Long used by musicians and film makers to finance their projects, scientists and environmentalists are increasingly using crowdfunding to realise their goals.

Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular fundraising method where social media is used to seek small donations from a large number of supporters to raise a set amount of money.

General manager of Australian crowdfunding website Pozible Claire Merquita said she had seen huge growth in the number of environmental campaigns and scientific research projects using the service.

She said a range of scientific research had been successfully funded through the site, from a project looking at edible seaweed to a trial using maggots to treat skin ulcers.

Australian research organisations and environmental groups have crowdfunded dozens of projects, with some raising tens of thousands of dollars.

"We've been surprised to see how popular it is," Ms Merquita told 774 ABC Melbourne's Richelle Hunt.

Ms Merquita said the campaigns gave the general public a rare insight into the work of researchers, who she said were often "cloistered" in laboratories away from the public eye.

"When you give the public the opportunity to actually find out what's going on they're really interested and it's been rewarding to see," she said.

Ms Merquita said crowdfunding was suited to projects that were unable to attract finance from banks or government grants.

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Melbourne beekeeper Benedict Hughes used crowdfunding last year, successfully raising more than $6,000 for his project Bringing back the bees.

The project saw 20 new beehives built in Woodend at Taranaki Farm and in Brunswick at the CERES Environment Park to aid in the pollination of local plants.

Mr Hughes said the small amount of money involved meant crowdfunding was an easier option than approaching corporate benefactors or chasing government grants.

"Because it was a small community-based program I felt that the community itself would support it, and that was proven to be correct," Mr Hughes said.

Workshops give insight into crowdfunding success

Budding scientists, environmental groups and others interested in crowdfunding their projects are invited to attend a free workshop on how to run a crowdfunding campaign to be held in Melbourne on July 20.

"We talk about why you should crowdfund and whether it's even appropriate for your particular project," Ms Merquita said.

She said crowdfunding had moved beyond being a novelty and the general public were becoming more comfortable with the concept.

"It doesn't seem like such an alien thing to most people, although we did receive a handwritten cheque in the mail the other day from someone who obviously did not really get the concept," she said.

But she added it was important to raise as much money as possible from your own network before reaching out to strangers.

"People are always more likely to give if they see that a project is already going to be successful," she said.