Summary: Wouldn't it be cool to make money from your podcast? Not a lot, just enough to pay your monthly hosting fees. Or maybe you want to pay your contributors or buy some new microphones or just get a cup of coffee for your effort. That would be sweet. Crowdfunding has become a popular way for podcasters, journalists and artists to raise money from their audience in order to pay for worthy projects. While many people have found great success with crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com), Indiegogo (https://www.indiegogo.com/#/picks_for_you) and GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com), those platforms are all built around single, fundraising campaigns. They're great to get startup capital, but what about providing sustaining income for an ongoing product, such as a podcast? One crowdfunding platform that does just that is Patreon (https://www.patreon.com), which allows fans of an artist or podcaster to provide support through monthly contributions. I interviewed Jordan Cope of Patreon at the 2016 Podcast Movement conference in Chicago. He explained how Patreon works and the simple way it can provide sustainability for a growing podcast. — Michael O'Connell (mailto:moconnell207@gmail.com)
