Social Net Promotes Charity
Big companies, including social networking giants Twitter and Facebook, have long simultaneously embraced corporate philanthropy and brazen business sense. For them, philanthropy has been a corollary, not necessarily the ends, of their businesses. But one peer has devoted its business platform solely to philanthropy.
YourCause.com models itself as one’s typical social net, but with a big-hearted twist. It wants to “empower millions to raise billions,” in that users can openly advocate philanthropic campaigns and charitable nonprofits.
Users can sign up for free to create a YourCause webpage, which they can connect to more than 1.7 million nonprofits. The user may then use a bevy of social networking tactics to funnel support, if not financial contributions, to the cause.
To date, around 15,775 users have raised over $260,000 for more than 470 foundations and charities. YourCause displays a real-time record of donations on its website.
Lately, YourCause.com has added a feature through which users can know of the latest opportunities for volunteering. YourCause has also begun tailoring their site for the philanthropic projects of corporate users.
YourCause was founded by Matthew Combs in partnership with Dallas-based company progenitor Blastoff Ventures. Combs was inspired to start the social network after watching visceral footages of a resistance army terrorizing northern Uganda.