Razoo.com, the fastest growing crowdfunding platform for causes, and South by Southwest^® (SXSW^®) Interactive Festival announced today a partnership to raise money online for two charitable causes March 8-12, 2013. The partnership reflects a commitment to furthering the community-oriented culture of SXSW by offering more opportunities to support forward-thinking causes. The two charities highlighted at SXSW 2013 are Architecture for Humanity and Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

Architecture for Humanity is a design and construction services nonprofit dedicated to building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design. With regional offices in NY and NJ they are building long-term reconstruction projects after super storm Sandy in the Rockaways and the Jersey Shore. The #SXSW4Sandy Razoo fundraiser will be matched by an $85,000 pledge.

EFF defends free speech, privacy, innovation and consumer rights in the digital realm. Founded in 1990 to fight federal violations against publisher and Austin native, Steve Jackson, EFF continues to champion the public interest in critical legal battles affecting digital rights. After the 2013 tragic death of programmer and internet activist Aaron Swartz, EFF is currently working with a coalition to reform the federal anti-hacking laws outlined in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

“The spirit of SXSW has always been based on people coming together to help others. The chosen charities represent that spirit by advocating innovative approaches to address and solve critical societal challenges,” said Hugh Forrest, Director of SXSW Interactive Festival. “In addition to the two live fundraising events for these charitable causes, the ethos of SXSW is also reflected in the growing number of nonprofit related panels and attendees each year.”

Anyone can donate to either of the two organizations by clicking on the Razoo widget located on the front page of sxsw.com or the dedicated fundraising pages on Razoo.com. One can also upload photos and videos on the dedicated pages and share their messages via Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Through Razoo, users can even set up their own fundraisers for any US 501(c) 3 organization, and share these fundraisers with their social media networks. Each fundraiser can be managed from the convenience of the user’s iPhone or iPad.

“SXSW is a perfect global stage to showcase the missions and hard work of these two champion causes,” said Alex Kouts, Product Director at Razoo. “The community of generosity and activism fostered at SXSW creates a platform for instant progressive change. The best part is anyone can contribute to these charitable causes and support the spirit of SXSW even if you cannot be there in person.”

To learn more about Architecture for Humanity, SXSW registrants are invited to attend the Connected for Reconstruction session on Friday, March 8 at 3:30 pm CT in Ballroom EF of the Austin Convention Center. This session features Co-founder and TED prize winner, Cameron Sinclair, Chief Eternal Optimist (CEO) at Architecture for Humanity. You must have a SXSW Interactive, Gold or Platinum badge to attend the session.

To learn more about the life of Aaron Swartz and EFF.org, the public is invited to attend the Aaron Swartz Town Hall on Friday, March 8^th at the Austin Convention Center. The event is free and does not require a SXSW badge to participate. People are gathering from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm CT in Ballroom A to celebrate and further awareness about Swartz’s life and ideals.

Razoo has raised more than $139 million dollars for 16,000 nonprofits across the country since inception with more than half of that amount raised in the last year. Razoo provides an automatic and immediate tax deductible receipt for all donations contributed to 501(c)3’s.

About Razoo

Razoo is a crowdfunding platform for causes. Named after an Australian coin of little value (until combined with many), Razoo has empowered individuals, nonprofits and communities across the country to raise millions of dollars online—one small donation at a time. Razoo is designed to inspire on-going generosity by making it enjoyable for people to give or fundraise online for their favorite causes. Razoo has offices in San Francisco and Washington DC and is seed funded by the Legatum Group. See how we're creating a new generation of everyday philanthropists at www.razoo.com; follow us on Twitter at @Razoo or like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/razoogiving.

About SXSW Interactive

The 20th annual SXSW Interactive Festival will take place March 8-12, 2013 in Austin, Texas. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the event features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line-up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to experience a preview of what is unfolding in the world of technology. Join us March 2013 for the sessions, the networking, the parties, the 16th Annual SXSW Interactive Awards, SXSW Startup Village, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW Trade Show and, of course, the inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver.

SXSW Interactive 2013 is sponsored by Miller Lite, Monster Energy, Esurance, IFC, Yahoo!, American Express, PepsiCo, Pepsi, Freecreditscore.com, Chevrolet, American Airlines, Oreo, AT&T and The Austin Chronicle.

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