crowdfunding

or crowd-fund·ing

[ kroud-fuhn-ding ]

noun

1. the activity or process of raising money from a large number of people, typically through a website, as for a project or small business.

Other Words From

• crowdfund verb (used with or without object)
• crowdfunded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crowdfunding¹

First recorded in 2005–10; crowd ¹ + fund + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Both could leave investors with less than zero in some cases, but with rolling funds or crowdfunding, there’s a real opportunity to build something rather than just sticking it to the man.

From TechCrunch

Don’t assume requests for help on social media or crowdfunding sites are legitimate.

From Washington Post

The WOZX, launched by the energy-efficiency crowdfunding company Efforce, entitles holders to a share of profits from energy efficiency projects around the world.

From Quartz

In fact, countless crowdfunding businesses and platforms continue to make major moves within the markets globally.

From TechCrunch

So we’ve basically conceived of a giant crowdfunding operation to direct money into climate solutions.

From MIT Technology Review

After failing to reach their targeted goal on crowdfunding sites, the café became a media sensation following a piece on Buzzfeed.

From The Daily Beast

Shortly thereafter, Ohanian founded Breadpig, a site that assists creators with crowdfunding, sponsorships, and business strategy.

From The Daily Beast

JIBO is a robot for the whole family, currently crowdfunding for development.

From The Daily Beast

Even crowdfunding champion and musician Amanda Palmer lauded the project.

From The Daily Beast

In that regard, many view crowdfunding as, primarily, a creative endeavor.

From The Daily Beast