Charity Spotlight: Rock the Cause

Rock the Cause is the main charity our music anthologies benefit, unless otherwise specified. 

Just who does Rock The Cause think they are?

Rock the Cause Records is a Minnesota Based 501(c)3.  Our Federal Tax Exempt EIN is 260591013.  Our mission is to create a new generation of stewardship for other non-profit causes. We achieve this goal through concert events, volunteer drives, educational workshops, and through music downloads on our record label.

Rock the Cause is recognized internationally as the preeminent nonprofit organization that combines giving, advocacy, and activism with music. Founded in 2007, Rock the Cause has partnered with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, producing both large and small charitable events, raising millions of dollars annually, and generating thousands of volunteers, donors, and advocates for their partner organizations. 

Rock the Cause educates, empowers and inspires others to make a difference.  Its initiatives are not just events, but are based on ongoing engagement that combine concerts, new media, digital music downloads, volunteer drives, and fundraising events in partnership with a number of Twin Cities nonprofits.  Rock the Cause not only produces large-scale music events, but can also be found in high schools and colleges throughout Minnesota and the region, working one-on-one with young people to educate and inspire a new generation of community-minded citizens, while helping young people discover the power of music and how it can impact their communities and peoples’ lives. 

In its 8+ year history, Rock the Cause has recruited more than 10,000 new members and/or volunteers for nearly 40 nonprofit organizations.  Organizations like Free Arts Minnesota, People Serving People, and Rock Star Supply have reported nearly a 30% conversion of volunteers, to donors and supporters. 

Rock the Cause Records works with a variety of local nonprofits and charities. Selling over 400,000 single charitable music downloads, 50,000 records, and 23,356,000 music streams benefitting various causes like MusiCares, Ronald McDonald House and more!  Its most memorable collaboration is the worlwide distribution of the late Zach Sobiech’s recording of “Clouds". Per Zach's wishes Rock the Cause directed over $260,000 from the sales of Zach's music to the Zach Sobiech Osteocarcoma Research Fund, with has raised over a million dollars to help find a cure for child cancer.

Our philosophy is three-fold:

To bring about awareness for social and environmental issues and causes.

To engage young people in volunteerism, advocacy, and philanthropy.

To reach new audiences with great music, past and present, through the introduction of up-and-coming performing artists.

Music has greatly influenced many of the social movements of the last century. Because music fans are unequivocally cool, people listen to what they say. 

Rock The Cause works with musicians who are not just talented, but also who care about the communities in which they live. They offer their time and talents for a good cause – not just to strike it rich or make it big. 

We also work to inspire future philanthropists. We understand that right now, you may not have the cash to donate to a cause you care about, but RTC wants to build up a generation of people who care about one another and donate whatever they can, be it time, goods, services, and yeah, even money. 

Some people call it idealistic bleeding heart do-gooders. We call it Rock the Cause. We know our community is growing by the day. We know together we are making an impact!

Hey Hey, My My, Rock & Roll Will Never Die…    

Rock & Roll Can Change The World:

For 5 years Rock the Cause has been making an impact in our community by educating, empowering and inspiring others to make a difference. Our initiatives are not just one-off events. Our work is based in ongoing engagement that combines concerts, new media, digital music downloads, volunteer and funding drives for our partner causes. We can also be found in high schools and colleges across our region working one on one with students to create a future generation of community-minded citizens.

Concerts: In 2012 Rock the Cause produced over 24 concert events and volunteer drives in our region, and we participated in 3 national level music festivals, and we conducted a 10 day volunteer drive and music showcase with Cities 97 at the Minnesota State Fair.  We enrolled over 2500 new members for over a dozen nonprofit organizations like Free Arts Minnesota, Rock Star Supply Company, People Serving People and more. Some of our partner organizations are reporting as high as 30% conversion rate on the members we help them to enroll. This helps our community by creating a new base of awareness, donor and volunteer support for our partner causes. 

Record Label: Rock the Cause records also released two internationally acclaimed music releases in 2012. Through our partnership with The Orchard, the world’s largest digital music distributor, we were able to put on sale in 36 countries, the charitable compilation Minnesota Remembers Vic Chesnutt, and the viral hit single Clouds by Zach Sobiech. Both releases have raised thousands of dollars for local and national charities like Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and Lifeworks Services. They have helped create new audiences for emerging musicians.

Engagement: Our Social Media program communicates the needs of our community to thousands of people on a daily basis. Nonprofit organizations contact us weekly asking for help getting their messaging in front of an ever expanding, and engaged audience. Our Social Media program is staffed by interns from colleges across the region. Many of our internships are paid, helping to provide employment and critical job skills to students.

In fact our Social Media driven “Like” for “Music Download” program has created hundreds of new Facebook fans for organizations like People Serving People, Free Arts Minnesota and others.

All info from: http://irockthecause.org/