Launched on January 18, 2007, the organization builds on the popularity of the "small world phenomenon" by enabling people to become "celebrities for their own causes" by donating to or raising money for any charity in the United States.

To launch SixDegrees.org, Bacon attended the opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where he and other celebrities encouraged charitable giving.

[2] By 2010, when Bacon was honored for his charitable activities by the Broadcast Film Critics Association, SixDegrees.org had raised nearly $3 million.

[3] Speaking at a Make a Difference Day appearance in 2012, Bacon explained that he had initially disliked the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game when it first became popular, but later decided that he should make use of its popularity for something positive that would carry his personal brand, and he joked: "I didn't really like the sound of The Footloose Foundation.

[7] The goal of SixDegrees.org is to use celebrities pre-existing social media platforms to gain exposure on charitable organizations within their communities.