Hank and John Green’s annual charity livestream, Project for Awesome, is a beacon of hope and engagement for the duo’s dedicated online community: The Nerdfighters. 

This year, the event raised over $3,740,594.69 for charity in a single weekend — its largest sum of all time.

Hank and John — who are known for projects ranging from authoring best-selling books and creating educational YouTube videos to launching VidCon and selling socks, soap, and coffee for charity — have been leading Project For Awesome since 2007.

During the annual 48-hour livestream, the pair collaborates with influencers, scientists, philanthropists, and more to entertain viewers, and most importantly, raise money for a wide range of charitable organizations. 

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How Project For Awesome Works

Before the livestream begins, community members can submit videos nominating a nonprofit of their choice to receive a portion of the proceeds from the fundraiser. 

Viewers can watch and vote for videos and nonprofits that resonate with them. Then, the organizations that receive the most votes will receive a portion of the funds raised throughout the livestream. 

Donations are gathered from supporters who can select from a range of “perks” in exchange for donations. These perks include physical keepsakes, like T-shirts and limited edition art, as well as digital downloads like exclusive podcast episodes or sneak peeks of projects discussed by creators involved with Project For Awesome.

2025 perks were hosted by fundraising platform Tiltify and included items like the first two chapters of Hank Green’s next book, signed art prints from John Green, and even a downloadable knitting pattern.

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Project For Awesome’s 2025 Impact

By the end of the fundraising window, the 2025 Project for Awesome, which took place from Feb. 14-16, has raised $3,740,594.69.

Half of all of the money raised will be split among charities voted on by Nerdfighters through the video voting process. The other 50% of the funds will be split between Save the Children and Partners in Health, two long-term charitable partners of the Green brothers.

Both organizations focus on bringing health solutions to areas where it is needed most. This year, all of the Project For Awesome funds contributed to Partners in Health will benefit their ongoing efforts to end tuberculosis worldwide.

Save the Children, which has been in partnership with Hank and John for 18 years, seeks to provide humanitarian aid in areas of crisis.

Project For Awesome is a project of the Foundation to Decrease World Suck, a nonprofit that fundraises for the benefit of other nonprofits and awards grants to classified charities. 

This year, over $1.8 million in direct donations were made through Tiltify, while a number of matching funds through FTDWS, Partners in Health, and Save the Children added up to reach the grand total of over $3.7 million.

In 2024, the livestream raised $3,530,889.25, which was similarly split among 30 viewer-selected charities, as well as Partners in Health and Save the Children. 

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Highlights from the 2025 Project For Awesome

While the underlying work of the Project For Awesome is to make a tangible difference in the face of real problems, both John and Hank are known to bring a hefty dose of humor to the livestream.

Joined by guests like Brennan Lee Mulligan, Destin Sandlin, Travis McElroy, Animal Wonders, Danielle Bainbridge, and more, the livestream featured a wide array of shenanigans. 

Some highlights included raccoon finger paintings, a classic game of “Banana Loca,” appearances by alter egos like “Silly Nelson,” and “Silly Ray Cyrus,” and even astronomy lessons. 

In between the silliness, the livestream also featured conversations with Ettore Rossetti from Save the Children and Dr. Joia Mukherjee from Partners In Health, to help spread the word about the important work the livestream supports.

“There are so many good reasons to give right now. There isn’t anything these organizations do that isn’t vitally important; treating children for malnutrition, providing HIV treatment, supporting kids in war zones, decreasing maternal and infant mortality, responding to disease outbreaks,” Hank said in a video leading up to the livestream last week.

“I am so proud that our community supports these people and the work they do.”

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Header image courtesy of vlogbrothers/YouTube