Dear friends,

The seeds for Care2 were planted many years ago. As a 13-year-old boy, I traveled with my father in a thatch-covered boat up the awe-inspiring Amazon. My father studied Latin American birds, while I marveled at the rich wildlife, lush vegetation and fascinating people we encountered deep in the jungle.

Even as I was moved by my lush surroundings, my heart was heavy from the sickness, poverty and deforestation that stood in stark contrast to the rainforest’s beauty.

One simple truth stuck with me: The world is terribly out of balance. From that truth, an overwhelming desire to make a difference was born. I realized that the power to make a positive change in the world was within each of us. But how do we harness that power?

The answer came in 1998. The Internet. Finally, the power to mobilize the world was at hand. I raised money from some kind and crazy souls, then really lucked out in finding two extraordinary partners — Matt McGlynn (now our chief technology officer) and Camilla Eriksson (now our vice president of e-cards). In September 1998, we launched Care2 from my tiny apartment.

Care2 provides powerful tools to make a difference in your life, community, country and world. It’s driven by passionate people (just like you) who want to restore the world’s balance.

Care2 grew out of my apartment a long time ago. Today, over 50 employees, 8 million members, 250 nonprofit organizations and hundreds of responsible advertisers contribute to making powerful, positive changes in our world.

Thank you for caring!