How We Used NFTs to Raise $80,000 to #StopAsianHate

Inside our inaugural NFT4Good campaign

On May 1, NFT4GOOD launched its first philanthropic campaign: the AAPI-88. Powered by MerchNFT, a startup that creates digital merchandise through NFTs, we created NFT “rookie” cards of 88 influential AAPI leaders in entertainment, sports, business, technology, and community activism, such as journalist Lisa Ling and comedian Ronnie Chieng. For a week, people could purchase the rookie cards for $88 each, with the funds going to nonprofits actively advocating for #StopAsianHate and #HateIsAVirus causes. We are thrilled to announce that we raised more than $80,000 from the campaign.

The biggest challenge with this campaign was educating people about NFTs. The NFT market has exploded this year, but there is still a lot of confusion around NFTs, their utility and value, and how they work. (My previous article explains more about NFTs and how they can innovate community-based philanthropy.)

To make it easier for first-time NFT buyers, we bundled each digital card with a physical…