Is crowdfunding like grant management?
Apparently, Steve
Wozniak has stopped participating in crowdfunding projects because he can't see
how the money is being spent. Among other things he said in an interview is
this: "I’ve actually turned away from self-funding for now. Kickstarter
and Indiegogo and those sort of things…You never get to see their accounting.
You never get to see how they used your money. It’s not like a real open
company."
This makes me think
of applying for and managing grants and donations. The funding sources want to
see how their money is spent, and they get irritated if money goes to overhead
costs rather than direct costs involved in moving the project forward. Many funding
sources I've encountered put conditions on use of the funds, including
reporting requirements. Excluded items can include overhead costs like
marketing and office equipment.
That makes sense,
because that kind of spending can become excessive, so funding sources want
some kind of accounting. There
are some who push back because groups like non-profits that depend on grants
can be hindered by not being able to use money where they see the most need.
What have you seen
that is a win-win solution, and how can it be applied to crowdfunding?