When it first appeared as a technique for fundraising, crowdfunding attracted a lot of attention and enthusiasm, and indeed in many cases it has worked very well. I’m aware of a successful example close to home. The wonderful old art deco cinema in Sawtell on the NSW North Coast was in danger of being sold and demolished until a diverse group of cinema lovers banded together to raise cash (a lot of cash) and to sell shares in a new company to buy the cinema. The full story