Member Article

Crowdfunding has many faces. Charitable organisations have received support through this route, as have travelers, athletes, scientists and inventors, and the creators of such humble concepts as making potato salad—a project to which the public contributed over USD 55,000. But often crowdfunding is the main source of financing for innovative ideas which in the long run can drive economic development and positive social changes. 

From this perspective, the role of crowdfunding can hardly be overestimated. It functions as the missing link in the chain of financing of the economy, providing an influx of capital to places traditional forms of financing do not reach because of the high risk. Thanks to crowdfunding, there is a growing likelihood that the creators of many innovative concepts will succeed in commercialising their inventions and knowledge. 

Crowdfunding has vast potential in contemporary economies. According to figures from the European Commission, in 2012 some half a million projects were carried out thanks to crowdfunding. Estimates indicate that the value of financing obtained in this way in 2013 approached a billion euro. In Poland as well, crowdfunding platforms are appearing and enjoying growing interest from internet users. The first spectacular successes of crowdfunding campaigns are appearing here. An example is Aneta Kopacz’s documentary Joanna, which won awards at numerous film festivals and through the cultural platform wspieramkulture.pl and a mailing of promotional materials managed to raise almost PLN 40,000 from 442 people in less than three weeks. And it was largely thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign that Zbigniew Bródka could attend the Olympic Games in Sochi—where he won a gold medal in speed skating.

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