Other forms: crowdfunding; crowdfunded; crowdfunds
To crowdfund is to raise money for a specific project by getting small donations from a lot of people. The internet makes it fairly easy to crowdfund.
People crowdfund when they have creative ideas but not enough money to start a business, develop an invention, or complete a large art project. Sometimes, accidents and illnesses cause health problems that aren't covered by insurance, and people often crowdfund to help friends and family pay their medical bills. Crowdfund, first used around 2010, comes from crowd, "large group of people," and fund, "pay for or finance."