Ones to Watch: Impact creators
One of our favorite takeaways from the Social State of Giving, the report we worked on with GoFundMe about donation trends, was the rise of the impact creator.
The term, coined by Arjun Das, refers to a creator whose content inspires people to help. This can be anything from raising awareness about a cause to donating money. Importantly, they are a trusted voice with younger donors.
“Our research reveals the majority of Gen Z and Millennials currently follow impact creators, with one in four Gen Z surveyed saying they’ve been motivated to donate because of a social media creator,” the report says. “A whopping 51% of Gen Z would trust impact creators to make donations on their behalf.”
These creators are especially relevant at this time of year, and we expect to see a lot more from them in 2025 and beyond. Here are three you should follow today.
Jimmy has amassed an audience of nearly 25 million people with his random acts of kindness. In his videos, he will approach people and help them out with a cash donation, and sometimes go further and start a fundraiser on their behalf. Just this week, he shared a video of Kelsey, whose 8-month-old son has been in the hospital for his entire life. Jimmy gifted her $1,000 and started a GoFundMe, which blew past its goal thanks to his community.
Known online by his handle juixxe, Jesus makes videos about surprising day laborers with trips to amusement parks. He was profiled by CNN earlier this year for his efforts to show hard-working Latino immigrants. “He puts a spotlight on them and treats them with respect, and you’re reminded of something that we shouldn’t need to be reminded of — that these are human beings who live whole lives.”
You may remember Mari as Little Miss Flint. She first gained attention in 2016 when she wrote to President Obama about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Mari has been using her platform for good ever since, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for good causes and inspiring other young people to get involved in activism. We expect to see her in politics in the future!