crowdfunding

American  

[kroud-fuhn-ding] / ˈkraʊdˌfʌn dɪŋ /

Or crowd-funding

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.

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Other Word Forms

• crowdfund verb (used with or without object)
• crowdfunded adjective

Etymology

Origin of crowdfunding

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

Example Sentences

They raised more than £100,000 through crowdfunding to bring the case.

From BBC

The claimants have raised more than £100,000 through crowdfunding to bring the case.

From BBC

Going Public, which described itself as “Shark Tank meets The Apprentice,” introduced audiences to businesses seeking financial backing, allowing those viewers to invest in the businesses under “crowdfunding” provisions of federal law.

From Barron's

In essence it was an in-house crowdfunding scheme, promising beer enthusiasts a chance to "own a slice of the brewery and share in its success and growth".

From BBC

Some small-scale, independent news sites founded in the past five years have built audiences via a crowdfunding model, though they still face political and financial pressures.

From Barron's