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From documentary films to iPhone games and printed books to folk opera, Kickstarter gives aspiring artists the chance to earn funding for their projects—and gives aspiring backers (at any income level) a way to find inventive, one-of-a-kind ventures that need their support.
How to Use Kickstarter
Here's how it works: You search the site for a project you want to support—which could be anything from Dear Mr Watterson, "a cinematic exploration of Calvin and Hobbes" to the development of a bicycle-powered toaster/butter churner—and then pledge a certain amount toward the funding goal. You'll pay through Amazon, so you know it's secure, but there's a catch: if the project doesn't receive enough funding by its goal date, then the pledged amount reverts back to zero: they don't have to make the project, and you don't have to pay. (This rule, the site says, means the pledge is "less risk for everyone. If you need $5,000, it's tough having $2,000 and a bunch of people expecting you to complete a $5,000 project.") If the project does move forward, then donators receive rewards, which can be anything, determined by the artists—think inexpensive downloads, t-shirts, tickets, artwork, stickers, and so on. So you get a small token of appreciation for your payment—along with the warm and fuzzy feelings of knowing you helped an artist get his or her project off the ground.
How to Get Started with Kickstarter
If you want to start your own project, you'll need to be invited by a current user which isn't as hard as it sounds; Kickstarter had 1,000 users as of August 2009, offering invites through Twitter or by emailing the Kickstarter team. Keep in mind that you'll need a solid way to spread the word about your project, some enticing rewards, and an idea of how much money you'll need in order to post. And if you'd rather start backing projects than creating your own, that's even easier: all you need to do is click on "Back This Pledge" on a project page. Ready to get started? Try these eco-minded projects:
Frankencar: The quest to build an electric car that charges in under an hour—and goes 200 miles without needing a recharge.
Edible City: A documentary about a group of people developing a local food movement in the Bay Area.
Ananda Harvest Cabin: Help build an eco-cabin at Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York.
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