How do sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo work? The idea is simple—an inventor, artist, or activist looking to raise money for a cause uses the site to create a page for that project. People can pledge to support the project, but the money actually only changes hands once a project fully reaches its goal. Otherwise, prospective donors lose nothing out of pocket. The sites take a small commission, usually about 5 percent, on completed projects. Active campaigns are placed on the front pages of each site. The applications for crowdfunding are diverse, from art installations, to movies, to political action projects, to inventions. All you need is an idea that investors believe is worth their money. Crowdfunding is quickly becoming a mainstay in nearly all of these fields. Kickstarter has financed more installation art projects than the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, and several of the biggest Kickstarter projects to date have been movie projects that have struggled to gain traction at Hollywood studios, like the Veronica Mars movie project ($5.7 million) and Zach Braff’s prospective film “Wish I Was