If you’re interested in investigative journalism then here’s an (American) idea for helping find the funds to build your story even if you don’t work for an employer willing to cough up the cash.

It’s called spot.us and, as its website explains below, provides a forum for you to pitch your idea and see if anyone is willing to donate cash to help put it into action. Pity there’s not a UK version, or at least as far as I can find.

“Spot.Us is a nonprofit project to pioneer “community funded reporting.” Through Spot.Us the public can commission investigations with tax deductible donations for important and perhaps overlooked stories. If a news organization buys exclusive rights to the content, donations are reimbursed. Otherwise content is made available through a Creative Commons license.”

Website is at http://spot.us/