If you would have told me a few years ago that a website devoted to crowdfunding would have surpassed $1 billion in public pledges, I would have told you that you were crazy. Nevertheless, Kickstarter announced on Monday it did just that. Here’s another startling fact, more than half of the pledges were received in the past 12 months. This must be a good thing.

I have talked about Kickstarter a number of times before, but now more than ever, I urge you to pick a few projects and donate a buck a piece. I think it would add a whole new dimension to your life if you checked out several business prospects on a regular basis (you decide the frequency) and contribute to their causes. For your token gesture, you get to be part of their growth.

You don’t get to own a piece of the company but you do get bragging rights. Most projects usually send donors a little something as a symbol of their appreciation.

Before Kickstarter and other crowd sourcing sites, the general public was not privy to startups like these. I think as older Americans we should help them. You can search by product category, city, and other key words.

You won’t be alone, Kickstarter pledges came from 5,708,578 people in 224 countries across seven continents.

Wednesdays are also the best day for pledging. I don’t know why.