# Community-Connecting Commerce Cause.it is a Free Mobile App Pushing for Change By Tiana Reid | Published 2012-04-04 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cause-it References: [springwise](http://www.springwise.com/non-profit_social_cause/charity-volunteers-rewarded-discounts-local-businesses/) Launched at SXSW Interactive in March of this year, Cause.it is a free app that connects a wide variety of ends for the purpose of social good. Here, local business owners, charities, consumers and volunteers all work together to give back to the community. SXSW Interactive proved to be an apt space to find new and engaging innovations this year. "We came up with the idea based on seeing a need in the communities—how do you connect the volunteers with nonprofits and small businesses at the same time?" founder [Gagan Dhillon told Good.is](http://www.good.is/post/cause-it-unites-volunteers-local-business-and-nonprofits-in-one-app/) in a piece published on March 16. Cause.it speaks to the question of whether or not an app can have an impact on community giving -- and of course, to what extent the initiative can indeed make a difference. **Contact Information** Cause.it [website](http://cause.it/) Cause.it on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/causeitnow) Cause.it on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/#!/causeitnow) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 37% | Activity: 68% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Community-connecting Apps:** Developing mobile apps that connect local communities with small businesses, volunteers and non-profits. - **Social Impact Apps:** Creating mobile apps that focus on driving social change through business and community involvement. - **Community Giving Platforms:** Providing online platforms that enable locals to give back to their communities through volunteering and supporting small businesses. ### Who This Affects Most - **Mobile App Development:** Innovating mobile apps that encourage community involvement and social impact for small businesses, volunteers and non-profits. - **Social Entrepreneurship:** Focusing on using business strategies to effect social change and community impact through technology and community connectivity. - **Non-profit Sector:** Using online platforms to engage more volunteers and local communities in giving back to non-profits and small charities, and driving social change. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Connective Non-Profit Funding](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wingtap.md) - [Membership-Based Community Engagement](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lamp-app.md) - [Community-Centric E-Commerce Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessible-digital-tools.md) - [Community Social Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beezle-social.md) - [Social Commerce Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gist.md) - [Connective Sports Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/acti.md) - [Community-Supporting Meal Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/giftameal.md) - [Boycott-Supporting Phone Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buycott.md) - [Charitable Shopping Assistants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/give-freely.md)