Causes (company)

Causes.com is an online campaigning platform. Causes platform enables people who support a common social cause and to take action together. Causes is primarily used for grassroots campaigns, and to organize awareness campaigns. In June 2014 it was announced that Brigade Media acquired a controlling stake of the company behind causes.com, Philotic, Inc.

Causes' stated mission is "to empower people to create change in the world through online organizing. Causes connects people who share a common vision and build the tools they need to make an impact.

Any user can create a campaign on Causes, whether they work for a nonprofit or are an activist, interested in a certain issue. Nonprofits with smaller resources or extensive grassroots networks have been leveraging those resources to build online communities of supporters. Users can publicize their activity to their personal network and use social pressure to engage friends and get more people involved.

Causes is a for-profit business. Investors include Sean Parker, Founders Fund, the Case Foundation and NEA.

Causes launched in 2007 as the first social advocacy application and one of the first 10 Facebook apps. Users could create, join or browse causes focused on cause-related issues. Causes was used as a vehicle for community building, education, awareness, advocacy and fundraising.

Causes was co-founded by Sean Parker and Joe Green. Parker had previously worked with Napster, Facebook, and co-founded Plaxo and Green worked in grassroots organizing, including campaigns on the city, state, and presidential levels. With Causes, Parker and Green combined their knowledge of offline organizing, online social networking and product design to help people make a social impact.