You may know actor Ed Norton from films like Rounders, Red Dragon and American History X.  What you may not know is that Ed Norton is also one of many celebrities who’ve embraced the power of social media to create real, tangible change among real people, from America to Africa.

And it just so happens that one of Norton’s ventures is directly benefiting one of our clients, the Children’s Aid Society, all because one person decided to make a difference.

Earlier this year, Ed Norton helped launch Crowdrise, a crowdfunding site that allows individuals to raise money for charities.  This armchair activism (or “slacktivism,” as author Malcolm Gladwell refers to it) lets people make small donations to the cause of their choice.  Individually, these donations may not seem significant, but when added together, they can raise the profile of a worthy cause, or help turn the financial tide for an organization that doesn’t have its own massive fundraising apparatus in place.

For example, one Crowdrise member is currently raising money for the Children’s Aid Society.  Her goal is to raise $1000 and, at the time of this writing, she’s more than halfway there.  And while the Children’s Aid Society certainly stands to benefit from any funds raised on their behalf, the knowledge and experience that the donors and organizers glean from taking part in the effort can’t be overstated, either.

In other words, if your supporters are using their own crowdfunding initiatives to raise awareness of all the wonderful things your organization does, aren’t those the kinds of supporters you want to empower?

And if helping your favorite charity raise money becomes an experience that helps you understand the true value of a cause, doesn’t everybody win?

To learn more about crowdfunding, or for help promoting your own cause, come follow us on Twitter or Facebook!

(Thanks to Eric for catching a hiccup in the comments; I’d originally said Ed Norton was in Hannibal.)