The Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA) is a non-profit organization which facilitates crowdfunding education to the global community. Their mission is to connect stakeholders to the community helping them to raise money for their start-ups and spur job creation through their support of small business ventures. Since its creation in 2012, CfPA has seen many changes which have benefited small business and job creation through the passage of JOBS acts through Congress which allow it to more effectively implement its mission to create jobs through the support of small business ventures and start-ups.

Investment crowdfunding has seen significant growth and state adopted crowdfunding statutes have been implemented in 18 states with another 21 considering similar legislation for their states. CfPA takes its mission to serve as a resource center seriously and supports the engagement with state and federal regulators and steps up to fill its role to advocate in Congress. Their efforts have changed the face of crowdfunding and the legislation which has been enacted since its creation has allowed crowdfunding to grow and expand.

Interested stakeholders and entrepreneurial innovators have been able to work together more efficiently. Crowdfunding for accredited investors has seen fantastic gains since the JOBS Act in 2012 due to CfPA’s momentum, unaccredited investors will hopefully be following suit in the near future. It has been demonstrated outside of the US that these groups’ investments in start-ups and other ventures in their beginning stages combined with regulation can work to spur economic growth.

The CfPA and its actions have supported the crowdfunding industry to help create many of the small businesses, which are successful today. These businesses may not have otherwise managed to launch or expand had they not been able to make use of crowdfunding as they may not have been able to get start-up loans or capital from other areas. Speaking of expanding, CfPA has decided to expand its Board of Directors rather drastically from 3 to 13 members due to the success they have had. This larger board will allow them to advance their core mission more effectively and facilitate the crowdfunding community’s plans for the future.

The timing on this is, in part, due to Title IV of the JOBS Act, otherwise known as Regulation A+, which is set to be enacted in June 2015. This will allow CfPA to expand its reach and assist the crowdfunding community in reaching all new levels. While crowdfunding hasn’t been around for a long time, huge gains have been made for both investors and those on the receiving end.

The CfPA knows there is a lot of work left to be done before it can realize its dreams of being the “a vibrant center of innovation and entrepreneurial activity and democratization of investment opportunities,” but its recent expansion is a huge step toward that goal and the fulfilling of dreams for the entrepreneurial community. If not for their efforts, many of the small businesses that provide employment for people across the nation would possibly have never opened their doors.

We encourage you to join CfPA today and take advantage of the tools and resources available. Network with industry professional and get involved to help grow the crowdfunding ecosystem.