9 Kickstarter Campaigns Better Than Potato Salad

On Monday, news went viral that a man started a small Kickstarter campaign for the important cause of...making the perfect potato salad. Yes, the perfect potato salad. What exactly said potato salad will look like has yet to be determined — but he is asking people to help him fund-raise money for the venture, regardless. Originally, Zack Danger Brown only asked for $10, but his Kickstarter campaign has already managed to raise more than $40,000. This is the crowdfunding model at work, people.

But lest you think Kickstarter is all a wash, it's important to remember that it's still a great website that allows people to contribute to the important projects they'd like to see brought to life in the real world. Backers usually get "rewards" as a result of their contribution as well, but mostly, they get to contribute out of interest, or the goodness of their hearts. Everything from the arts to food, fashion, film, and technology product ideas has its place in the realm of Kickstarter.

We thought now would be a good time to take a look at some other (perhaps more worthy) projects to support. Yes, some of these are food-related, but each idea is a little more heartwarming or useful than the perfect potato salad.

Here's what you might consider investing in:

Invest in Charging Your Phone

The idea is simple enough, but extremely smart, innovative, and efficient: The Go Kin packs would allow people to charge their electronics simply by walking. These things will not only help out the people who are addicted to their smartphones (like myself), but also just get folks moving in general.

Invest in a Vegan Travel Show

With VegOut, a proposed new travel show, people will get to see which restaurants around the world offer great vegan options. The rewards for donating range from bumper stickers, to T-shirts, to one of the best rewards of all time: cinnamon rolls. (Vegan, of course, but still delicious.)

Invest in Gluten-Free, Vegan Doughnuts

This campaign stands out for being started by a 12-year-old girl who's determined to start a vegan, gluten-free baked doughnut business. Wouldn't you rather give your money to her dream?

Invest in Helping Kids Love Themselves

This new book aims to help kids understand, accept, and appreciate diversity. The first book that campaign creator Morgan Cruise is writing is about being African-American, but she hopes to create a series of diverse books for kids of all ethnicities around the country.

Invest in the Keurig for Beer

Okay, so this project is already fully funded, but it's so awesome that people should probably just keep giving. Do you like the Keurig? Getting coffee in an instant in whatever flavors you enjoy? Well how about the same idea but for beer? The SYNEK is a draft system that serves fresh-from-the-tap beer whenever you want it. Do I really even need to keep explaining?

Invest in Your Pelvic Floor

Ladies, have you done your kegel exercises today? If not, Minna Life has created the kGoal, an interactive training system for pelvic floor exercise that gets people excited about performing a strange-feeling workout. Sounds — at the very least — interesting?

Invest in Your Very Own 3-D Printer

How cool would it be to actually have a 3-D printer in your own home? MOTA wants to give you the chance to have just that. The company's campaign is to attempt to make 3-D printers with great precision that are affordable for most homes at a pretty reasonable $99. If you back the project, rewards include limited-edition printers, as well as trips to the company's headquarters for high-level funders.

invest in a transgender comedy series

Amy Fox and Trembling Void Studios have created the new hilarious and poignant transgender comedy series The Switch. The series Su, a trans woman who is unemployed and crashing on her friend's couch. It's about time TV represented the transgender community by giving people a show that features a transgender person front and center. This campaign aims to be that show.

Invest in Bringing Film to the World

Best friends (and total heartthrobs) Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna bring you Ambulante, a rogue tour across the U.S. that would help bring documentary cinema to new, broader audiences. It's about time documentaries get the coverage they deserve. Plus, higher-level backers get the chance to hang with Bernal and Luna. Sign me up.