Online Art Contest Raises $6.8M for Charity in 2 Months

A social media art competition just delivered a financial windfall to a small Los Angeles charity that's been quietly changing lives through creativity for years.

The People's Artist contest, run by Arizona-based company Colossal Management, raised $6.8 million for The Art of Elysium in just two months this summer. The charity provides art and design programs to vulnerable communities, including children in hospitals and people experiencing homelessness.

The competition invited artists to share their work online and collect votes from supporters. Actor Johnny Depp served as the celebrity spokesperson, and the winner received $25,000, a feature in Artforum magazine, and an exhibition opportunity.

The contest format is simple. People can cast one free vote daily, or purchase additional votes for $1 each. Multiple rounds narrow down thousands of contestants to a final group of winners.

Colossal operates as a professional fundraiser, taking a percentage of proceeds while directing the rest to charity partners. In 2024, the company's various competitions raised over $129 million total, with 52% going to charitable causes.

The Ripple Effect

For The Art of Elysium, this single campaign's $6.8 million donation exceeds what the small nonprofit typically raises in an entire year. That means more art therapy sessions for sick children, more creative workshops for at-risk youth, and more programs connecting professional artists with communities that need them most.

The model has proven remarkably effective at scale. Since partnering with smaller nonprofits DTCare and Action Initiative Team to manage donations, Colossal's contests have generated over $200 million in total fundraising revenue in 2025 alone, sending more than $107 million to major charities.

These beneficiaries include the James Beard Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and organizations supporting children with cancer. Each contest pairs a relevant charity with a themed competition, from favorite chefs to beloved pets.

While critics have questioned the popularity-contest format and the percentage kept by organizers, the donations themselves represent real money reaching real causes. The 53% that goes to charity aligns with industry averages for professional fundraising campaigns, according to state attorney general reports.

For artists without gallery representation, the contests also offer rare visibility and the chance to mobilize their communities. For charities operating on tight budgets, they provide an influx of unrestricted funding that can fuel growth and expand services.

The model turns social media engagement into charitable giving, one vote at a time.