Making Charity Cool :: Nothing But Nets in the New York Times

The New York Times ran a story on Sunday about our Nothing But Nets campaign, saying that the $10 mosquito net to save a child in Africa message has created a "movement like a modern version of the March of Dimes" that is reaching and engaging young people in new ways rarely seen before. The populist campaign created by the United Nations Foundation- that we won a Webby Award for last year - still resonates with thousands of people across the US and worldwide who continue to raise money and awareness for the campaign through spontaneous fundraising events across the country.

Part of what has helped the campaign catch on is its sheer simplicity and affordability - $10 buys one net to save a child. Nothing But Nets, the best-known campaign, has raised $20 million from 70,000 individuals, most of it in donations averaging $60.

...Naomi Levine, an expert on philanthropy at New York University, said young people "more than ever want to do something."

"You won't find them giving money to research," she added. "It's too far off. But a net is something you can hold in your hand. And any time young people get interested in any form of philanthropy, it's a good thing."

2 years into the campaign, we continue to be awed by how successful and generative it's been - including how more than 18,000 people played our interactive game: Deliver The Net last month, which meant another 18,000 nets were sent to Africa via a donor.

The full article is here, in Sunday's New York Times (special note, as of 3 PM on Monday the story is the 5th most popular story on the NYT site).