Crowdfunding Now!

The picture below shows states where real estate crowdfunding transactions have occurred. We agree "crowdfunding" is one of the latest buzz words, but the fact that Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary recently added Crowdfunding  speaks to the fact that crowdfunding is here to stay.  While the full impact on the U.S. real estate market has yet to be determined, if the past year is any indication, real estate may be one of the biggest segments of the crowdfunding marketplace. In twenty-three (23) states (plus the District of Columbia), project sponsors have successfully funded multiple real estate and property transactions.  These states, shown above in blue , and listed in alphabetical order, are: Alabama, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,  New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah,  Washington,...

The shift in securities laws will make it easier to access capital for startups http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/jobs-act-win-for-minority-businesses-title-3/ Related articles WATCH: This Morning's Hearing On Crowdfunding & The JOBS Act Is A Big One Small Business Startup Funding And American JOBS Act Title III Outside the Box: 4 ways investing in startups will become easier for you Minority Business Development Agency Announces Record Client Performance

" African American buying power will increase 73 percent between 2000 and 2012, which not only overtakes the 60 percent increase in Caucasian buying power, but also the 67 percent rise in total buying power of all races combined. Two factors contributing to the gains include a 61 percent increase in black-owned businesses in the five-year period between 2002 and 2007 and 84 percent of blacks over 25 years of age completing high school or college – a sharp increase from 66 percent in 1990."  Related articles The Color of Money African Americans face financial challenges New Prudential study shows African Americans' wealth building weakened by competing financial priori In Colorado, Blacks Make Up 4 Percent Of The Population And 100 Percent Of Death Row

The University of California, Berkeley's Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership has conservatively estimated the size of the equity and debt based crowdfunding market to be at least $3.98B.  Professor Lee Fleming, Faculty Director of the Fung Institute, Academic Director of the Program and contributing author said, “While estimating the size of the future and currently non-existent market is a hazardous endeavor at best, we have presented a set of data, assumptions, and estimations that may prove useful. From the lenses of Angels, VCs and Small business lending we believe a market as large as $3.98B per year could rapidly evolve.” “While Venture Capitalist Fred Wilson added credibility to the concept of crowdfund investing by predicting crowdfund investing could amount to a $300B market, we believe that the market size may be much small yet equally impactful” said   Sherwood Neiss , co-founder of the Program for Innovation in Entrepreneurial and Social Finance and ...

What is the project about? My website will help single mom's and frustrated single dads with their out-of-control young boys.  Although we will help any single parent of any race we are targeting African American boys and young men. We will allow them access to Recorded and Live webinars featuring African American mentors from all walks of live.  Such as: police officers, Pastors, business owners, teachers, principals, mechanics, etc. There will be time for questions and answers, action plans for success and much more. We will also make ourselves available for phone or online one-on-one talk sessions to allow them to express themselves and have someone who cares listen. How will we use the funds? I will use 100% of the funds to expand the website and market to single parents online and newsprint. Why am I doing this? Because I work in our community and I understand that we are all good inside but some of us are misguided.  I've hired several people for my company ...

Crowdfunding News 4/27/13 Synergist Founder Hopes To Raise $25K Using The Company's Own ... TechCrunch Sites like Kickstarter have been used to crowdfund a wide range of projects, but I don't think they've ever done what Synergist is attempting today — they've never crowdfunded themselves. The site was founded by 17-year-old Jared Kleinert, who ... See all stories on this topic » Bill Clinton Touts Potential of Crowdfunding at Creativity Conference Variety WASHINGTON — Speaking at an MPAA , Microsoft and Time event called the Creativity Conference Friday, former President Bill Clinton talked up crowdfunding as a potentially important avenue for filmmakers and others to "make more messages that we ... See all stories on this topic » Tips from a 22 Year-Old Crowdfunding Veteran [Part I] - Crowdsourcing.org Crowdsourcing.org At age 22, Anthony Ng Monica has already completed two successful crowdfunding campaigns to fund his startup,...

At Blackcrowdfunding.net , we support  "The White House Champions of Change program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country who are " Winning the Future " with projects and initiatives that move their communities forward. This May, the White House Office of Public Engagement will host a Champions of Change event for entrepreneurs who exemplify the promise of crowdfunding to fuel the growth of startups and small businesses across the Nation. "Crowdfunding" means raising money in small increments from many individuals, typically using an Internet platform. Donation-based crowdfunding is already empowering many entrepreneurs, while investment-based crowdfunding platforms will soon be facilitated by the bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which the President signed one year ago and the SEC will implement. We are asking for your help to identify crowdfunding entrepreneurs who may be "Champio...

BlackCrowdfunding.net aims to solve the issues of African-American unemployment. "Crowdfunding sites have become increasingly popular over the years with entrepreneurs seeking financial support for their big ideas.   William Michael Cunningham , the founder of  BlackCrowdfunding.net , recently launched the new crowdfunding website specifically to help African-Americans, who are still unemployed at numbers higher than the national rate.... Cunningham will be teaching crowdfunding at the  D.C. Hive  (Home of Innovators, Visionaries, Entrepreneurs), located in Southeast D.C., and encouraging students to use the site as a tool to raise money." http://www.bet.com/news/national/2013/04/19/new-crowdfunding-site-supports-black-entrepreneurs.html Related articles Crowdfunding Is a New Website that Specializes in Helping African American and Female Entrepreneurs The Download: A crowdfunding site for black entrepreneurs Piggybackr Launches Its 'Kickstarter For Ki...

7 Strategies For Launching A Successful Crowdfunding Campaign 1.  Tell your story.  - Critical. 2.  Provide value for value. - Important. Include social value . 3.  Introduce scarcity. - (I disagree.) 4.  Create a marketing event. - This helps... 5.  Highlight examples of social proof.  - show social return..... 6.  Build credibility and legitimacy. - This should be second.... 7.  Interact with your supporters.  - Crowdfunding is all about the crowd... http://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2013/04/17/7-strategies-for-launching-a-successful-crowdfunding-campaign/ Related articles Piggybackr Launches Its 'Kickstarter For Kids' To Let Youth Get In On The Crowdfunding Wave Crowdfunding Expected to Drive Alternative Financing Market to More than $150 Billion by End of Year 2015 Bake Sale 2.0: PledgeCents Launches A Crowdfunding Platform To Help Underfunded Schools Raise Money New Crowdfunding Platform Rewards Creative ...

"We are a social service and job building program for chronically unemployed and hungry families. We train and equip people within the community to grow whole fresh foods for themselves and to sell their home grown produce for economic empowerment . Funding for our program will be used to train the unemployed to grow and produce whole foods for themselves and their families." http://www.blackcrowdfunding.net/en/projects/199

"Thomas Steinemann turned to crowdfunding to re-launch the Swiss watch brand DuBois et Fils when he was unable to find the equity needed. He raised CHF1.5 million ($1.57 million) in five months by selling shares via the Web. When Steinemann bought the dormant DuBois et Fils watch factory in 2010, he was convinced that banks and investors would follow him in recapitalising the company. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest Swiss watch factory and one of the oldest Swiss watch brands. Investor perks As a marketing professional, who successfully introduced the American Fossil watch brand to Switzerland in 1988 despite the economic crisis, he sensed the marketing potential of crowdfunding. “The idea of getting a lot of people involved is very powerful for a brand. It’s almost more important than finding the money,” he disclosed. The way Steinemann built his crowdfunding campaign was to propose a low buy-in with high benefits. For as little as CHF500, individuals not only...