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Crowdfunding. The word itself wasn't even known less than a decade ago. But crowdfunding has become a powerful way to raise money.

EquityNet tells us that more than $20 billion in funding transactions will happen around the world this year. That is a 100% increase from $10 billion last year.

And the number of crowdfunding platforms and websites continues to grow: sites like IndieGoGo, GoFundMe, Kickstarter and Pledgie.

We're accosted¹ with all of those crowdfunding requests each time we go on Facebook or other social media. Is it all too much?

Michigan Radio's social media producer, Kimberly Springer, says crowdfunding has been around forever, with pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners and community events. The difference is that online funding makes it much more visible.

Springer says crowdfunding originated from start-ups and the idea of allowing people to invest in companies directly.

"We've somehow managed to translate that into investing in one another and, in a lot of ways, where institutions have failed us," she says.

But as fundraising online has increased, it can exhaust us to figure out who or what is worthy² of our money.

A campaign last year raised $55,000 on kickstarter to make potato salad, and this misuse³ of the medium has the potential to hurt campaigns that are more worthwhile.

For charity organizations, there is Charity Navigator that details how money is being utilized⁴. But for crowdfunding there is currently no way to truly verify that the money is being used properly, Springer says. Instead, you have to simply trust the source.

Sites may also be beginning to monitor what is being funded, and some have shown they are willing to close down campaigns. Last year GoFundMe took down a woman's campaign who was raising money for an abortion⁵. But interventions⁶ are rare. Springer says there are many questionable⁷ campaigns out there, often without an outline of how they will use the money.

As for the future of crowdfunding, Springer says,"I think it will continue along the lines of specialization and it's going to be up to us to just be really conscious about what makes us feel good in our giving and who do we want to help."

1 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

3 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

4 utilized   

v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the19th century waterpower was widely utilized to generate electricity. 在19世纪人们大规模使用水力来发电。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The empty building can be utilized for city storage. 可以利用那栋空建筑物作城市的仓库。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

6 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

7 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。