Instagram Model Raises $700,000 For Australian Fires By Selling $10 Nudes
Some heroes don't wear capes. And some wear nothing at all apparently. LA-based 20-year-old Instagram model Kaylen Ward, @lilearthangelk, heard about the massive destruction from the bushfires ravaging Australia's coasts and decided that she needed to take matters into her own hands. And other parts.
She had the brilliant idea of proposing a trade to the market of people who are both horny and humanitarian—donate $10 to the cause and you get a nude photo in return. Turns out literally most people fall into that category.
She Was Worried There Wasn't Enough Being Done
Like most of us, when Ward, an LA-based Instagram model and sex worker,heard the reports of all the devastation the fires were causing, she wanted to make a difference and donate to a worthy cause. But she told reporters that she was "concerned there wasn't a lot of media coverage and not a lot of people donating." So, she hopped on Twitter to use her platform for good.
The Naked Philanthropist
Ward calls herself (pretty accurately), "The Naked Philanthropist" on Twitter. She tweeted that if someone sends her confirmation that they donated at least $10 to one of the approved Australian charities on the list she provided, she would send them a nude photo of herself. Supply and demand, supply and demand.
In Just One Hour $1200 Was Donated
Don't ever say that you don't believe in the power of women because clearly they're out here saving lives. In just one hour after posting her tweet, Ward told her audience that they've already raised $1200 for the fires.
People Were Donating $5000 In Her Name
Hundreds of people messaged Ward showing her their receipts of the cash they donated. Every little bit helps, especially in disaster aide situations where your money goes to evacuating and giving aide to affected families, providing support to firefighters, and rebuilding after the storm. But it's really incredible to see people pledging as much as $5000 in her name.
Ward Never Expected Her Quest To Go Viral
Ward told reporters that she wasn't expecting the kind of traction her tweet got. She expected to raise maybe $1000, but instead, by January 5th, two days after she posted the tweet, she'd received over 20,000 messages on Instagram from people all over the world and had over $100,000 donated in her name.
She's Raised $700,000 And Counting
It's incredible how much change one person can make. We should all applaud Ward for her great idea and drive to spearhead this movement despite all the BS she's dealing with online. And she's only 20 and doing this, just in case you forgot.
She Asked People To Donate To A Handful Of Reputable Organizations
Ward is no stranger to selling her image for a good cause since she's done similar philanthropist projects before, so she decided to share what she thought were the most reputable charities helping out Australia right now. She linked fire services, the Red Cross, Australia Disaster Relief, and the WWF to name a few.
Fake Accounts Of Ward Are Popping Up
In a move that's complete and utter BS, people have been creating fake accounts of Ward to try and capitalize on her success probably by gaining followers. Which is, I have to say it because it's so unbelievably frustrating this is happening when the world needs it not to, gross.
Ward's been working nonstop to create new accounts to continue the cause. Follow her on Twitter to stay updated with what Instagram account she's using. Before it gets shut down. Or you could just...donate?
Despite It All, She's Dedicated To The Cause
Despite most people with functioning empathy centers in their brains celebrating Ward's idea, there was a lot of backlash to her tweet. Some people who donated were distributing her nudes for free to people who hadn't (which is a crime and generally scummy), some sent her their unsolicited nudes, while others were just being hateful.
But Instagram went and deactivated her account because it "violated its guidelines by posting sexually suggestive content." Which okay Instagram, maybe prioritize a little? Are a few booty pics worth people, animals, and vegetation dying?
Thankfully, Ward doesn't take that ish lying down, and she's pledged to continue the cause.
The Fundraising Efforts Continued
In a matter of days, Ward went from being responsible for raising a few thousand dollars to bringing in approximately $1million to various charities and organizations. It might not have been the most conventional way to fundraise, and she received a lot of flack for it, but few people can say that they were able to raise that much money for any cause in their lifetime.
She Inspired Others Others To Do The Same
Given the success of her unconventional campaign, Ward's efforts inspired other sex workers and models to take a similar path. Adult film actress Riley Reid promoted her own personal content in exchange for donation receipts, as did models such as Jenna Lee and Emma Elliott. In one update following her initial tweet, Lee estimated that she'd raised more than $40K for various organizations.
Back In Business
Though her account was deactivated by Instagram for violating their community guidelines, it looks like the social media platform came to their senses and realized there were worse things in life than allowing a woman to raise money for charity through photos of herself. Ward was able to start a new Instagram account just a few weeks after her original one was taken down.
$1 Million Isn't Enough
You'd think that anyone could rest easy knowing they'd raised around one million dollars for a very good cause, but that wasn't enough for Kaylen. With so many other countries and people around the world suffering through their own disasters, Ward set her sights on a new cause.
Raising Funds For Puerto Rico
Around the same time that the wildfires were blazing through Australia, Puerto Rico was forced to declare a state of emergency after a series of earthquakes. The earthquakes left hundreds of families without proper shelter, and many didn't have the money to pay for damages that had been done to their homes and to their island.
Another Succesful Campaign
Why fix what isn't broken? Ward tackled raising money for Puerto Rico with the same strategy that she used for the Australian wildfires, offering to send nude photographs or content to anyone who can prove they donated $10 to one of the organizations she recommended.
She Has A Team Behind Her
People can send their receipt from their donation to Ward and once it's verified as legitimate by either Ward herself or one of her team members, the donators will receive content from Ward.
Due to the overwhelming response, Ward had to bring on others to help verify all the receipts she was being sent, with more than 50% of them ending up as real donations. Her team of four assistants is also responsible for deciding which organizations they promote.
Keeping The Naked Philanthropy Movement Alive
Ward is not the first model or sex worker to use their content to promote a good cause or raise money for charity, and based on the response from fellow adult-rated content creators, she won't be the last, either!
