Best In Crowdfunding: June 2013

I've scoured the internet's top crowdfunding sites, trying to find projects I think are most deserving of my contribution. It proved to be a much harder task than I had anticipated! While there are plethora of great ideas, I found that most of them aren't intended to improve the lives of others, which is really what I was looking for. After hours of browsing, I've found some really wonderful projects. Here are my 5 favorites this month. Take a look and see if you want to contribute to any of them. You might even nab a little something for yourself!


Ecorithmic
Sometimes, the things that technology is capable of accomplishing absolutely blow my mind. Learning about this mobile app is one of those times! The Ecorithmic app will help users to be more fuel-efficient drivers. It will record regular driving routes, taking into account elevation, traffic signals, speed limit changes, and more, and then instruct the driver how to shift gears or ease off the gas at certain points during the route to use less fuel. Mind. Blown.
Campaign Goal: £140,000
Deadline: July 9
Platform: Kickstarter

Just Food
This brand was developed by a woman whose young son suffers from a medical condition that requires him to be tube-fed. She developed a line of additive-free, shelf-stable tube meals because all that had been available was manufactured processed food product. Her son's health increased when she started blending the meals for him, and a business idea was born. If, like me, you are lucky enough to NOT have someone in your life who requires tube feeding, your purchased meals will be donated to a child who needs them. If I ever have a child or loved one who has to be tube fed, I'll be so glad to know that this company is out there!
Campaign Goal: $10,000
Deadline: July 15
Platform: IndieGoGo

Library for All
I'm impressed by the lofty objectives of this campaign. The idea is simple: to give school children in developing countries access to an expansive digital library. I can only imagine how difficult it would be, logistically, to coordinate such an effort. Seems like the major elements would be getting the cooperation of major publishers, and also giving developing communities access via affordable reading devices. The creators behind this campaign seem to have a handle on both. I really believe that education is the key to bettering our world, and this would be a giant step.
Campaign Goal: $100,000
Deadline: July 13
Platform: Kickstarter

Real Value
They had me at "what's the real cost of cheap?" The core message of this documentary is that it really is so very important to be AWARE of where the things we buy and eat are coming from, and what the affects of our purchasing decisions really are. I absolutely can not wait to watch this movie. More importantly, I can not WAIT to make my friends and family watch it. Check out the trailer, below.
Campaign Goal: $10,000
Deadline: July 4
Platform: Kickstarter

Sole Power
This is another impressive example of what technology can do. These shoe insoles capture the kinetic energy of foot steps and store it in a battery pack that can be used to charge mobile or electronic devices. Genius. Not only will it save power, but it can also enable individuals in developing countries to have access to electronic devices. The creators ultimately want to use a "buy one, give one" buying platform to distribute the insoles to those places.
Campaign Goal: $50,000
Deadline: July 18
Platform: Kickstarter



If you love the idea of funding these and other deserving projects or individuals, be sure to check out these sites too:

• Kiva - Connects lenders to borrowers around the world, helping to fund small businesses in developing countries, education, and more.
• Sprigster - The "Boost a Hero" project is a crowdfunding platform for military veterans.
• Unglue.it - Contribute money to the copyright holder of your favorite book to have a free, licensed electronic edition made available to everyone!