Looking to Turn a Profit— One Good Cause at a Time

A wave of entrepreneurs are trying to turn a profit by helping good causes find donors to back them. The tool they use is called niche crowd-funding. Entrepreneurs set up websites for very specific types of charitable projects, like supporting small farmers in developing nations or helping victims of natural disasters. People who need backers can put fund-raising pitches on the site—and the entrepreneurs take a cut of whatever money they raise.