crowdfunding hubs that require a specific payment method and/or currency. Many of them offer multiple options, particularly if they take credit cards. PayPal is the exclusive option for several sites, and Amazon Payment for a few. See "Money Handling" for a list of services that move money online.
Timeframe -- Most sites allow the creator to choose how long the fundraising campaign will run. Lower goals benefit from the sense of urgency created by a short campaign, say around 30 days. Higher goals or complex projects may do better with a longer period, say 60-90 days. A few sites don't require a deadline and allow ongoing campaigns; while a few have only one period that all projects must use.
Fees -- These vary from nothing to over 10%. Completely free sites are rare. The average seems to be around 5% for administrative costs. Posting a project or making a donation is usually free, and the administrative fee usually comes out of the donations for a successful project before that money is passed along to the creator. Some sites combine credit card, PayPal, or other banking fees with the administrative fee while others keep those separate. Read the fine print.
Minimum and Maximum Amounts -- Some sites control how little or how much money flows. A fair number set a minimum for donations and/or goals. Some specify that they have no such limits. Those that mention maximums are usually saying they don't have any, although there are few that do have upper limits. Some allow overfunding -- if a project meets its goal, people can still contribute up to the end of the fundraising time period -- while a few automatically close a project when it meets its goal.
The Websites
I have sorted these by theme, since folks often have a project type in mind that they want to create and/or support. The notes are based on whatever information appears on the website; some are generous and detailed, while others tell almost nothing about how their site works and what features it offers.
Donor-Driven Sites
Flattr
Swedish, flexible monthly donation amount is divided among the sites visited by the donor.
Kachingle
$5 monthly donation divided among the sites you visit frequently; integrated with social networking, good for blogs or other free-to-use services.
Multiple Project Types
AngelShares
British, projects are screened and approved, charges 5% on each donation.
ArtisteConnect
Philipino. Variable funding in relation to portion of goal as decided by creator. Payment via credit card or PayPal, free or premium paid registry. Charges 10% administrative fee. Currently open to Philipine residents only, but plans to expand.
ArtistShare
Specializes in art and music creative projects, fan-driven.
Catarse
Brazilian, funds only transfer if project meets its goal, minimum donation R$10.
Crowdfunder
British. Funds are refunded if project doesn't make its goal. Cccepts PayPal or credit/debit cards. Charges 5% commission on successful projects. Fundraising periods up to 60 days. No maximum on funds raised, fundraising goal has a minimum of £100 but no maximum.
Faithfunder
American. Specializes in Christian, family-friendly fare. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. PayPal required, no project startup fee, charges 5% administrative fee on donations of which 10% goes to a charity of the creator's choosing. Fundraising periods up to 60 days.
Fans Next Door
European, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
FriendFund
German. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Pay by credit card or PayPal, use any currency. Variable fees. Fundraising period 30 days. Create own page to crowdfund a project, invitation and opt-in methods for joining pools.
Funded By Me
European. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Projects are screened and approved. Payment by PayPal or credit card. Charges 6% administrative fee plus PayPal fees, no limit on funds raised. Fundraising period 10-90 days. Shares of a company may be offered.
Fund It
Irish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds must be in Euros or GBP depending on location. Accepts Visa, Mastercard, or Laser. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. No maximum on goal, no limit on amount of funds raised. Creators must have a bank account in Ireland but donors can be from anywhere in the world. Fund It charges 5% for administrative costs + 3% for banking/credit costs.
GoFundMe
American. Supports multiple countries and currencies. Funds transfer instantly, regardless of goal. Requires either WePay or PayPal. Pay by credit or debit card. Charges 5% of each donations, additional transaction fees apply. No upper limit on donations. Lets creators build a crowdfunding website for their projects.
GoGetFunding
British but uses American dollars. Projects are reviewed and approved before posting. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. PayPal required. Charges 2% of donations as administrative fee, additional PayPal fees apply. Maximum fundraising period is 60 days. Rewards and videos are recommended but not required. Creator's choice whether or not to allow overfunding, pledges cannot be canceled.
GreenFunder
American, specializes in Earth-friendly projects. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Pay by PayPal, or credit or debit card. Fundraising periods up to 90 days. Charges 5% of donations to successful projects but 9% to unsuccessful projects; plus third-party processing fees about 3-5%. Rewards are required; equity is not allowed. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Anonymous contributions allowed; overfunding is allowed.
GreenUnite
American, focuses on Earth-friendly processes and products. Projects go through initial and final approval process. Accepts major credit cards, cashier's checks, and money orders. Charges 9% transaction fee on donations. Free project posting, supports corporate matching for fundraising.
HelpersUnite
American. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Free posting, fees total 9% of received contributions, extra charges outside United States. Fundraising periods up to 120 days. Charity selection required, contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible, HelpersUnite donates part of the funds raised to important charities chosen by the project's creator. For events, some or all the ticket price can got to a selected charity.
IndieGoGo
Creators may choose between fixed funding (all or nothing) and flexible funding (keep what you earn) campaigns. Charges 4% of donations to successful projects on both models, or 9% to unsuccessful projects on flexible funding. Only uses U.S. dollars. Some donations to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Bans campaigns from countries on the U.S. OFAC sanctions list.
Inkubato
German site, available in German or English language. Projects are screened and approved. Requires PayPal. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Fundraising periods 14-90 days. Projects have a minimum goal of €300 and a maximum €50.000. Rewards may be offered for pledges ranging from €5 to €2000. Projects can list up to 12 rewards for 12 levels of pledges.
Kickstarter
American. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Charges 5% administrative fee plus another 3-5% from the Amazon payment processor. Just under half of projects are successfully funded. Average pledge amount is $71, most common amount is $25. Overfunding allowed, 94% of successful projects earn more than their goal.
MassiveMov
Spanish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds transfer if project makes at least 80% of its goal. Requires PayPal, no administrative cost only PayPal fees. Fundraising period 15-90 days.
MeBlitz
American, guaranteed frontpage access, every project gets free promotion, free posting, no deadlines.
NewJelly
Norwegian. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Fundraising period up to 180 days. PayPal required, charges 5% from successful projects plus PayPal fees. Minimum funding limit 100 Euros, no upper limit on funding.
Offbeatr
American. Specializes in adult movies, books, and other products. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Peerbackers
American. Projects are screened and approved. Flexible funding, gives creators a choice whether to receive partial funds if they can fulfill rewards that way or only transfer funds if the project meets its goal. Requires PayPal. Fundraising period 15-60 days. Charges 5% administrative fee on funds raised, plus 2.9% PayPal fee. No firm limit on goal, but recommended under $25,000; 85% of donors give $50 or less, and the $50 tier dominates by raising 25% of funds. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Overfunding allowed. Video recommended but not required; projects with video raise about 125% of those without.
PleaseFund.us
British. Any legal project is acceptable. Funds refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Payment by credit or debit cards or by PayPal. Project owner sets fundraising duration which is usually 30-90 days. Charges 5% fee to successful projects only, additional PayPal fees may apply. No minimum or maximum amount for fundraising, no maximum amount on pledges. Pledges are not tax-deductible. Video required.
Pledgie
American, does not prescreen projects, requires PayPal, charges 3% of each donation.
Pozible
Australian. Projects are screened and approved; application requires an invite code. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Uses Australian dollars only. Fundraising period of 1-90 days, 50-60 days recommended. Fees vary. Overfunding allowed. Contributions to projects with DGR status may be tax-deductible.
Rock the Post
Multiple models of crowdfunding and investing available. Funds transfer immediately. Pay by credit cards. Choose a fundraising period of 30, 60, or 90 days. Supporters can contribute not just money but also time and skills needed to complete a project. For 501(c)(3) projects, contributions may be tax-deductible. Extensive social networking and promotion tools.
RocketHub
Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Charges 4% of donations to successful projects, 8% to unsuccessful projects, for administration; plus 4% money handling fee. Facilitates interaction. Fundraising period 15-90 days. Rewards are required. Global reach. Overfunding allowed.
SoKap
Canadian. Projects and budgets are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Payment by credit card or ask about other methods. Maximum fundraising period 100 days. Charges 5% fee during the fundraising phase and 10% fee during the distribution phase, also passes on 3% fee for using credit cards. Project automatically enters distribution phase when it meets its goal. One-click promotion of projects. The "buy a town" feature allows backers to gain exclusive use of a space to sell products from a project and earn commissions from those sales. No minimum selling price for tangible goods.
Sponsume
European, voucher funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal.
Springboard
Canadian. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. 15-75 day fundraising periods. Requires PayPal, charges 5% and PayPal charges another 3-5%.
Startnext.De
German, offers donations and lending.
ThePoint
American. Any legal project is allowed. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Project may or may not set a deadline for the fundraising period. Pay by credit card, charges 5% per campaign for credit card and administrative costs. Start and join campaigns anonymously.
Ulule
French, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Verkami
Spanish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Payment via credit card. 40-day fundraising period. Charges 5% administrative fee for successful projects only. Contributions may range from 5€ to 5000€, no limit on funds raised, minimum goal is 800€. Residence in Spain not required.
WeMakeIt
Swiss, funds only transfer if project meets its goal, pay via credit card or PayPal.
Books
Authr
American. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Charges a monthly fee but doesn't take a cut of donations raised. Includes special publishing tools like a cover designer. Provides post-funding support for sales.
Unbound
British, funds may be refunded or transferred to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal.
Film
Cinema Reloaded
Netherlands. Currency is Euros; site uses "coins" which can be bought, given, or earned.
Film Funds
Movies and television. Projects are screened and approved. Fees are negotiated when a project gets made.
New Face Film
Czechoslovakian. Favors innovative, independent films. Represents production companies to raise money for producing new films. Search for projects by topical tags, production status, creators, or rewards.
PirateMyFilm
American. Minimum donation $5. Donors buy shares of a project; some projects may pay dividends.
Games
8bitfunding
American. Favors video games but allows all types of games. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Requires PayPal. Charges 5% administrative fee plus PayPal fees. Video, thumbnail image, and perks required. Anonymous contributions allowed.
GameCrowdfund
American, multiple game types. Pay by PayPal or Amazon Payments. Fees vary.
Journalism
Emphas.is
Specializes in photojournalism by professionals. Projects are screened and approved by experts in photography and journalism. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. , first rights can be purchased. Requires PayPal, charges 15% administrative fee. Minimum donation $10, no maximum donation.
Spot.Us
American. Specializes in news articles. Projects are screened and approved; reporters are self-identified freelance journalists. Credits may be assigned to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal. Pay by credit card or PayPal. Spot.Us has 501(c)(3) status and all donations are tax-deductible.
Music
Africa Unsigned
Netherlands. Specializes in African music and musicians. Projects are chosen by two music experts. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Minimum donation $1.
PledgeMusic
British, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Sellaband
European. Favors indie music. Purchased Parts can be moved to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal. The goal can range from €3,000 to €250,000. The most common Part price is €10. Charges administrative fee of 15%. Maximum deposit at one time is €1,500; higher deposits save on transaction fees. No overfunding; projects close upon meeting goal.
Science and Technology
Fund Science
American, specializes in academic research. Funds small pilot research programs up to $50,000. The entire platform is a 501(c)(3) public charity and all donations are tax-deductible.
Fundageek
American, specializes in technological innovations. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Requires PayPal. Fundraising periods from 7-90 days. Charges either 5% (basic) or 9% (premium) administrative fee, depending which marketing selection the creator makes; plus variable PayPal fees. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. No maximum goal amount, overfunding allowed, minimum reward value is $5. Global reach.
OpenGenius
Italian, specializes in academic research.
PetriDish
Specializes in science research. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Pay by Amazon Payments or Stripe. Charges 5% administrative fee to successful projects, plus third-party processing fees. Most pledges are not tax-deductible, but contributions to some 501(c)(3) projects may be.
Other
Appbackr
Specializes in mobile apps. Projects are screened and approved. Uses PayPal and banks.
Cofundos
European, specializes in open-source software. Uses a bid model.
GrowVC
International based in Hong Kong with offices in America, United Kingdom, and Finland. Specializes in startup businesses. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Investment model.
ProFounder
Specializes in business projects.
Quirky
Specializes in product development. Costs $10 to submit an idea.
Sandawe
Belgian including the language, specializes in comics.
Further Reading
Outside Lists of Crowdfunding Websites
"13 Crowdfunding Websites to Fund Your Business"
"15 Ways to Crowdfund Your Startup or Project"
"Comparison of Crowdfunding Websites"
"Crowdfunding Websites"
"List of Crowdfunding Web Sites and Web Sites to Find Investors"
Articles about Crowdfunding Websites
Daily Crowdsource blog
"Entrepreneurs Flock to Crowdfunding Websites"
"How to Compare Crowdfunding Websites"
"How Crowdfunding Can Get You Money Online"
"Kickstarted: How to Effectively Use Crowd Funded Sites"
"Month of Kickstarter After Report" Post 1, Post 2
"Reflections on a Kickstarter Adventure"
When exploring sites to host your fundraising project, or to browse for projects you'd like to sponsor, look at their parameters for comparison and contrast. These are some points that are important to consider:
Nationality and Language -- Crowdfunding happens all around the globe. Many sites have global reach, while others focus on a smaller region. This can affect who can use a given service. The following list focuses on English language websites, with a few exceptions, because my website is in English too. Some crowdfunding sites have several languages to choose from, and others appear only in a foreign language. If you want a language other than English, hunt around, they're out there.
Theme -- A majority of crowdfunding websites support multiple project types; a few will take anything that's legal. Others specialize in a broad (books, music) or narrow (photojournalism, African music) category. One very useful feature in some sites is a search function to find projects by type, so you can look for art or literature or education, etc.
Project Approval -- Hub sites may or may not screen projects before they get posted. Some have quite rigorous standards, intended only for professionals; these usually have topical experts making the approvals, especially in narrow themes. Most sites are more lenient and mainly concerned with blocking spam, fraud, hateful or illegal content, etc. A few are very open and will accept anything legal, or have direct posting without an approval process at all.
Funding Model -- The two main options are "all or nothing" and "keep what you earn." All or nothing means the project only gets funded if it meets its goal; otherwise the funds don't transfer or they are refunded to donors. Keep what you earn means that the creator receives however much money has been raised, even if it falls short of the goal. A few sites offer flexibility so that creators can choose which model suits their project. This is ideal, because some projects will only work if they get full funding, while others can make good use even if they only raise part of the intended amount. Not yet available, but desirable for the future, would be stacked goals allowing creators to stipulate budgets for minimal or optimum funding.
A very different model is donor-driven rather than creator-driven. Donors subscribe to the service with a monthly fee, which may be fixed or flexible. This is then divided among all the participating websites that they visit each month. It's an easy way to support places based on your frequency of use. For creators, it can be a good source of ongoing income that doesn't require a specific campaign with a fundraising goal and a deadline.
Payment Method and Currency -- I have made note, where a site's information says so, of crowdfunding hubs that require a specific payment method and/or currency. Many of them offer multiple options, particularly if they take credit cards. PayPal is the exclusive option for several sites, and Amazon Payment for a few. See "Money Handling" for a list of services that move money online.
Timeframe -- Most sites allow the creator to choose how long the fundraising campaign will run. Lower goals benefit from the sense of urgency created by a short campaign, say around 30 days. Higher goals or complex projects may do better with a longer period, say 60-90 days. A few sites don't require a deadline and allow ongoing campaigns; while a few have only one period that all projects must use.
Fees -- These vary from nothing to over 10%. Completely free sites are rare. The average seems to be around 5% for administrative costs. Posting a project or making a donation is usually free, and the administrative fee usually comes out of the donations for a successful project before that money is passed along to the creator. Some sites combine credit card, PayPal, or other banking fees with the administrative fee while others keep those separate. Read the fine print.
Minimum and Maximum Amounts -- Some sites control how little or how much money flows. A fair number set a minimum for donations and/or goals. Some specify that they have no such limits. Those that mention maximums are usually saying they don't have any, although there are few that do have upper limits. Some allow overfunding -- if a project meets its goal, people can still contribute up to the end of the fundraising time period -- while a few automatically close a project when it meets its goal.
The Websites
I have sorted these by theme, since folks often have a project type in mind that they want to create and/or support. The notes are based on whatever information appears on the website; some are generous and detailed, while others tell almost nothing about how their site works and what features it offers.
Donor-Driven Sites
Flattr
Swedish, flexible monthly donation amount is divided among the sites visited by the donor.
Kachingle
$5 monthly donation divided among the sites you visit frequently; integrated with social networking, good for blogs or other free-to-use services.
Multiple Project Types
AngelShares
British, projects are screened and approved, charges 5% on each donation.
ArtisteConnect
Philipino. Variable funding in relation to portion of goal as decided by creator. Payment via credit card or PayPal, free or premium paid registry. Charges 10% administrative fee. Currently open to Philipine residents only, but plans to expand.
ArtistShare
Specializes in art and music creative projects, fan-driven.
Catarse
Brazilian, funds only transfer if project meets its goal, minimum donation R$10.
Crowdfunder
British. Funds are refunded if project doesn't make its goal. Cccepts PayPal or credit/debit cards. Charges 5% commission on successful projects. Fundraising periods up to 60 days. No maximum on funds raised, fundraising goal has a minimum of £100 but no maximum.
Faithfunder
American. Specializes in Christian, family-friendly fare. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. PayPal required, no project startup fee, charges 5% administrative fee on donations of which 10% goes to a charity of the creator's choosing. Fundraising periods up to 60 days.
Fans Next Door
European, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
FriendFund
German. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Pay by credit card or PayPal, use any currency. Variable fees. Fundraising period 30 days. Create own page to crowdfund a project, invitation and opt-in methods for joining pools.
Funded By Me
European. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Projects are screened and approved. Payment by PayPal or credit card. Charges 6% administrative fee plus PayPal fees, no limit on funds raised. Fundraising period 10-90 days. Shares of a company may be offered.
Fund It
Irish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds must be in Euros or GBP depending on location. Accepts Visa, Mastercard, or Laser. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. No maximum on goal, no limit on amount of funds raised. Creators must have a bank account in Ireland but donors can be from anywhere in the world. Fund It charges 5% for administrative costs + 3% for banking/credit costs.
GoFundMe
American. Supports multiple countries and currencies. Funds transfer instantly, regardless of goal. Requires either WePay or PayPal. Pay by credit or debit card. Charges 5% of each donations, additional transaction fees apply. No upper limit on donations. Lets creators build a crowdfunding website for their projects.
GoGetFunding
British but uses American dollars. Projects are reviewed and approved before posting. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. PayPal required. Charges 2% of donations as administrative fee, additional PayPal fees apply. Maximum fundraising period is 60 days. Rewards and videos are recommended but not required. Creator's choice whether or not to allow overfunding, pledges cannot be canceled.
GreenFunder
American, specializes in Earth-friendly projects. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Pay by PayPal, or credit or debit card. Fundraising periods up to 90 days. Charges 5% of donations to successful projects but 9% to unsuccessful projects; plus third-party processing fees about 3-5%. Rewards are required; equity is not allowed. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Anonymous contributions allowed; overfunding is allowed.
GreenUnite
American, focuses on Earth-friendly processes and products. Projects go through initial and final approval process. Accepts major credit cards, cashier's checks, and money orders. Charges 9% transaction fee on donations. Free project posting, supports corporate matching for fundraising.
HelpersUnite
American. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Free posting, fees total 9% of received contributions, extra charges outside United States. Fundraising periods up to 120 days. Charity selection required, contributions to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax-deductible, HelpersUnite donates part of the funds raised to important charities chosen by the project's creator. For events, some or all the ticket price can got to a selected charity.
IndieGoGo
Creators may choose between fixed funding (all or nothing) and flexible funding (keep what you earn) campaigns. Charges 4% of donations to successful projects on both models, or 9% to unsuccessful projects on flexible funding. Only uses U.S. dollars. Some donations to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Bans campaigns from countries on the U.S. OFAC sanctions list.
Inkubato
German site, available in German or English language. Projects are screened and approved. Requires PayPal. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Fundraising periods 14-90 days. Projects have a minimum goal of €300 and a maximum €50.000. Rewards may be offered for pledges ranging from €5 to €2000. Projects can list up to 12 rewards for 12 levels of pledges.
Kickstarter
American. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Charges 5% administrative fee plus another 3-5% from the Amazon payment processor. Just under half of projects are successfully funded. Average pledge amount is $71, most common amount is $25. Overfunding allowed, 94% of successful projects earn more than their goal.
MassiveMov
Spanish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds transfer if project makes at least 80% of its goal. Requires PayPal, no administrative cost only PayPal fees. Fundraising period 15-90 days.
MeBlitz
American, guaranteed frontpage access, every project gets free promotion, free posting, no deadlines.
NewJelly
Norwegian. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Fundraising period up to 180 days. PayPal required, charges 5% from successful projects plus PayPal fees. Minimum funding limit 100 Euros, no upper limit on funding.
Offbeatr
American. Specializes in adult movies, books, and other products. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Peerbackers
American. Projects are screened and approved. Flexible funding, gives creators a choice whether to receive partial funds if they can fulfill rewards that way or only transfer funds if the project meets its goal. Requires PayPal. Fundraising period 15-60 days. Charges 5% administrative fee on funds raised, plus 2.9% PayPal fee. No firm limit on goal, but recommended under $25,000; 85% of donors give $50 or less, and the $50 tier dominates by raising 25% of funds. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. Overfunding allowed. Video recommended but not required; projects with video raise about 125% of those without.
PleaseFund.us
British. Any legal project is acceptable. Funds refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Payment by credit or debit cards or by PayPal. Project owner sets fundraising duration which is usually 30-90 days. Charges 5% fee to successful projects only, additional PayPal fees may apply. No minimum or maximum amount for fundraising, no maximum amount on pledges. Pledges are not tax-deductible. Video required.
Pledgie
American, does not prescreen projects, requires PayPal, charges 3% of each donation.
Pozible
Australian. Projects are screened and approved; application requires an invite code. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Uses Australian dollars only. Fundraising period of 1-90 days, 50-60 days recommended. Fees vary. Overfunding allowed. Contributions to projects with DGR status may be tax-deductible.
Rock the Post
Multiple models of crowdfunding and investing available. Funds transfer immediately. Pay by credit cards. Choose a fundraising period of 30, 60, or 90 days. Supporters can contribute not just money but also time and skills needed to complete a project. For 501(c)(3) projects, contributions may be tax-deductible. Extensive social networking and promotion tools.
RocketHub
Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Charges 4% of donations to successful projects, 8% to unsuccessful projects, for administration; plus 4% money handling fee. Facilitates interaction. Fundraising period 15-90 days. Rewards are required. Global reach. Overfunding allowed.
SoKap
Canadian. Projects and budgets are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Payment by credit card or ask about other methods. Maximum fundraising period 100 days. Charges 5% fee during the fundraising phase and 10% fee during the distribution phase, also passes on 3% fee for using credit cards. Project automatically enters distribution phase when it meets its goal. One-click promotion of projects. The "buy a town" feature allows backers to gain exclusive use of a space to sell products from a project and earn commissions from those sales. No minimum selling price for tangible goods.
Sponsume
European, voucher funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal.
Springboard
Canadian. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. 15-75 day fundraising periods. Requires PayPal, charges 5% and PayPal charges another 3-5%.
Startnext.De
German, offers donations and lending.
ThePoint
American. Any legal project is allowed. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Project may or may not set a deadline for the fundraising period. Pay by credit card, charges 5% per campaign for credit card and administrative costs. Start and join campaigns anonymously.
Ulule
French, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Verkami
Spanish. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Payment via credit card. 40-day fundraising period. Charges 5% administrative fee for successful projects only. Contributions may range from 5€ to 5000€, no limit on funds raised, minimum goal is 800€. Residence in Spain not required.
WeMakeIt
Swiss, funds only transfer if project meets its goal, pay via credit card or PayPal.
Books
Authr
American. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Charges a monthly fee but doesn't take a cut of donations raised. Includes special publishing tools like a cover designer. Provides post-funding support for sales.
Unbound
British, funds may be refunded or transferred to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal.
Film
Cinema Reloaded
Netherlands. Currency is Euros; site uses "coins" which can be bought, given, or earned.
Film Funds
Movies and television. Projects are screened and approved. Fees are negotiated when a project gets made.
New Face Film
Czechoslovakian. Favors innovative, independent films. Represents production companies to raise money for producing new films. Search for projects by topical tags, production status, creators, or rewards.
PirateMyFilm
American. Minimum donation $5. Donors buy shares of a project; some projects may pay dividends.
Games
8bitfunding
American. Favors video games but allows all types of games. Funds transfer even if project doesn't meet its goal. Requires PayPal. Charges 5% administrative fee plus PayPal fees. Video, thumbnail image, and perks required. Anonymous contributions allowed.
GameCrowdfund
American, multiple game types. Pay by PayPal or Amazon Payments. Fees vary.
Journalism
Emphas.is
Specializes in photojournalism by professionals. Projects are screened and approved by experts in photography and journalism. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. , first rights can be purchased. Requires PayPal, charges 15% administrative fee. Minimum donation $10, no maximum donation.
Spot.Us
American. Specializes in news articles. Projects are screened and approved; reporters are self-identified freelance journalists. Credits may be assigned to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal. Pay by credit card or PayPal. Spot.Us has 501(c)(3) status and all donations are tax-deductible.
Music
Africa Unsigned
Netherlands. Specializes in African music and musicians. Projects are chosen by two music experts. Funds are refunded if project doesn't meet its goal. Minimum donation $1.
PledgeMusic
British, funds only transfer if project meets its goal.
Sellaband
European. Favors indie music. Purchased Parts can be moved to another project if the original one doesn't meet its goal. The goal can range from €3,000 to €250,000. The most common Part price is €10. Charges administrative fee of 15%. Maximum deposit at one time is €1,500; higher deposits save on transaction fees. No overfunding; projects close upon meeting goal.
Science and Technology
Fund Science
American, specializes in academic research. Funds small pilot research programs up to $50,000. The entire platform is a 501(c)(3) public charity and all donations are tax-deductible.
Fundageek
American, specializes in technological innovations. Projects are screened and approved. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Requires PayPal. Fundraising periods from 7-90 days. Charges either 5% (basic) or 9% (premium) administrative fee, depending which marketing selection the creator makes; plus variable PayPal fees. Contributions to projects with 501(c)(3) status may be tax-deductible. No maximum goal amount, overfunding allowed, minimum reward value is $5. Global reach.
OpenGenius
Italian, specializes in academic research.
PetriDish
Specializes in science research. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Pay by Amazon Payments or Stripe. Charges 5% administrative fee to successful projects, plus third-party processing fees. Most pledges are not tax-deductible, but contributions to some 501(c)(3) projects may be.
Other
Appbackr
Specializes in mobile apps. Projects are screened and approved. Uses PayPal and banks.
Cofundos
European, specializes in open-source software. Uses a bid model.
GrowVC
International based in Hong Kong with offices in America, United Kingdom, and Finland. Specializes in startup businesses. Funds only transfer if project meets its goal. Investment model.
ProFounder
Specializes in business projects.
Quirky
Specializes in product development. Costs $10 to submit an idea.
Sandawe
Belgian including the language, specializes in comics.
Further Reading
Outside Lists of Crowdfunding Websites
"13 Crowdfunding Websites to Fund Your Business"
"15 Ways to Crowdfund Your Startup or Project"
"Comparison of Crowdfunding Websites"
"Crowdfunding Websites"
"List of Crowdfunding Web Sites and Web Sites to Find Investors"
Articles about Crowdfunding Websites
Daily Crowdsource blog
"Entrepreneurs Flock to Crowdfunding Websites"
"How to Compare Crowdfunding Websites"
"How Crowdfunding Can Get You Money Online"
"Kickstarted: How to Effectively Use Crowd Funded Sites"
"Month of Kickstarter After Report" Post 1, Post 2
"Reflections on a Kickstarter Adventure"
