By: Kelsey Rugani

Reset follows crowdfunding ideas pretty closely. With state and local governments still struggling to pay bills – new money needs to come from somewhere, right? Even President Barack Obama has been getting on the crowdfunding bandwagon, promoting crowdsourcing at the White House and crowdfunding in his new economic development work.

That’s why we read with interest when recently BuzzFeed and General Electric looked to the web to show how crowdfunding and crowdsourcing combined with Internet technology are changing our economy, our government and our society.

Viral story tracker BuzzFeed highlighted the “10 Incredible Kickstarter Projects That Could Change the World.” The projects range from the Skylight smartphone-microscope adapter that helps users capture and share their discoveries to the Bonobo Chat app that lets monkeys communicate with iPads. Their post not only shared amazing Kickstarter projects but also proved the strength of crowdfunding – with many of the featured projects exceeding their goal pledges.

GE, on the other hand, is showing the power of crowdsourcing through its #WhatWorks Project Contest, which supports local projects that are moving our economy forward. Through the #WhatWorks site, people can post photos, descriptions, and captions of what is working in their community regarding different weekly topics. For example, this week, site visitors can share renewable and clean energy ideas.

Companies like Kickstarter and GE are not only promoting entrepreneurial success, they are promoting a way to do business that could change our world. By using the power of crowds, whether through fundraising or collecting ideas, we can all work together to make our communities better and kickstart ourselves into action!

What are your favorite Kickstarter projects and ideas that work in your community? Email them to [email protected] or share them in the comments section below!