TY - JOUR

T1 - Crowdfunding sustainable entrepreneurship

T2 - What are the characteristics of crowdfunding investors?

AU - Tenner, Isabell Maria

AU - Hörisch, Jacob

N1 - This work was supported by the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (grant number 34844 ). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2021/3/25

Y1 - 2021/3/25

N2 - By addressing the financing gap for sustainable entrepreneurs, crowdfunding holds great potential to tackle environmental and social issues. Characterizing the target group of crowdfunding projects can enhance their funding success because a higher number of supporters can be attracted. Still, little knowledge is available about the types of supporters who invest in sustainability-oriented crowdfunding projects. Therefore, this study identifies such supporters’ socio-demographic characteristics and individual values based on Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. Drawing on a data set of 282 respondents from the German population, the typical supporter of sustainability-oriented crowdfunding projects is young, well-educated, familiar with crowdfunding and holds low levels of self-enhancement and conservative values. Based on these insights, recommendations are made for project initiators, as well as platform providers, which include specifically targeting younger, well-educated individuals with rather liberal and less-conservative values.

AB - By addressing the financing gap for sustainable entrepreneurs, crowdfunding holds great potential to tackle environmental and social issues. Characterizing the target group of crowdfunding projects can enhance their funding success because a higher number of supporters can be attracted. Still, little knowledge is available about the types of supporters who invest in sustainability-oriented crowdfunding projects. Therefore, this study identifies such supporters’ socio-demographic characteristics and individual values based on Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. Drawing on a data set of 282 respondents from the German population, the typical supporter of sustainability-oriented crowdfunding projects is young, well-educated, familiar with crowdfunding and holds low levels of self-enhancement and conservative values. Based on these insights, recommendations are made for project initiators, as well as platform providers, which include specifically targeting younger, well-educated individuals with rather liberal and less-conservative values.

KW - Sustainability sciences, Management & Economics

KW - crowdfunding

KW - supporters

KW - sustainability

KW - characteristics

KW - basic human value

KW - sustainable entrepreneurship

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85099233569&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125667

DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125667

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 290

JO - Journal of Cleaner Production

JF - Journal of Cleaner Production

SN - 0959-6526

M1 - 125667

ER -