And The Winners Are ...

FS STAFF PICK FOR CORPORATE CONTRIBUTION TO THE SECTOR

Care2.com

Everywhere you turn, someone is talking about how popular social-networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can help engage young people early on in the idea of activism, volunteerism and, eventually, philanthropy. But long before these sites became the talk of the town — in 1997, in fact — Care2.com emerged to do just that. It came on the scene not as a network to encourage idle chatter or ill-advised hook-ups, but rather as a cyber gathering place where like-minded folks could share their thoughts, sign petitions, participate in protests or campaigns, and generally live a more connected life. Maybe because it was ahead of its time, Care2 seems not to have reached the media-darling status of the other sites, which nonprofits just now are recognizing as important channels in nurturing philanthropy among younger, Web-savvy users. So it feels only right to give the props where they’re due.