What is "crowdfunding" ...?

[ysabetwordsmith]

Crowdfunding is a business model in which a bunch of people contribute small amounts of money to make something happen. There are mainstream versions that use this approach to launch a new company, for instance. Here we focus on Cyberfunded Creativity, using the crowdfunding model to sponsor fiction, poetry, artwork, movies, webcomics, jewelry, performance art, music, and other cultural materials.

Some time ago, I wrote a four-part series about cyberfunded creativity for EMG-zine:
"What Is Cyberfunded Creativity?"
"Cyberfunded Creativity in Context"
"Exploring Cyberfunded Projects"
"How to Practice Cyberfunded Creativity"

You might also be interested in these resources about mainstream crowdfunding:
The Crowdfunding Wiki
Crowdsourcing Directory
"Crowdfunding" (TIME article)
"Crowdfunding: A Question of Precedent"
"Crowd financing" (Wikipedia article)
"Crowdfunding: Open Business Models"
"An Exclusive Excerpt from Friends, Fans, and Followers"