Crowdfunding for sustainable development: comparing stand-alone and combined applications

Sustainable crowdfunding practices (SCPs) are presented to analyse how and to what extent crowdfunding is able to promote sustainable development, when applied both stand-alone and in combination with other crowd and open-based technologies. Results show that the use of crowdfunding for enhancing sustainability is still episodic, with only six SCPs identified: despite its potential in promoting sustainability-oriented innovation, its use in the business context is still little exploited. Notably, the combination with other technologies enhances trust, commitment and a shared sustainable value creation process, working at the intersection of environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability and enhancing sustainability-oriented innovation.