CAUSE began as two separate organizations, CAUSE in Ventura County in 2001 and PUEBLO in Santa Barbara County in 2003, which both emerged during the living wage movement and won milestone victories to create a living wage region on the Central Coast. In 2012, the two organizations joined forces, and CAUSE took on PUEBLO’s work in Santa Barbara County, creating a regional organization for social, economic and environmental justice.

CAUSE's mission is to build grassroots power to invoke social, economic and environmental justice for the people of California's Central Coast Region through policy research, leadership development, organizing, and advocacy. CAUSE defines the Central Coast Region as the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito.

CAUSE's vision is that together we can create a global community where we all contribute to, and benefit from, a sustainable economy that is just, prosperous and environmentally healthy.