Nesta launches crowdfunding directory

Nesta has launched, Crowdingin.com, an online directory which lists all the crowdfunding sites in the UK and allows users, who are either looking to raise finance or provide finance, to filter by the type of funding being sought and the sectors that platforms specialise in.

The filter criteria on the website are:

Sector and area of interest:

• Business finance - access to finance for start-ups or established businesses
• Social good - finance for projects that deliver a significant benefit to society
• Arts-creative - finance for projects that have creativity at their core

Crowdfunding model:

• Donation - fund projects by getting small donations from a large number of people
• Reward - source small amounts from individuals in exchange for reward
• Lending - borrow from the crowd with individuals contributing small parts of the overall loan amount
• Equity - seek investment from the crowd in exchange for a share in your business or project.

Nesta has also published a how-to guide to crowdfunding, entitled Working the Crowd, which can be downloaded at www.nesta.org.uk/areas_of_work/economic_growth/crowdfunding/assets/features/working_the_crowd.