A recent article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy notes the effectiveness of social media celebrities as fundraisers.
In “We’re So Over Brad Pitt,” writer Megan O’Neil reports how Internet stars –- “media personalities often created in bedrooms turned home studios” – are “rapidly matching the influence of traditional Hollywood celebrities.”
She cites major fundraisers like Tyler Oakley, whose 6.4 million YouTube subscribers helped him raise half a million dollars for the “Trevor Project,” a suicide prevention hotline for gay and lesbian youth. Calvin Stowell, Director of Digital at DoSomething.org, is quoted: “Give me a Tyler Oakley over a Brad Pitt any day.”
