Upland, a metaverse platform that combines virtual and real-world elements, is taking a step towards supporting a nonprofit organization dedicated to building playgrounds in underserved neighborhoods. The platform is launching an NFT fundraiser to raise funds for KABOOM!, an American nonprofit that has built or renovated over 17,000 playspaces in its 25-year history.
Danny Brown Wolf, the chief of staff at Upland, expressed how closely the mission of ending playspace inequity resonated with the Upland community. Many Upland users are avid supporters of KABOOM! and actively participate in real-world fundraisers for the organization. Thanks to their involvement, KABOOM! was able to collaborate with the Upland team to facilitate a fundraiser within the metaverse using in-game map assets.
In Upland, map assets are represented as NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) which users can buy, including land, houses, apartments, and decorations for their virtual spaces. In line with this concept, Upland is selling an NFT playground collection consisting of 1800 NFTs. The proceeds from the sales will be donated to KABOOM!, with Upland taking a 10% transaction fee.
The minting process for the NFT playground collection will take place on Thursday, and the first sales will begin on Friday. The collection, designed by a graphic artist within the Upland community, features five different playgrounds that users can place in their virtual backyards.
This is not the first time Upland has engaged in charitable efforts. In December 2022, the platform launched a fundraising campaign in partnership with UNICEF Brazil. The campaign aimed to fund a youth program teaching metaverse and Web3 skills to young adults interested in working in the industry. Following the success of this campaign, Upland initiated a sale of winter-themed decorations to aid the victims of an earthquake in Turkey and Syria, raising a combined $89,692.
Danny Brown Wolf sees these charitable initiatives as a testament to the credibility and future business model of the metaverse. Drawing a parallel to impact organizations utilizing social media for fundraising campaigns, she envisions a broader application of such initiatives within the metaverse.
These efforts by Upland demonstrate how virtual worlds can contribute to real-world causes. By leveraging the power of NFTs and engaging their community, Upland is paving the way for more meaningful and impactful collaborations within the metaverse. Through their support of KABOOM!, they are not only bringing attention to the issue of playspace inequity but actively working towards its resolution.
