[sequoia]

    $10 for a sticker? $40 for a t-shirt? $1000 for a skateboard?

You are not "buying a sticker" or a t-shirt. The offer is "donate to this project and receive a 'thank you gift'." This is referred to as a "premium" and can be seen in the USA in Public Radio fund drives: "Give $60 and get an NPR mug" they are not "selling really expensive mugs," they are soliciting donations and giving gifts or "premiums" in exchange.

A premium is, basically by definition, worth much less than your donation. Giving a premium with a $100 cash value for a $100 donation would not be a good way to raise money. ;)

[avree]

My understanding is that Kickstarter is a funding platform, not a donation platform.

Funding and donation have very different connotations.

[sequoia]

actually I'd like to hear more about this because it looks like a donation platform to me and I'm confused about this. You give money -> don't necessarily get anything in return, this alone fits the definition of "donation" to me. When you do get "premiums", they are typically worth far less than the value of your donation (stickers for $20, eat lunch with the team for $5k etc.). Again this fits the donation model.

I'm referring to "donation" model vs. "goods/services exchanged for money" model. I think both of those can be "funding." Anyway I am very interested in this perspective and in particular why someone wouldn't consider giving money in exchange for as little as nothing a "donation."