At first blush, crowd-funding may sound like just another attempt to raise money online by getting as many visitors as possible to donate to a cause.
But a growing number of startups see the landscape differently. They see the potential that social networks have to raise money in ways that align with how younger generations practice philanthropy.
They saw the power of crowd-funding work for Barack Obama in his 2008 presidential campaign. On a smaller scale, they also saw it work for online microcredit lender Kiva, which channels money to entrepreneurs in developing countries. Kiva, which was launched in 2005, has processed more than $200 million in loans and gotten accolades from Oprah Winfrey.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Crowd-funding sites seek to raise money through social media - chicagotribune.com
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