Crowdfunding is increasingly used to raise flexible funds for health-care and health communication projects; however, its significance is not limited to fundraising. As a communication strategy, crowdfunding enables project leaders to articulate the social value of their activities, reach potential supporters, and build an enduring base of fans to support projects. Following a presentation at the Fourth Annual Symposium of the Japanese Association of Health Marketing, this article summarizes current trends in medical crowdfunding and discusses their application to health communication projects. Successful crowdfunding requires appropriate project design, a compelling story with social significance, and continuous communication with supporters. In health-care settings, it is also necessary to build an operational team involving leadership, public relations, accounting, and frontline staff. Hence, crowdfunding can contribute to obtaining flexible resources, increasing public awareness, broadening donor participation, and motivating project members. As private donors are attracted to emotionally compelling stories, public funding is essential for socially critical issues that are difficult to narrativize. Therefore, crowdfunding should be positioned as one element of a diversified and sustainable funding strategy for successful health communication.
