MrBeast leads online creators in $40 million fundraiser to build better quality water projects worldwdie

Funds will primarily benefit WaterAid, an international nonfit that builds community-tailored infrastructure ranging from solar-powered wells to rainwater harvesting systems

More than 2 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water as of 2022, according to the United Nations

Joining #TeamWater are smaller creators and some of the biggest names online such as ing giant Kai Cenat, trendy YouTubers the Stokes Twins and sports entertainers Dude Perfect

Whether they are filming serious explainers or silly water-themed challenges, creators are encouraged to duce content that is authentic to their brand

Water access was identified as a solvable issue that could also unite their mass global ing

But MrBeast CEO Jeff Housenbold acknowledged they are better awareness builders than infield executors So, they sought a partner with global reach, existing community partnerships and long-term change-making abilities

That led them to WaterAid

The organization first started talking with MrBeast’s team two years ago, according to WaterAid America CEO Kelly Parsons

She said WaterAid typically engages communities for up to a year designing the per solution

That work sometimes involves training local water nicians. “It all begins and ends in the communities we work with and through them to ensure design that lasts,” Parsons said. “It’s people more than plumbing.” While WaterAid would did not vide a list of all the places where funds would go, countries include Colombia, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Malawi and Kenya

Charity partners GivePower and the Alok Foundation are also helping implementation in rural Kenya and Brazil, respectively

U.S.-based jects include an atmospheric water generator for an assisted living facility in Jackson, Mississippi, where the fragile water system nearly collapsed three years ago

The nonfit DigDeep is helping fix crumbling infrastructure in the small town of Rhodell, West Virginia

The trip recalled their own upbringing in a Chinese town where their grandfather walked miles to fill 5-gallon water jugs. “Being there in person was definitely one of those experiences that brought it all back for us,” Alex said. “(We) saw these kids there and it just reminded us a lot of our childhood as well.” The multi-platform drive s the 2019 #TeamTrees and 2021 #TeamSeas campaigns, which reportedly drew more than $50 million altogether

Those humanitarian efforts, however, drew criticism that they moted oversimplified solutions to complicated issues and applied Band-Aids instead of addressing the main drivers of forest loss or ocean pollution. “Ideally, you would not use philanthropy simply to take away the symptoms of whatever is the blem,” said Patricia Illingworth, a Northeastern University philosophy fessor who writes ethics in philanthropy. “But, rather, you would want to address the root cause.” Matt Fitzgerald, a digital campaign strategist who has organized the efforts, said the campaigns were never int to be the “end all be all.” He hopes they serve as an entry point for deeper commitments

While the previous two campaigns were “a fist-bump, Mother Earth-style of environmentalism,” he said, this one seeks to center people while still “keeping the planet top of mind.” “No matter how big a mass internet mobilization moment might be, real gress on these issues demands people continuing to pay attention and continuing to stay involved,” Fitzgerald said. “To me, the way you do that, is you reach people’s hearts before you try to convince them with their minds.” ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonfits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc

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