View source for Care2

{{Infobox website
| name           = Care2
| logo           = Care2 Logo 2019.svg
| screenshot     =
| caption        =
| company_type   = [[Private company|Private]]
| founded        = {{start date and age|1998}}
| location       = [[Redwood City, California]]
| country        = U.S.
| area_served    = Worldwide
| founder        = {{Plainlist|
*Randy Paynter
*Matthew McGlynn
*Camilla Eriksson
}}
| CEO            = Randy Paynter
| key_people     = {{Plainlist|
*Matthew McGlynn ([[Chief technology officer|CTO]])
*Marlin Miller ([[Chief operating officer|COO]])
}}
| products       = {{Plainlist|
*care2.com
*thepetitionsite.com
}}
| international  = Yes
| owner          = Care2.com, Inc.
| employees      = >50
| url            = {{URL|https://www.care2.com/}}
| type           = [[Social networking]], [[Internet petitions|petitioning site]]
| registration   = Optional <small>(required for creating petitions)</small>
| users          = 50 million <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.care2.com/ |title=Home |website=care2.com}}</ref>
| language       = English
| launched       = 1998
| current_status = Active
}}
'''Care2''' is a [[social network services|social networking]] website that was founded by Randy Paynter in 1998. The goal of the site is to connect activists from around the world with other individuals, organizations and responsible businesses making an impact.<ref>{{cite web | first = Lee | last = Roberts | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/07/business/businessspecial2/07sustain.html | title=Spreading Their Gospel on the Web | website=[[The New York Times]] | date=March 7, 2007}}</ref>

==Overview==
Care2 members create an [[online identity]] by filling out a [[User profile|profile]] with personal information, as in most social networking sites, but Care2 also asks for more information about its members' personal lives and involvement in [[activism]]. The social interactions on Care2 revolve around groups that connect people who care about similar political and environmental issues. Members also often participate in [[internet petitions]] and news articles posted by others.

== Other Similar Sites ==
Care2 is one of several online petition sites that offer users the ability to create free petitions for social change. Other popular sites in the same space include Change.org, the petition site iPetitions.com, and the internationally focused Avaaz.org. Each of these is among the leading communities for online activism and have created petitions with real impact.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Big Read: Online petitions — just 'noise' and attention-seeking, or a way for citizens to make themselves heard?|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/online-petitions-just-noise-and-attention-seeking-or-real-change-895936|access-date=2021-10-09|website=CNA|language=en}}</ref>

==History==
Care2 has been used throughout the years to combat, through petitions, political, environmental and civil rights issues. Recently, Care2 was used by [[Broadway theatre]] playwrights and actors to petition Indiana's [[Indiana SB 101|Religious Freedom Restoration Act]].<ref>{{cite web | first = Mark | last = Kennedy | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/broadway-takes-aim-contested-indiana-law-petition-30086493 | title=Broadway Takes Aim at Contested Indiana Law With a Petition | publisher=[[ABC News]] | website=abcnews.go.com| date=Apr 2, 2015|accessdate=Apr 3, 2015}}</ref>

===Security breach===
On December 28, 2011, hackers attacked, breached and accessed unencrypted password data on Care2 servers.<ref>{{cite web | first = Randy | last = Paynter | url=http://www.care2.com/care2blog/to-all-care2-members-security-breach.html | title=To All Care2 Members – Security Breach | publisher=Care2 | website=care2.com| date=December 28, 2011}}</ref>

===Website Change===
In August 2019, Groups, Healthy Living and Causes, C2NN, eCards, and Care2 Connect were eliminated.<ref>[https://www.veganforum.org/threads/care2-ending-all-but-their-petition-site-on-august-12-2019.13769/ Mention about "Important News From Care2"]</ref>

==See also==
* [[Click-to-donate site]]
* [[List of social networking websites]]
* [[Environmentalism]]
* [[Wiser.org]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.care2.com/}}

[[Category:Blog hosting services]]
[[Category:American social networking websites]]
[[Category:Click-to-donate sites]]
[[Category:Benefit corporations]]
[[Category:Internet activism]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1998]]
[[Category:American fundraising websites]]