Crowdfunding site enables supporters to volunteer their time

Peoplefund.it is a crowdfunding site from KEO Films that's designed to connect fledgling community projects with people interested in supporting them.

Longtime Springwise readers may recall the Landshare campaign from KEO films, an effort we covered back in 2009 that aims to match would-be gardeners with landowners willing to share their arable land. That initiative is apparently still going strong, but recently we came across another one by the same UK-based team: Peoplefund.it, a crowdfunding site that’s designed to connect fledgling community projects with people interested in supporting them. Visitors to Peoplefund.it can browse the many young projects listed on the site — they’re organized into categories including energy, food, health, community, environment and recreation — or they can search for projects based on popularity, location or keywords. Each project page includes a video, description, target funding amount and deadline. When visitors find a project that grabs their interest, they can donate as little as GBP 1 to become a supporter. Funds are only withdrawn if and when the project’s target amount is met, and depending on the amount of money pledged, projects promise backers a pre-specified reward, much like on Kickstarter. What sets the platform apart from other similar services, however, is that supporters can also get involved in projects they’re passionate about by volunteering their time and skills. Peoplefund.it uses the GoCardless’ “one-off” Direct Debit payment system, and only when projects get fully funded does it charge its 5 percent administration fee. GoCardless, meanwhile, charges a 3 percent transaction fee. Currently, however, Peoplefund.it is open for use only by those in the UK — one to partner with or emulate in your area? Spotted by: Jake Lea-Wilson