Everyone at The Local Crowd lives and loves local.  Since 2014, the founders have been making the case for using rewards-based crowdfunding as a community development tool that offers direct support to local businesses. This month we celebrate the work of the dedicated team at the Wyoming Arts Alliance in furthering the opportunities available to all the participants in Wyoming’s creative economy. The Local Crowd is proud of the projects that have appeared on our platform over the past 10 years representing makers and shakers in local ecosystems supporting the creative economy.

• Contributes just over 6.1% to global GDP.
• Averages between 2% - 7% of national GDPs around the world.
• Generates annual revenues of over $2 trillion.
• Accounts for nearly 50 million jobs worldwide; over half are women.
• Employs more people ages 15-29 than any other sector.
• Television and the visual arts make up the largest industries of the creative economy in terms of revenue.
• Visual arts and music are the largest industries in terms of employment.

SOURCE: The Policy Circle (https://www.thepolicycircle.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/The-Creative-Economy-Executive-Summary.pdf)  

In Wyoming, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that arts and cultural production accounts for $1,196,244,000 (2.9%) of the Wyoming economy, contributing 11,461 jobs. (https://nasaa-arts.org/nasaa_research/creative-economy-state-profiles/)

A concerted effort to identify innovative tools, programs, and services specific to the needs of this economic segment, could bolster growth in this creative economy. TLC crowdfunding platform is just one example of a financial tool that can assist entrepreneurs and economic developers in pulling together the resources to package and promote relevant programs.

Digital crowdfunding began as a way for artists to reach out to their fan base for the funds needed to get their projects done. TLC continues that tradition by encouraging artists and creative economy folks to launch their ideas with a campaign on the TLC platform. Big Horn Records, featured below, is just one example. What about you? Do you have an idea for a crowdfunding campaign to support arts and culture? Click the link below and let’s get started!

Big Horn Records is a Wyoming-based Recording Label. The collective aim of Big Horn Records crowdfunding campaign was to support Wyoming-based artists in the country western genre and assist them with creating strategic release cycles, releasing new music, organizing tours, and securing press coverage. Their crowdfunding campaign helped with costs associated with securing and supporting Wyoming-based artists. These costs included management and lawyer fees as well as an artist advance. This campaign raised $10,350 and was over it's original goal by 3%!

Help build the local movement by supporting the Choose Indie Local campaign! Live now, and more than halfway to their goal (yay!), you can help them get to the finish line! Here’s an excerpt from their campaign description, "Led locally but aligned nationally, the American Independent Business Alliance's (AMIBA) Choose Indie Local program transcends the word "shop." We envision individuals engaging with this movement at all levels -- not just as shoppers but as investors, creators, owners, and Indie Local champions -- inspired by independent businesses' impact on community health and wealth. To meet our partners' needs better, we will develop an online platform to help them build more effective campaigns, access best practices, and connect with other national leaders. Ultimately, our platform would cultivate a community of practice to meet shared goals and build our movement collectively."

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