Crowdfunding the Welfare State: Motivations and Outcomes in Canadian Health and Education Online Fundraising

• In Event: 1122 - Section on Inequality, Poverty, and Mobility Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 03. Poverty, Health and Environment

Abstract

Crowdfunding, the practice of fundraising through numerous, often small contributions on dedicated websites, has become a significant funding mechanism for organizations and individuals. Although proponents describe it as an empowering practice from which anyone can benefit, crowdfunding raises pressing sociological concerns, particularly in education and healthcare, areas where state supports for individuals have come under increasing threat in both the United States and Canada. Why do people turn to the internet to support their health and education needs? Are there winners and losers in this process? Does the rise of crowdfunding for social needs point to gaps in the welfare state? To begin to answer these questions, this paper presents the empirical findings of a mixed methods analysis of Canadian crowdfunding campaigns for individual health and education expenses, 2011–2014. Findings suggest that funding campaign success is associated with users' demographic attributes and access to social networks, and that crowdfunding constitutes a new venue for the reproduction of inequality in online spaces. Understanding who turns to crowdfunding and what determines campaign success can help policymakers better serve public needs in these areas and recognize novel ways in which technological developments benefit the public inequitably.

Authors

• Martin Lukk, University of Toronto

• Erik Schneiderhan, University of Toronto

• Joanne Soares, University of Toronto-Mississauga