Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing highlights local crowdsourcing campaigns. To find the events, go to the designated website and search by title. 

Beacon Soccer Field patronicity.com/project/beacon_ field 

A crowdfunding campaign to create Beacon Soccer Field in downtown Lansing kicked off on April 24 with a goal of raising $60,000 by May 22. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation will contribute a matching $60,000 to the campaign, but only if the all-or-nothing Patronicity goal is met. The campaign has raised just over $30,000 with nine days remaining to raise the rest.

Beacon Soccer Field would be a community-owned space in Ferris Park at the corner of Shiawassee and Walnut streets. More than 5,000 kids in the Lansing area are involved in youth soccer programs, which usually cost money to join. Beacon Soccer Field’s mission is to make soccer available for everyone by providing a free and accessible field for the community, while also drawing people into the city of Lansing.

The field’s plan is based on models for South African mini urban soccer fields, and it would serve as a multipurpose space for soccer games, health and fitness programs and community activities. The long-term goal is to establish many more soccer fields like Beacon Soccer Field outside of Lansing to promote health and to connect communities through the sport.

“Soccer is a global sport that bridges communities,” said Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero. “With the community’s support, this field, located in the heart of downtown Lansing, will be a place where people from all backgrounds can come play a sport they love.”

The 517 Coffee Co. indiegogo.com/projects/ the-517-coffee-company

The 517 Coffee Co., started in 2014 by husband and wife duo James and Amanda Defrees, roasts and sells coffee sourced from farms in Central and South America and Africa. James began roasting coffee in his home before moving his roasting operation into the kitchen of Hannah’s Koney Island in East Lansing.

The company created a crowdfunding campaign, with a goal of raising $10,000 by May 29, to help provide paid internships to underemployed youth in the Greater

Lansing area. The unemployment rate for youth in the US, as of March 2015, is 12.3 percent with even higher rates in inner city areas. Through paid internships, the 517 Coffee Co. hopes to help young people learn employment skills, life skills and earn job experience.

“After hearing numerous stories from teens and young adults in our community of the obstacles they face when seeking employment, we thought ‘what would it look like to start a business that would intentionally equip our youth to be the best employees, business owners and citizens they can be?’” James Defrees said.

Giving levels range from $10 up to $2,000, and supporters can receive coffee subscriptions, invitations to a coffee tasting party and personalized t-shirts and mugs.