Is There Anything That Can’t Be Crowdfunded?
The weirdest, most controversial, most unusual things to be made a reality thanks to the crowdfunding phenomenon.
Since the days of Kickstarter, realising the dreams of aspiring investors, artists and adventurers, the crowdfunding phenomenon has expanded into weird and wonderful areas; opening doors to opportunities never before thought possible. From funding political protests to keeping alive a dancing light lady, these are our favourite things to be funded by the democratic power of the crowd.
Paul Crowther Milkshake
On May 20, 2019, a 32-year-old man was charged in Newcastle for throwing a banana and salted caramel milkshake at Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s Brexit Party. Mr. Crowther was charged with assault and criminal damage to property for covering Mr. Farage’s suit and face in orange patches of milkshake and ordered to pay him £350 (about $440), in compensation. Some supporters suggested that it was Mr. Crowther who had in fact suffered a loss (of his milkshake, valued at £5.25 ($6.57)) and launched a crowdfund campaign on GoFundMe called “ Get Paul Crowther his milkshake money back”. They raised £1,705 ($2,135) which was significantly more than the price of the milkshake and the fine.
Never Fear A Home Invasion Again
When this man decided to create ninja kitchenware for $7,000, many would have been forgiven for being sceptical. In fact, the Kickstarter campaign was a massive success with over $46,000 being raised for “Combat Kitchenware”.
Nothing Says “Thank you” Like a Giant Billboard
Fans of survival game, No Man’s Sky, raised over $4,800 to post a “thank you” message to the developers that turned the game around from a disastrous flop to a success. The money was raised using a crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe, started by user “Cameron G” on Reddit. The money raised is to be used for posting a giant “Thank you” message on a billboard outside the developer’s offices. Hello Games will also be taken out for beers and lunch, a most effective gesture of appreciation. Any funds left over will be donated to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Journalist Assaulted By Antifa Campaign
Photojournalist and editor at the online magazine Quillette, Andy Ngo, was beaten and assaulted while covering an Antifa rally in Portland. The name “Antifa” is derived from “anti-fascist,” and is associated with extreme hard-left activism. A GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Ngo’s medical expenses and to replace his stolen equipment raised over $100,000 in less than a day, more than double its original target of $50,000.
Hello, Um, Lionel Richie’s Head
At a music festival on the Isle of Wight, England, an unusual public art project was crowdfunded on Kickstarter. The installation was a giant inflatable sculpture of Lionel Richie’s head. It took two attempts to beat their original goal of £4,900 but they eventually raised £8,016.
Iceland’s №1 Football Fan Flown Out From Bangladesh
Proving that, like sport, democracy can transcend borders, this crowdfunding campaign will pay for a football fan to travel across continents to watch his favourite team. Although he lives in Bangladesh, Mohammad Sayed Majumder is one of the most committed and passionate supporters of Icelandic football. Thanks to the crowdfunding efforts of Tólfan (or ‘The Twelve’), an Icelandic football fan club, Mohammad Sayed’s dream will come true when he visits Iceland for the first time this October. He will watch the Iceland vs. France game on October 11th at Laugardalsvöllur, Iceland’s national football stadium in Reykjavik.
Holy Toast!
The so called “Grilled Cheesus” sandwich press is a reality thanks to crowdfunding. Yes, it’s a a toastie machine that imprints the image of Jesus Christ onto your bread. Meg Sheehan and Rob Corso got 286 supporters on Kickstarter to donate $25,604 in order to bring their idea to life, and the device is currently available on Amazon.
Dancing Queen
A digital sculpture in Indianapolis, lovingly known as “Ann Dancing,” is in dire need of repair after over a decade of rhythmic display. The sculpture’s owner launched a public crowdfunding campaign to raise $262,800 with the slogan ‘Keep Ann Dancing’ which will be used to replace the sculpture with an exact replica.
High as a Kite
This is what Kurt Braunohler’s Cloud Project’s Kickstarter campaign said:
“I’m asking you to donate money so that I can hire a man in a plane to write stupid things with clouds in the sky.”
‘Nuff said.
Crowdfarming, Social Impact and a $2.5 Billion Market
Access to traditional finance is a significant barrier for farmers across Africa due to typical commercial banking limitations. Enter crowdfunding, providing access to an online pool of donations, loans and investment capital for small scale business operators. The World Bank estimates the potential of Africa’s crowdfunding market at $2.5 billion by 2025. Adoption of the crowdfunding model in Nigeria has produced positive results, with business growth figures of up to 50%.
So, there you have it. Crowdfunding is a financial force for the political, controversial, wacky and significant.
To learn more about how to use crowdfunding to impact your investment portfolio, visit MaxCrowdfund.com
