Causes.com and AT&T Launch New Social Engagement Platform to Encourage Activism

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Dallas, TX - December 15, 2011 - Just in time for the holiday season, Causes.com and AT&T* unveiled a first-of-its-kind community to encourage activism: Connect For Good. Through this platform, millions of people will be able to directly and positively impact some of the most relevant issues we face today: the dangers of texting and driving, the importance of recycling cell phones and the crisis of declining high school graduation rates.

Causes is the world’s largest online platform for activism and philanthropy, empowering individuals to create grassroots communities called “causes” to take action on behalf of a specific issue or non-profit organization. The platform uses Facebook’s social mobility to maximize the impact of collective action. Since 2007, Causes has brought together:

• 170 million Causes members

• $40 million raised for 27,000 nonprofits

• 500,000 member-created causes

Starting today, members of the Causes.com community can use the Connect For Good platform to trigger contributions by AT&T to non-profit organizations including the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) and The Nature Conservancy. These organizations collectively will receive up to $200,000, thanks to the actions taken by the Causes Connect For Good community. For example, Causes.com members can generate two dollars for NOYS by taking a pledge not to text while driving and then can generate an additional two dollars for NOYS by sharing the pledge with their own network of friends on Facebook. 

“The Causes Connect For Good platform enables consumers to take actions around important issues, giving them opportunities to support non-profit organizations like the National Organizations for Youth Safety and The Nature Conservancy,” said Beth Shiroishi, vice president, Sustainability & Philanthropy at AT&T. “Our hope is that this initiative will connect like-minded individuals, empowering them to share their passion for social good with their friends and family – and ultimately making measureable and positive impact in our communities.”

“Causes.com has over 170 million users who want to take collective action to change the world. Through the Connect For Good site, AT&T is enabling them to do just that,” said James Windon, vice president, Business Development at Causes. “The Causes platform will provide AT&T with the tools to directly engage with millions of stakeholders with meaningful opportunities to take action and make a difference.”  

AT&T is committed to integrating sustainable business practices across its business and was recently added to Corporate Responsibility Magazine’s 12^th Annual 100 Best Corporate Citizens List. AT&T was also included in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI). Visit www.att.com/csr to learn more about sustainability at AT&T. Also visit www.att.com/csr to download the 2010 AT&T Sustainability Report.

For more information about Connect For Good or to generate money for NOYS, please visit www.causes.com/att

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Philanthropy at AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its philanthropic initiatives, AT&T has a long history of supporting projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; and address community needs. In 2010, more than $148.2 million was contributed through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs.

About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising. 

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

About Causes.com
Causes.com was started in 2007 by Napster creator and Facebook co-founder Sean Parker and early advisor Joe Green to give activists tools to make change. Causes currently has more than 170 million users who have created over 500,000 causes and raised $40 million for charity. The platform utilizes Facebook’s social mobility to maximize the impact of collective action. Users can create or join a cause to support an issue or nonprofit they care about and mobilize their networks to donate, recruit and share to support the cause.

© 2011 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

 ATT19559