How crowdfunding is breathing life into the afterlife with new memorial possibilities.

Odds are, you’ve come across Kickstarter in recent years. A crowdfunding website that lets anyone raise money from anyone else for creative and entrepreneurial projects, Kickstarter has facilitated the production of tens of thousands of inventions, films, books, and more since 2009. If you browse the site for even a few minutes, you can find a little bit of everything — so perhaps it's no surprise that Kickstarter is helping breathe new creative life into the memorialization industry.

From big, techy products to small objects of remembrance, new ideas about how to pay tribute to our loved ones who’ve died are finding their legs via crowdfunding.

Legacy talked recently with the creative minds behind three successful Kickstarter campaigns that have given rise to some new tools for honoring the lives of those we’ve lost. We learned where these entrepreneurs found their inspiration, why they turned to Kickstarter for funding, and how they've fared since their projects met their funding goals.

Upcycling the Life Cycle

Incube

Wearing Your Emotions

Ritual End

Holding Family Close

With You Lockets

From Inspiration to Entrepreneurship

Linnea Crowther is Legacy's senior writer. Read more stories by Linnea:

• Find an Obituary for a Specific Person
• Guide to Writing an Obituary
• How to Write a Eulogy
• 9 of the Best Eulogies