"UK to create trustmark for app businesses in 'sharing economy'", Financial Times
"Minimum requirements for the UK trustmark will be set by a team from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford university’s Said Business School, working in partnership with the recently created trade body Sharing Economy UK," the FT reports. Business secretary Sajid Javid backs the move, noting his commitment to making the UK a friendly place for a robust crowdfunding economy. The trustmark would aim to give users of services like taxi-alternative Uber and crowdfunding and peer-to-peer sites more confidence in which services to choose.
"Kiva Co-founder on the Future of Microfinance," Mic
In a Q&A, Jessica Jackley sounds off on Kiva's success, the future of microfinance and her new book. Of the industry's future, she says: "As it is with many things these days, it will be more mobile and lighter weight. There will be different ways of categorizing and weighting reputation, not just in terms of credit scoring."
"Smithsonian Resorts To Kickstarter to Restore Armstrong Spacesuit," Buzzfeed
The Smithsonian, the United States' premier historical and preservation organization, has turned to Kickstarter to fund the restoration and display of the spacesuit Neil Armstrong wore on the moon. The institution has funding to preserve the suit, but hopes to raise $500,000 to prepare the suit for display during the moonwalk's 50th anniversary in 2019. It's the first of several planned collaborations with Kickstarter, museum officials stated.
"Crowdfunding as a vehicle for protest," Los Angeles Times
Individuals supporting both liberal and conservative causes and individuals have turned to crowdfunding to show their support, in addition to or even instead of other forms of protest and solidarity. The Times sites several high profile examples of campaigns, successful and not, to use crowdfunding to support anti-gay businesses and police officers accused (and in some cases convicted) of racist violence.