Crowdfunding Community Projects

Abstract

Crowdfunding is becoming a popular method of fundraising for entrepreneurs, high-tech start-ups, non-profit projects, and, increasingly, community projects. As city governments across the country and world continue to suffer financially, community betterment projects like parks and trails become lower priorities. In turn, community organizers have begun taking matters into their own hands. This paper presents crowdfunding as both a transformative tool to catalyze community redevelopment and a potential liability for social justice and government responsibility. I describe Matireal, a crowdfunded community connector trail in Milwaukee, as a case-study for analysis.