#NoMakeupSelfie Campaign Accidentally Helps Wildlife Instead Of Cancer Patients

The #NoMakeupSelfie (no makeup selfie) campaign circulating on Twitter and Facebook recently has raised millions for cancer research. But not all of the proceeds went to cancer patients, as some funds were accidentally donated to help wildlife instead.

Over a 48-hour period, numerous Twitter tweets and Facebook posts of selfies – branded with hashtags #nomakeupselfie, #nomakeupselfies, and #cancerawareness, along a text donation number – generated an estimated £2 million (or $3.3 million US) in funding for cancer research.

Updated reports have since calculated an unprecedented increase of donations as the Cancer Research UK managed to raise £8 million ($13.1 million US) in the span of six days using their social media fundraiser.

In just 6 days, your #nomakeupselfie, #makeupselfie & other pics have raised £8m to beat cancer sooner. Thank you! http://ift.tt/1o28YeH

— Cancer Research UK (@CR_UK) March 25, 2014

The cancer charity didn’t start the cancer awareness trend however, as it seemed to appear on social media organically.

But after noticing a growing number of the aforementioned hashtags and photos of no makeup selfies appearing on Twitter and Facebook, the CRUK quickly got involved and created a social media fundraising campaign.

They set up a text donation number (beat to 70007) and encouraged people to donate in connection to the circulating no makeup selflies.

However, due to some confusion with the text donation information, the Huffington Post reports that along with the CRUK, UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) received donations and mistaken inquiries about adopting a polar bear.

All three charities allow people to donate via the same British SMS number, but using different words. Those texting “donate” instead of “beat” to the number found their money sent to UNICEF, while those texting “bear” accidentally made adoption inquiries of the WWF, explains the Telegraph.

UNICEF UK acknowledged the genuine mix up and is working with Cancer Research UK to transfer £18,625 which was donated to them by mistake.

[Photo Credit: ucumari photography (Valerie)]

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