Think you have the next big idea but lack the resources to make it happen? Crowdfunding sites might be your best shot. Sites such as Kick- starter, Indiegogo, RocketHub, and Crowdrise have led the growth of crowd- funding from $530 million in 2009 to almost $2.7 billion in 2012, and will reach $5 billion and beyond by the start of 2014. The Internet is the ideal medium for crowdfunding because it allows individuals and organizations in need of funds and investors to reach one another from all over the globe. 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 com- pleted projects. Active campaigns are placed on the front pages of each site. The applications for crowdfunding are diverse, from art installations, to movies, to politi- cal action projects, to inventions. All you need is an idea that investors believe is worth their money. Crowdfunding is quickly becoming a main- stay 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 strug- gled to gain traction at Hollywood studios, like the Veronica Mars movie project ($5.7 million) and Zach Braff’s prospective film