MrBeast Just Broke A Charity Record And It’s Still Not Done
Mark Rober and MrBeast
TeamWater
In a single livestream, MrBeast, the world’s most-watched YouTuber, raised $12 million for clean water access, breaking the Guinness World Record for most money raised in a charity stream. But that’s only one piece of a much bigger movement.
Launched on August 1, 2025, by MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) and fellow creator Mark Rober, #TeamWater is a sweeping philanthropic campaign aiming to raise $40 million by the end of August to bring clean water to 2 million people across the globe.
It’s bold, digital, creator-led and it’s working.
The Creator Economy as a Force for Global Change
“#TeamWater may just be the future of our industry,” says Kelly Parsons, CEO of WaterAid America, the campaign’s lead nonprofit partner. “This is a very different type of campaign than WaterAid has ever done. It’s proving that creator-led philanthropy is a relatively untapped market with enormous potential in reach and, ultimately, impact.”
In just 11 days, the campaign raised $15 million. By mid-August, it had soared past $30 million. The pace and participation has stunned traditional aid leaders.
“We’ve created new muscles that will help us remain relevant and adapt to a future that looks and feels quite different from the past,” Parsons says. “WaterAid has shown incredible capacity to learn, flex and grow during this process.”
And that flexibility is key. With over 3,000 creators involved, representing over 3 billion followers, the project’s distribution is as decentralized as it is enormous. From YouTube shorts to TikTok reels, from livestreams to on-the-ground content in Malawi, Colombia, and Nepal, the initiative showcases how creators are becoming the new engine of global giving.
“Creators are the experts in engaging a growing and dynamic audience, and we are the experts in clean water,” says Parsons. “Together, we turned attention into meaningful, tangible results.”
Why This Works, The New Philanthropy Equation
Parsons credits three core factors for the campaign’s success: trust, reach and span of control.
“We’ve seen the decline in trust across the past several decades; today we’re in a different world entirely,” she explains. “Institutions of all types—government, civil society, corporate, media—are no longer trusted by a large portion of the population, especially young people.”
By contrast, creators like MrBeast have cultivated authentic, long-term relationships with their audiences.
“MrBeast’s videos are oftentimes seen by more people than view the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics combined,” she says. “When you layer massive reach atop high trust, you get unprecedented engagement. This is engagement money literally can’t buy.”
Breaking Records on Kick
The campaign’s biggest media moment so far came on August 14, when MrBeast launched his first-ever livestream on Kick, co-hosted by streamers Adin Ross and xQc.
The stream began with a $5 million fundraising goal and a promise not to end the stream until it was met. Viewers smashed the target in hours. MrBeast raised it to $8 million, then again to $12 million.
By the 15.5-hour mark, the team hit their final goal. Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, called in to announce a $500,000 donation that helped push them over the edge.
“Just did my first stream and we raised over $12,000,000 for charity! Most money ever raised in a live stream,” MrBeast posted on X.
Guinness World Records confirmed it as a new global milestone. Viewership peaked at 76,700 concurrent viewers for MrBeast, with the stream drawing over 186,000 followers in 24 hours.
Kick isn’t the obvious platform for humanitarian fundraising, but this stream proved that high-energy creator culture, gamified interaction and charitable cause can coexist powerfully.
Real Impact on the Ground
In MrBeast’s own words: “We’re on a mission to give 2 million people all around the world clean water.”
His launch video documents the building of clean water infrastructure across seven countries, including:
- A solar-powered well in Malawi, supplying water to 1,000 villagers.
- A filtration system in Colombia, built next to a bicycle-part pump made by a local.
- Water tanks in Zambia supporting 9,000 residents.
- Reverse osmosis systems in Ecuador for communities suffering from contaminated river water.
- High-capacity storage and purification tanks in Nepal serving 300+ people for up to 20 years.
- An atmospheric water generator for an assisted living facility in Jackson, Mississippi.
- New water infrastructure in Rhodell, West Virginia, in partnership with DigDeep.
A Model for NGOs
WaterAid’s ability to adapt has been instrumental. According to Parsons:
“Working with creators is a new world for many nonprofit organizations… Creators are working at lightning speed to keep up with social media trends. Nonprofits must be sure they can deliver on any promise the campaign makes. Pairing excitement with results is essential.”
To ensure authenticity, WaterAid sent creators to the field.
“Taking creators to visit projects deepens their understanding, enriches their content, and enables them to share messages that ultimately wouldn’t land if they didn’t see and capture it firsthand.”
MrBeast’s video subtly communicates WaterAid’s principle that every community requires a tailored solution from filtration in Colombia to tank infrastructure in Nepal. The creators built, worked and learned on site.
“Of course, this alignment of audience, message, mission and community happens at a much faster pace than our norm,” Parsons said. “Mark Rober regularly says ‘buckle up’; he’s not exaggerating. It’s a rollercoaster—and like the best ones, is not for the faint of heart.”
Top Donors and Corporate Backers
Several notable figures and companies are driving momentum:
- Shopify kicked off with a $500,000 donation.
- YouTube pledged to match the next $2 million donated.
- Brian Chesky (Airbnb), Sophie Rain and Scooter Braun are among the top donors.
Parsons emphasizes the strategic value of partnerships:
“In the U.S., we’ve partnered with DigDeep, GivePower, and the Alok Institute. These partnerships amplify #TeamWater at every level, transforming global awareness into concrete solutions.”
What Comes Next
With just days remaining until the August 31 deadline, #TeamWater continues to pick up steam. Thousands of creators are still posting across platforms and new features on TeamWater.org let donors view a live leaderboard and leave messages.
And according to Parsons, this is just the beginning.
“Don’t underestimate your organization—WaterAid has shown incredible capacity to learn, flex and grow during this process,” she said. “My advice to other nonprofit leaders is to seek out creators as arbiters of your message, be flexible… The best impact will come when each partner understands and complements the unique value of the other.”
As MrBeast says in the video: “This could be one of the largest philanthropy projects in history.”
And if the numbers are any indication, he’s not wrong. You can donate today at teamwater.org.