NFTs Driving Change: All About Tatler Gen.T’s First Charity NFT collection

This issue of NFTs Driving Change puts the spotlight on Tatler Gen.T’s first NFT collection raising funds for a range of charities.

England clearly missed the memo on summer. It’s all cloudy and gloomy here on most days, even during the odd 20°C-plus days. I take back everything I said in the last column; please, I need the sun back. Desperate for a change of scenery from what is the four walls of my room, I have moved to the bigger four walls of my university library today. It’s nice to see at least a few others typing furiously away on a Sunday morning. But, in all honesty, I hope you are having a relaxed Sunday and that the sun is out in your part of the world. Whether you are staying in or out, I hope you take away something from today’s column. While I cannot promise a great read, I guarantee some food for thought, something inspiring, or maybe even a pinch of hope. 

Welcome to NFTs Driving Change—a monthly column, where I highlight projects and creators using NFTs and other Web3 tools to create real-world impact. In this issue, I’ll be introducing you to the Phoenixes of Tomorrow, the first charitable NFT collection from Tatler Gen.T. 

First, a short intro to Tatler Gen.T.

What is Tatler Gen.T?

Created by Tatler Asia, the Asia edition of the British luxury and fashion magazine, Gen.T is a community/media platform for “Asia’s most promising young leaders.” Every year, Gen.T publishes a list of 300 “leaders of tomorrow shaping Asia’s future”. Everyone from entrepreneurs to creatives and young leaders who create a positive impact in Asia is included on the list.

So, it isn’t surprising that Tatler Gen.T went the NFT way to raise funds for charities. And definitely not surprising for a magazine; after all, plenty of legacy publications have done it before. The Economist, for example, sold its 1865 cover as an NFT to raise funds for The Economist Educational Foundation, a charity supporting teachers to empower disadvantaged children. 

Similarly, the 94-year-old publication, Fortune Magazine recently dropped an NFT collection featuring artwork from digital artist Itzel Yard. Its first collection, featuring animated characters from Web3 creator pplpleasr, sold out in 2021 for 1 ETH each. Last year, Time even released a whole magazine issue as an NFT, following the release of its TIMEPieces NFT collection.

So what exactly is Gen.T doing?

All about Phoenixes of Tomorrow

“We wanted a collection that represents the young leaders on the Tatler Gen.T List,” the Gen.T team says. “And the one thing that drives all of them: purpose.”

From the get-go, the team had one thing clear: Their NFT collection should have a social mission. To symbolise “those with the potential to ignite new possibilities”, they decided to base their collection on phoenix. And so was born The Phoenixes of Tomorrow.

Designed by Singaporean artist and 2022 Gen.T honouree, Dawn Ang, the collection features 180 PFP NFTs. Notably, the birds feature accessories inspired by Asian heritage.

However, unlike your typical NFTs, these cannot be sold or transferred. They belong exclusively to the honourees on the 2023 list. But, to allow the honorees to give back to society, each Phoenix of Tomorrow comes with a companion NFT called Friend of Phoenix. Now, these can be sold, with the sales proceeds going to these five local charities:

• Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association
• The Codette Project in Singapore
• Yayasan Chow Kit in Malaysia
• Angat Buhay in the Philippines
• Kids’ Bookhouse in Taiwan

More About the Charities in Focus

Personally, I love NFT projects that support a range of causes (extra brownie points if the causes are centred on women and children). So Gen.T’s collection automatically makes it to my good books.

The Codette Project, for instance, helps upskill Muslim and other minority women in Singapore through technical workshops and community-building initiatives. Kids’ Bookhouse, meanwhile, helps underprivileged children in rural areas of Taitung, Taiwan in getting lifelong education. 

On the other hand, the Philippines-based NGO Angat Buhay is on a mission to alleviate poverty in the country. With a focus on sectors such as education and health, the non-profit runs a range of sustainable development initiatives.

Next on the list is Yayasan Chow Kit, which helps underprivileged children, especially displaced children, in Malaysia. Lastly, the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association is a nonprofit helping individuals with Down Syndrome in Hong Kong. 

To sum up, Tatler Gen.T is supporting some important causes and charities with its maiden NFT collection. While the collection dropped in late June, how much money it has raised so far remains unclear. Unfortunately, due to the bear market, the project is unlikely to raise as much as the other similar initiatives from before.

Loved this? Make sure to check out our previous issues on Sovereign Nature Initiative, Pussy Riot, Rejell, Dropspot, unique Web3 charity initiatives, and more. And, if you are someone using NFTs for creating real-world impact, write to me at: [email protected]