By Jonathan Kalan
Wow. Really? 2010 already? I swear it feels like just yesterday I was sitting at this same computer as an intern, with four staff and a handful of other interns tucked in the back corner of Mahalo’s office working to help launch a little site called Causecast. My oh MY things have changed- all for good of course- and as 2009 has come and gone, Causecast has grown leaps and bounds while continuing to help our nonprofit partners in grounbreaking, creative, and innovative ways. New faces, new friends, new partners, and a killer new office space are just a few things 2009 has brought.
As we sit back, sip some hot coco by the fire (hey… it does get kinda cold in Los Angeles), lets reflect a bit on what 2009 held for Causecast. For those of you who are visually inclined… or have shorter attention spans….. check out our 2009 reel below!
In no particular order, here are some of the campaigns, projects, and partnerships we launched in 2009!
Causecast & The Huffington Post launch IMPACT www.huffingtonpost.com/impact
On October 13th, 2009, Causecast and the Huffington Post officially launched the IMPACT section of huffingtonpost.com. Through Impact Causecast brings the most inspiring, heartbreaking, and heroic stories surrounding the pressing issues of our time to millions of Huffington Post readers every day. It features original news, content, and blogs from today’s most influential activists and leaders. Yet it does more than just provide readers information; it redefines journalism by making the news actionable and engaging for those on the other end of the story- the readers. ”Impact” gives readers who feel moved, inspired, or compelled by a story the ability to take direct action and create change. With IMPACT, there will always be some way for readers to get involved and make a better ending to the story.
Within 24 hours of launching Huffington Post IMPACT with an article about the Stein family, together we raised over $20,000 for the family to help pay their medical costs. In the 2 1/2 months since its inception, IMPACT has raised over $60,000 for families, organizations, and individuals.
AARP & Create The Good http://createthegood.org/
When AARP was looking for a way to connect its community with ways to give back, donate, and volunteer in their community, Causecast hit a home run by launching the Create The Good website. Create The Good is a place where good people get connected to opportunities to create good, in whatever way works for them. Nothing could be more simple: Every day, users can find new opportunities to do service in their community , or start something themselves with these how-to-videos and guides. Getting involved has never been so easy…
STILLERSTRONG http://www.stillerstrong.org
STILLERSTRONG- stealing great ideas from other charities to build a school in Haiti! Causecast partnered up with Actor/Comedian Ben Stiller & Save The Children to launch the STILLERSTRONG campaign. Through videos and social media, Ben Stiller calls out everyone from Luke Wilson, Matt Damon and Ryan Seacrest to Bill Clinton and even the Livestrong hero Lance Amrstrong himself to help promote the STILLERSTRONG campaign by retweeting, reposting, and wearing a STILLERSRONG headband.
LA Times E-Cards: Send More Than A Message http://www.latimes.com/theguide/holidaygiving/
For the holiday season, Causecast teamed up with the Los Angeles Times to bring readers a new way to give back this holiday season. Anyone, anywhere, can send a Causecast + LA Times Holiday E-Card and help raise money for a local cause. Its quick and easy. With each eCard, a penny is donated to one of the five nonprofits…and small change adds up to make a big difference. The five benefiting nonprofits this year were SPCA LA, the LA Times Family Fund, Tree People, LA’s Best, and Project Angel Food.
The Voluntour http://thevoluntour.org
What better way to introduce people to volunteering than by enticing them with tickets to see their favorite bands? Causecast partnered with bands, artists and festivals to utilize the chance to win a free ticket to engage fans to pledge and volunteer in their area. Voluntour is essentially website portal to get people involved with volunteer opportunities in their area by searching zip code and interest. It’s also just a little taste of the amazing things our Music Department has in the works. Check back soon 
Freedom To Lead http://freedomtolead.causecast.org
A collaborative effort by Causecast, pop artist Shepard Fairey, the U.S Campaign For Burma, and the Human Rights Action Center, the Freedom To Lead Campaign seeks to raise awareness and action to help free Aung San Suu Kyi and the citizens of Burma. Shepard Fairey’s iconic “Freedom To Lead” image, a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi, has been spread across the globe and has quickly become the symbol for freedom and democracy in Burma. We held a flash mob to hold up the poster at the Abbot Kinney Festival in Venice, CA, and protesters across the globe held up the image in solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi. Eventually, it wound up on the front pages of BBC, CNN, and on stage with U2!
United We Serve- http://unitedweserve.causecast.org/
United We Serve was Causecast’s contribution to President Obama’s Summer of Service. It was a website portal to get people involved with volunteer opportunities in there area by searching zip code and interest. We also provided an ever growing database of DIY (do it yourself) ways to give back and get involved locally.
State Your Change- http://www.stateyourchange.org/
Causecast interviewed hundreds of people asking them “what change they’d like to see in the world” around the time of the elections and inauguration of Obama. Stateyourchange.org aggregated all of these videos…and anyone who uploaded a video to causecast or youtube and tagged them “state your change” automatically appeared on the page.
Milk http://www.causecast.org/videos/2980-got-hope-harvey-milk
Causecast produced 2 short viral videos to educate the public of Harvey Milk and his work as a human rights activist to promote discussion and dialogue about LGBT rights and gay marriage.
Mustache March http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFP-cxIkGZI&fmt=22
On March 19th at 4:30pm, the people of Austin at South By Southwest joined Causecast, Invisible Children, Farm Sanctuary, Charity:Water, Humane Society of the United States,Friends Of TOMS, Global Inheritance, HOPE, Human Rights Action Center, and Falling Whistles to wear mustaches, fake and real alike, and march for what they believe in. No matter what their cause, South By Southwest artists, performers and attendees will came together to take over the streets with a friendly rally to raise awareness for the causes and issues they care about. From clean water to child slavery and healthcare to global warming, marchers and participating nonprofits raised their voices as one.
concert will be released on DVD in the near future, so keep an eye out for it. It was truly a historic event!
Let’s get serious, if you haven’t realized that all causes: human rights, animal rights, poverty, injustice, slavery, climate change etc., are inherently connected than you must be living with your head in the clouds. Hopefully, when you awake from your daydreaming you will take a look back at all of us here on Earth to realize that yes, we only have one planet. The way we live our lives each day impacts all other aspects of life… from the laborers forced to harvest the beans that made your morning brew, to the carbon foot-print it created to make it into your hand, to the styrofoam cup that you toss to the ground once you’ve enjoyed that last sip (FYI, you will soon realize that I have a slight obsession with caffeine, and tend to reference it often). Every moment we are faced with a decision, save the planet, or continue down the road to destruction. Yeah, that does kind of make us all sound like super-heroes, but who’s to say we can’t each be a super-hero in our own right? What would you rather have; a world of villains or one of super-heroes?
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