Milana Vayntrub just flipped the script on charitable giving in a way that’s got the entire internet talking. The actress best known as AT&T’s beloved “Lily” shattered expectations by raising over half a million dollars for Los Angeles wildfire survivors—using nothing but exclusive flirty photos and a radical idea she calls Only Philanthropy.
The Spark That Started It All
When the Eaton wildfire tore through East Altadena in January, Vayntrub watched families lose everything overnight. Instead of just posting thoughts and prayers, she asked a simple question: what if cheeky photos could become direct cash for people who actually need it? Within days, her experiment became a lifeline.
Her first campaign zeroed in on Bridget Bradley, a single mother whose home burned to the ground. Bradley’s young son has cerebral palsy, and the family needed immediate help with housing, medical equipment, and transportation. Vayntrub’s offer was straightforward—donate to Bridget’s GoFundMe, receive exclusive “tastefully risqué” photos in return. The internet responded like wildfire, pumping $170,000 into the fund in just four days. That money covered a full year of rent, a reliable car, and critical care for Bradley’s son.
Scaling Up: From One Family to Entire Communities
Encouraged by the momentum, Vayntrub launched a second campaign over the summer. This time, she directed the flood of donations toward My Tribe Rise, a grassroots Altadena nonprofit supporting elderly, disabled, and underinsured residents rebuilding after the fires. The result? Another $350,000 in just one week, distributed as direct cash grants to families navigating disaster recovery.
Across both drives, roughly 3,500 donors pitched in an average of $120 each. Vayntrub made it crystal clear from day one: nudity was never on the table. The photos lean playful and flirty, never explicit. Each digital image arrives watermarked with donor emails to prevent leaks, and anyone dropping $1,000 gets entered to win a signed Polaroid from the shoot.
The Bigger Picture
Vayntrub isn’t stopping at wildfire relief. She’s already planning to expand Only Philanthropy, inviting other creators to tackle causes ranging from justice reform and homelessness to LGBTQ+ rights and climate resilience. “We’ve raised over half a million dollars together this year,” she wrote. “Now let’s grow this into something bigger, stranger, more powerful.”
She turned internet clicks into roofs over heads, medical equipment into living rooms, and flirty photos into dignity for families when they needed it most. That’s not just fundraising—that’s creative chaos with a conscience.
What do you think of this bold approach to charity? Drop your thoughts below.