The actor Edward Norton and three partners have started a Web site that seeks to increase electronic giving by merging charity and social networking in a single platform, says The New York Times.

Started in May, Crowdrise.com allows people to set up fund-raising pages for favorite causes and solicit contributions to sponsor them in activities such as volunteering at a soup kitchen and running a marathon.

The site, which is a for-profit business, keeps less than 8 percent of money donated. It seeks to keep people paying attention to good causes with contests, community-building, and other staples of online social networks like Facebook.

New York Road Runners, which organizes the New York City Marathon, is working with Mr. Norton to encourage runners to use Crowdrise to raise funds for its race in November. Mary Wittenberg, the organization’s chief executive, called the site “a phenomenal platform” that has significantly increased the marathon’s efforts to reach out to the public.

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