EYECARE: A Greater Vision Customer-Driven Fundraiser Is a Game Changer for Coastal.com By Staff Monday, March 19, 2012 12:00 AM Wild Baby Rescue Center received a $5,000 donation.VANCOUVER, Canada—Crowdsourcing, which refers to the act of outsourcing tasks to a large group of people (a crowd) through an open call is often a concept which can add significant value to a product or service while strengthening connections between companies and their customers. Although crowdsourcing is not a concept that’s wildly popular in the optical industry, Coastal.com is hoping to change all that. The online eyewear company recently partnered with online fundraising site, Crowdrise.com, to kick off the company’s first crowdsourced charity drive. The campaign encouraged Coastal.com’s customers to raise money for charities that were near and dear to their hearts and the results did not disappoint. With over 2,000 charities submitted, Coastal.com narrowed it down to a Top 10 list, encouraging customers to give what they could with the company matching donations over $50. “We wanted to encourage people to start the year off with giving in mind, rather than waiting until December when it becomes more of a tax write-off,” said Aaron Magness, VP of marketing. “It was exciting for us to be able to tap into our customers and see where their passions lie—they were more than generous and really got into the spirit of giving.” In total, the campaign—which ran from Jan. 26 through Feb. 5, raised over $26,000 for the charities including $5,000 to the charity that raised the most money— Wild Baby Rescue Center, a New Jersey-based non-profit organization dedicated to caring for injured and orphaned wildlife. The top 10 charities included in the campaign were: Blind Cat Rescue & Sanctuary, a place for kids, MORNINGSTAR MISSION, CHERUBS, Wild Baby Rescue Center, Barks of Love Animal Rescue, Wounded Warrior Project, World Vision, Food For The Poor, and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Coastal.com also provides eyeglasses to people around the world who are suffering from visual impairment and unable to obtain eyeglasses by their own means through its Change The View Project. For every pair of participating designer frames purchased, a second pair of eyeglasses is donated to someone in need. ■