Crowdfunding is a way for people, businesses and charities to raise money. Individuals or organizations invest in or donate to projects in return for a potential profit or reward. Crowdfunding platforms create innovative processes for communities to access funding.
Crowdfunding has become an instrument to finance urban infrastructure projects. Crowdfunding is typically performed on online crowdfunding platforms, which offer intermediate support for projects or companies by individuals (crowds) who wish to support them.
In a broader context, crowdfunding platforms are: donation-based, reward-based, or investment-based. Other crowdfunding platforms can be equity-based or lending-based. These are also known as loan-based, peer-to-peer lending, peer-to-business lending.
Donation-based crowdfunding is a way to raise funds through a request to a large community for donations. Crowdfunding is a way for charities to garner support for their organization's advocacy or humanitarian work. For example, disaster relief charities may seek funds to aid in the search, rescue, recovery, and treatment of individuals affected by devastating storms or earthquakes. Special needs initiatives can be focused on sourcing financial help, food or clothing for the disaster zone. Crowdfunding may also be used to pay for infrastructure and services rebuilding not otherwise covered by disaster funds.
Examples of donation-based crowdfunding platforms include Kickstarter, Indiegogo and, in Africa, Akabbo.
| # | Platform | Description | Users & scope | Service suppliers | Transactional modality | Quality assurance and security | User satisfaction | Market penetration | Management burden |
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| 1 | Grassroots Economics Banglapesa | Grassroots Economics is a non-profit foundation that seeks to empower marginalized communities. They focus on community development through economic empowerment and community currency programs. | Kenya, South Africa -Small business owners. - Informal settlers - Rural communities. | Digital currency, MPESA, USSD for offline | Registration through recommendation. Blockchain infrastructure |
High- Developing algorithms to run the platforms |
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| 2 | Jamaa Funding | Crowd-funding and crowd timing platform – money and time based project funding dedicated to humanitarian and solidarity based projects | Africa and the Diaspora Project initiators and those willing to give time and/or money | Use points system which is not monetized | 3 step verification. By the platform where a grade is assigned, through a data verification and by French regulatory authorities |
Low –Once goals are reached the project has ended High-Verification of applications takes time and skill |
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| 3 | Thundafund | Thundafund is South Africa’s online Crowd-funding marketplace for creative and innovators. Entrepreneurs with their respective projects & ideas can raise capital and build a supportive crowd of supporters through the process of crowd-funding. | South Africa, local | High -market through the users |
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| 4 | BackaBuddy | BackaBuddy is a crowd-funding platform based in South Africa that allows Non-profits and individuals to raise funds for any project with an impact. | Global,Individuals and Non-profits | PayPal and PayPal credit & South African local payment. | Track all online funding transactions | It strictly functions purely on donations |
High- Expensive to set up |
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| 5 | Akabbo | Akabbo is a localized crowd funding platform that enables users easily create campaigns and pull funds using card and mobile payments | Uganda | PesaPal | High, most users already have a source for funds |
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How- Hands off approach for platform manager |
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