NFT charity raising crypto funds and real awareness for Ukraine

In a marriage of the superficial and the timeless, NFTs linked to photos of the endangered Ukrainian way-of-life, are being auctioned to raise funds for the embattled nation.

Indestructible Donation is the result of a collaboration between a community of Ukrainian photographers and Publicis Groupe’s Performics Mercerbell agency of Sydney. There are 40 NFTS which document the nation’s cities, culture, and heritage. The hope is that they will preserve the memories and beauty of pre-war Ukraine.

“Some of these photos might be the last records we have of these places,” Kostia Liakhov, senior art director at Performics Mercerbell, told AdNews of Australia. 

The collection is on a secure blockchain network. Funds raised from the sale will go to Come Back Alive — a charitable foundation in Ukraine which supports the armed forces, volunteers and their families through funding defensive initiatives. All bids must be made in cryptocurrency which the charity is using as a secure alternative to the Ukrainian banking system.

“All funds raised will become an indestructible crypto donation to the Ukrainian people – a reminder that the Ukrainian spirit cannot be broken,” Liakhov said.

People without crypto can make donations to Publicis Groupe’s charity which is supporting the firm’s Ukrainian employees and their families.

Why we care. The collaboration between two groups on opposite sides of the planet demonstrates how everyone can do something to help. While there are many questions about NFTs as an investment and/or marketing tool, there is no doubt they get people’s attention. Using them to document and aid people in desperate need is the finest type of marketing.

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About The Author

Constantine von Hoffman is managing editor of MarTech. A veteran journalist, Con has covered business, finance, marketing and tech for CBSNews.com, Brandweek, CMO, and Inc. He has been city editor of the Boston Herald, news producer at NPR, and has written for Harvard Business Review, Boston Magazine, Sierra, and many other publications. He has also been a professional stand-up comedian, given talks at anime and gaming conventions on everything from My Neighbor Totoro to the history of dice and boardgames, and is author of the magical realist novel John Henry the Revelator. He lives in Boston with his wife, Jennifer, and either too many or too few dogs.