Posted by Adam

Wednesday December 15, 2010

EDWARD Norton is getting charitable.

The actor has helped to create what he calls the “Facebook of philanthropy.”

The website — called “Crowdrise” (www.crowdrise.com) — is setting out to make charitable giving fun.

“We were very frustrated by what we saw out there. Everything out there was just … we called it ‘use and drop,’” Norton said. “It was just a button where you can donate and really nothing more, and we wanted to communicate more than that.

“This is the platform where you plant a flag and say this is who I am, as defined by what do I care about? What am I passionate about? What causes do I support?

“It can be anything. We don’t try to suggest to you what you ought to care about. We’re just saying, find your own way.”

“Look, you’ve got a generation of people coming along who are going to form their own new relationship with the idea of supporting the causes that they care about or changing the world,” Norton said. “And these people are not going to do it the way our parents do it.”

Norton is mindful to also make Crowdrise fun, adding a gaming aspect to the site. Members can earn points and win prizes.

“If you don’t give back, no one will like you. That is our core philosophy. We’re a bunch of dorks,” he said.

The actor has enlisted the help of his famous friends, who are creating profiles on Crowdrise. Will Ferrell, for example, is raising money for cancer survivors.

“You can win a bottle of Will’s suntan lotion for a donation to his site,” Norton said.

“I think we really feel like Crowdrise could be something that, 20 years from now, people take for granted because that’s just how you do it, like if you’re going to raise money for something, that’s how you do it.

“In the beginning, we said this like it was a pipe dream, but now I actually think it’s going to happen.”

Tags: edward norton