Care2 Highlights Top Causes of 2009 and Its Community’s Ability to Impact Global Change

Care2’s Annual Defining Causes Report Shows Animal Welfare, the Environment and Human Rights as the Leading Social Causes of 2009

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Care2, the largest online community for causes, today released its annual report on the defining causes of 2009 that highlights the issues and events that drove the community's 12 million plus members to action.

“Taking a look at the causes they supported in 2009, it’s clear our community has their fingers on the pulse of concerns that eventually grab worldwide attention - causes as diverse as the Care2 community itself.”

In a year characterized by great social turbulence, everyday citizens set aside personal concerns to support causes that shaped the global landscape. The Care2 community alone created more than 22,000 petitions resulting in more than 23 million signatures that drove tangible changes globally, an 11 percent increase in the total number of petitions created year over year.

"The growing Care2 community is an incredibly passionate group of individuals committed to effecting change,” said Randy Paynter, president and founder of Care2. “Taking a look at the causes they supported in 2009, it’s clear our community has their fingers on the pulse of concerns that eventually grab worldwide attention - causes as diverse as the Care2 community itself.”

According to Care2’s Defining Causes Report, the issues that garnered the most support in 2009 were animal welfare, the environment and human rights.

Specifically, the community garnered:

• 8.7 million signatures on petitions related to animal welfare causes
• 5.1 million signatures on petitions related to environmental causes
• 4.3 million signatures on petitions related to human and civil rights causes
• 2.5 million signatures on petitions related to health
• 2.1 million signatures on petitions related to politics

The Care2 community’s signatures not only highlighted causes, but also had a direct impact on global issues including the European Union’s vote to ban seal products, the passing of the American Clean Energy Security Act and the release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling from North Korea.

A perfect example of the Care2 community’s ability to impact change is the recent battle to reunite David Goldman with his son Sean. In an effort to gain social awareness and media attention, friends of David Goldman started a petition on Care2’s Web site. More than 60,000 people from around the world signed the petition, helping bring David’s story to the attention of international media, the United States Congress, and the Obama Administration. On December 24, 2009, father and son were finally reunited.

For more information on this data or Care2’s mission, please visit http://www.care2.com/.

About Care2

With more than 12 million members and 400 nonprofit partners, Care2 is the largest online community of people making a difference. Care2’s members are engaged in a variety of causes including healthy and green living, animal welfare, environmental protection and human rights. Please visit the care2 community at http://www.care2.com/.