Despite its super-smart concept for crowdfunding creative projects, Kickstarter doesn’t always inspire. Donate twenty bucks to get that girl from high school’s ska band a new amp? Nah. Support your roommate’s boyfriend’s recreation of Jackass II in his studio apartment? No can do. But here are six Brooklyn Kickstarter projects we can get behind, starting with a brand new campaign to send the Atlantic Yards documentary Battle for Brooklyn to the Oscars. The film is one of 14 films shortlisted for the best doco category, and filmmakers Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley have turned to the funding platform for an extra push to get their movie in front of nominators (at least $9K). If you haven’t seen Battle, check it on Dec. 13 at the IFC Film Centre in the West Village, and donate here. That’s not the only worthwhile Brooklyn project on Kickstarter, where 1,000 of the 15,000 campaigns funded since 2009 were hatched here in Kings County. (Or maybe more, since some people list their location as NYC.) Here are five more we’re rooting for:

PROJECT 2: FIND RUBULAD A HOME
Even if you haven’t been to a Rubulad bash, you’ve definitely heard about them. My first exposure came from a friend’s 3 AM drunken text (mistypes corrected for the sake of clarity): “Wearing fairy wings in a warehouse filled with stuffed animals. I don’t think there’s a ceiling?” The trippy theme-party powerhouse throws regular installation art-infused dance parties in shifting and undisclosed spaces around the borough, and they go hard. The problem? They need a dedicated space, and they can’t afford it. If you’re willing to help “keep the party alive,” Rubulad will show its appreciation with a limited edition tee or original artwork.

Behold the Loomi.

PROJECT 3: SEED A GROOVY DANISH LIGHT FIXTURE 
Apartment feeling a little dim lately? The creators of Loomi have invented a self-described “modular, makeable, paintable, recyclable light” to set the mood while remaining eco-conscious. Inspired by an expired patent from the ’70s, these glowing orbs are made from SBS card stock instead of the original plastic. The best part? You get to customize the products to suit your every ornamental whim. A $45 donation gets you not just the light but also the electrical fixture and free shipping.

PROJECT 4: HELP OTHERS AVOID UNNECESSARY GRAD SCHOOL DEGREES
You may know Kio Stark’s name from the Brooklyn buzz around her debut novel, Follow Me Down, from the NYC-local publishing community Red Lemonade. Her new project, Don’t Go Back to School, instructs users in the best ways to achieve career goals without paying NYU instructors a cent to listen to their advice in a lecture hall. The grad school dropout schools readers with this handbook on the art of self-teaching with expert insight on everything from coding to neurology. Backers receive a learn-o-gram or copy of the book and are spared thousands in misspent tuition fees.

PROJECT 5: HELP GET THE NEWS OUT
The brains (and formidable brains they are) behind Newsmotion are dedicated to building a better news model so that important stories around the world get told and read regardless of how far they are outside CNN’s coverage areas. In addition to creating and distributing content on under-reported topics, the folks at Newsmotion are building open-source storytelling technology that will enable citizen journalists anywhere to report the news reliably and accurately. In addition to creating the news interface, funds from this Kickstarter project will also go toward media training for at-risk youth, low-wage workers, and immigrants. Help the team of tech scholars, writers, and producers raise $35,000 and help reinvent the future of journalism.

PROJECT 6: GROW VEGETABLES IN YOUR WINDOWSILL
In a slew of urban agriculture DIY projects, only a handful are truly practical, and even fewer are affordable (compost boxes in the bedroom, anyone?). Developed by a team of “ordinary people,” Windowfarms are a solution to growing your own vegetables using readily available resources. All you need to do is snap the column together, set it in your windowsill, and start nurturing your baby plants with the included nutrients. This project with a $200,000 goal provides the feel-good benefit of creating more local green jobs. Purchase a windowfarm through Kickstarter by Wednesday, December 7 to get the discounted rate of $99 per column.

Rubulad, photo by Mike Connor.

After a commenter raved about the random-Brooklynite-recommended cheap-date spots we featured last month, we decided to go out and dig up some more.

So we went to Prospect and McCarren parks over the weekend and grilled more strangers on their  favorites places for wallet-friendly romance, and once again, were totally impressed by the ideas. If you’re venturing out this weekend, considering trying one of these eight reader-suggested venues—and let us know how it went.

Rubulad, 338 Flushing Ave., Bedford Stuyvesant, 718-782-8523
“The DIY venues are a good spot for dates. One particular, Rubulad, has food and screenings that are kind of a backdrop to a dance party.  It’s sort of irregular and entry is like 15 bucks.  Then you still have to pay for food, but it isn’t bad for an entire night out.” — Syd, Bed-Stuy

Fette Sau, 354 Metropolitan Ave.,  South Side Williamsburg, 718-963-3404
“Fette Sau is a bar and BBQ joint with whiskey flights at group prices from $10-20.  I didn’t try the food because I was vegetarian at the time, but it looked good at least.  The place isn’t the most intimate, but I’d definitely go there on a date.” — Anna Beeke, Williamsburg

Endless Summer Taco Truck, photo by Ultraclay.

Endless Summer Taco Truck, N. 6th St. and Bedford Ave., Williamsburg, 347-400-8128
“You can get a taco for $2.50 and I always go for the side of grilled corn.  It’s something you can eat if you want to go walking around with your date; so it makes for a nice, quick meal.” — Eddie Roth, Williamsburg

El Viejo Yayo, 36 Fifth Ave., Park Slope, 718-622-9640
“Yayo on 5th Avenue and Bergen is good for affordable, authentic Spanish food.  You can eat for about $20 a person.” — Doris Bourdier, Crown Heights

Stolovaya, 813 Ave. U, Sheepshead Bay, 718-787-0120
“I would recommend Stolovaya for the experience of Russian culture as much as the food.  But the chicken or lamb dumplings are delicious and really filling for $4.50 a plate.” — Dimitri T., Prospect Heights

Beef miso gratin at Zenkichi, photo by Francis Kirigin.

Zenkichi, 77 N. 6th St, Williamsburg, 718-388-8985
“For a nicer date, Zenkichi is reasonably priced and there are (semi) private rooms with little bells for calling the servers.  They have really exotic Japanese food, not the type you’d find at the standard sushi bar.” — Alex M., Williamsburg

Rooftop Films: Underground Movies Outdoors, see schedule for location, 718-417-7362
“Rooftop Films on the old American Can Factory or the lawn of the Automotive High School are a pretty good time.  They usually show documentaries or shorts of underground and independent stuff.  And sometimes there is an open bar to follow.” — Kelly Barlow, Williamsburg

Seaport Buffet, 2027 Emmons Ave., Sheepshead Bay, 718-934-3388
“Seaport Buffet, oh yeah, they have everything.  I love the seafood and it’s all for $7.99.” — Nora Berryirtos, Bed-Stuy