Crowdfunding is the process of collecting monetary contributions from a large number of people, usually not from businesses or governments, in order to start a project or venture. The monetary contributions are often collected through online crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstart, GoFundMe and Indiegogo. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing.

Commonly, crowdfunding projects offer rewards based on how much a person has contributed, thereby incentivizing an person to contribute more. Some projects offer physical rewards while others may create a list of backers that had contributed a certain amount and make the list public.

Crowdfunding projects may have various purposes. Some may be for-profit artistic projects, charities, fundraising, social entrepreneurship projects or medical expenses.

Context: This edited collection /of articles/ stems from our initial efforts in editing a themed issue for New Media & Society (2015) on the concept of - -, where grassroots creative projects are funded through micro-payments by backers through websites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

Source: BENNETT, Lucy, CHIN, Bertha et JONES, Bethan, Crowdfunding the Future: Media Industries, Ethics and Digital Society, Digital Formations, New York, 2015, 274 pages.