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NetSquared is an initiative ofTechSoup
NetSquared enables social benefit organizations to leverage the tools of the social web.
Cauzoo- Give. Together.
Challenges Entered:
Cauzoo is MySpace for charities and users, mixing viral and grassroots marketing to connect folks around common charitable interests. Uniquely, Cauzoo will give charities 100% of the money generated from user donations and affiliate shops.
Charity is social. That’s why we made Cauzoo- a place to give, together.
The short line on Cauzoo?
It’s MySpace for charities.
The truth? It’s where a cause and you meet. We are trying to make a site where people can connect with their friends and share a new part of themselves- the causes they are passionate about.
We won’t replace the networks people have already- we wouldn’t want to. But we will add a new way for you to show your friends what you care about. Cauzoo can expand virally through widgets, friend invites, and e-mails. We are organized around friendships, because we believe that charity is as social as people are.
Advocates and causes will both have Cauzoo profiles where they explain why they care. Advocates can connect with their friends to debate, network, and hang out, while causes can attract new fans, spread their message, and raise money. It will be easier than ever to donate through prominent direct links on the site. You will also earn commissions for your charity at the Cauzoo Shops, a network of top stores that pay a percentage of each sale.
The social impact is simple- we know that every person has a spot in their conscience for a charity. We think they should have a spot on the web as well. And we think they want their friends to know. That’s what Cauzoo is really about. But don’t take our word for it- check out our public preview, our blog, and the FAQs at Cauzoo.com to get a better idea of how we’ll give, together.
WHAT WE NEED:
The reason we joined NetSquared was to hear from you- we want to learn from the best people out there what they’d want from a site like ours, how we can make things as easy as possible, and what’s great (or horrible!) about our idea.
We think that having an in-person conversation about the site is an invaluable resource.
We also need help with the legal aspects of our site. To keep the branches of Cauzoo separate, we’ll be creating the Cauzoo Foundation, the non-profit arm that will pass through user donations and Cauzoo Shop contributions (more is on the Transparency page on our site). But we’d love to connect for advice on structuring this as efficiently as possible.
We’re the little guy in the web world, and definitely in the non-profit world. We’d love to make this site our day job, but we need to meet people who care about the non-profit world.
We’ve gotten this far- we’d love to build some of the bonds (old fashioned social networking) that can help us be a part of the two places we’re trying to bridge.
Are we looking for money? Sure. But we want to raise our money in the for-profit sector. Sure, we need money to fund legal fees, site administration, and other necessities. Right now Cauzoo is what we work on at night- it's a labor of love. But what we want most is a chance to meet you, learn about your groups, and get your advice on what matters. That's why we're applying to NetSquared.
Location
Los Angeles, CA
United States
See map: Google Maps
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You got my vote and a place in my blog!
michael gibbons
buttons of hope
In Transparency is the new black, I wrote...
For name and logo alone these guys (Cauzoo) should get something! Maybe I should have used their pitch..."We are trying to make a site where people can connect with their friends and share a new part of themselves- the causes they are passionate about."
I know it's little cliche' to be the my "space of ___" but Cauzoo has a place -- I think people are hungry to share their "charity passion" and maybe find a new one! Cauzoo and buttons of hope are both on the road to cure apathy!
You have my support -- I hope you will consider a vote ofr buttons of hope!
Comparisons
First, I am curious about how this project compares to the numerous similar existing projects such as change.org, globalgiving.com, changingthepresent.org and (slightly different) kiva.org, as well as tools like ChipIn. (Also see Britt Bravo's review of change.org and founder Ben Rattray's comments at the bottom.)
Second, given the existence of these other arguably social-networking-based communities, I'm curious what makes you confident that your particular site will reach the critical mass necessary to become effective. There road to web 2.0 is littered with the carcasses of fabulous but deserted social networks...
Your for-profit focus reminds me of GoodStorm (whose slogan, "capitalism done right" does, I have to admit, creep me out to no end). I'm confused about how or why a corporation would seek to establish a profile on your site. Do you envision such a flood of users that the likes of Nike and Starbucks will simply be unable to resist the captive audience? Or are you giving the corporations something back? User demographics? Giving data? Targeted ads?
Finally, I have to say that given all of the many, many fine nonprofits looking for a spot at this conference, I think there needs to be a very high bar indeed for a for-profit corporation, even if part of its objective is to benefit other nonprofits. Based on the existence of similar websites -- which may have their own faults, but got off the ground without help from NetSquared -- I'm reluctant to redirect funds toward your corporation, however socially-conscious it might be. You may be "the little guy in the web world," but you have many more resources than most nonprofits. Your proposal seems nice, but I would be looking for a little more than nice given the background.
--ivan (quixotic1.com/Genocide Intervention Network)
Update
I just wanted to add that I read ChipIn's proposal and in comparing it to yours, thought they made a stronger case because they specifically talk about how the Net2 grant would fit in to their for-profit model and why it's important. If you choose to revise this proposal, that's what I think it would be useful to focus on.
--ivan (quixotic1.com/Genocide Intervention Network)
Thanks for your Comments
Ivan- thanks for your comments.
We're different than all the sites you mentioned- ours is organized around friends and specific charities. We want to create a user experience that is easier to access and directed toward concrete ideas- users and charities, not abstractions. We think no site out there has hit the mark, yet.
As far as our funding goes- that's a way down the line. I think you're overestimating corporate involvement. We're trying to build a great social network that will, eventually, be funded by advertising. But right now we're focused on making connections.
As far as what we want from NetSquared, we're looking to form real connections with people. Those are the things we don't have. Obviously, we'd love to meet people who are as passionate (and knowledgeable) as you. And as far as resources go, well, I think you might overestimate us. This is still a labor of love.
And that brings me to another key difference between the sites you mentioned. We think organization of our features will differentiate us. But there's something else different too- a good number of those sites take money intended for charities. Cauzoo will never do that- no one percent fee, no "service fee", or "contribution" will ever fund our site. That's something that's of note, no matter what happens to our site.
michael gibbons
michael gibbons buttons of hope
Welcome to N2 -- I like your project - - it is interesting because your vision parallels some of the opportunities I see in the fundraising arenas. I think grassroots is still the best way to approach causes --certainly a Bono or Oprah doesn't hurt but without star power you need to empower! Emotion still trumps and it lives closer to the roots!
Question I have (because I face the same challenge) is how do you make your site sticky enough to build a vigorous /engaged on line community -- people are so strapped for time -- if they visit my space etc. first will they have time for cauzoo, buttonsofhope? or are we talking supplanting my space? hmmmm I hope we both make it to San Jose -- I think there might be some interesting opportunities to team up.
Your proposal is well written and well thought out. good luck!
Stickiness
It's so tough to make a site sticky when so many are vying for your attention. Our approach is that Cauzoo can almost be like a "section" of a person's social network (which is why we'll be using "Social Me" to make it easy to find out more about a friend at another venue). Let's say you're on MySpace- occasionally, you'll look at a friend's favorite movies. Well, with Cauzoo, you'll be able to look at a friend's favorite cause. What people care about is part of what they are- so it should be part of their web identity to.
Thanks for checking us out!