Sostento, a U.S.-based nonprofit focused on removing healthcare access barriers and supporting frontline health workers, leaned into crypto philanthropy to reach a new generation of donors. By accepting crypto and running partner-driven NFT charity campaigns, Sostento demonstrated how nonprofits can safely operationalize digital asset donations while reducing administrative burden and converting funds into usable program dollars quickly.
đź’Ž Sostento accepted crypto through The Giving Block, lowering friction for donors and simplifying compliance and accounting.
🧑‍🎨 In 2021, Sostento ran an NFT charity auction campaign that raised $130,000+ by partnering with NFT artists, collectors, and projects.
🧾 Sostento combined experimentation with due diligence, clear internal approval, and conversion to fiat to avoid operational headaches.
Sostento’s mission is centered on supporting frontline public healthcare workers and improving healthcare access; work that became especially urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many growing nonprofits, Sostento faced a familiar challenge: need was rising faster than traditional funding sources could keep pace. In this environment, Sostento began exploring crypto philanthropy not as a gimmick, but as a practical fundraising channel that aligned with a rapidly emerging donor class actively looking for credible giving opportunities in Web3.
Sostento’s approach combined two complementary moves: (1) accept crypto in a structured way, and (2) activate community-driven fundraising through NFTs.
1) Accepting crypto donations via a trusted giving partner
Sostento enabled crypto donations through The Giving Block and Endaoment, which are designed to help charities process donations, handle documentation, and support conversion into fiat.
2) Partner-led NFT fundraising (with conversion built in)
In 2021, Sostento pursued an NFT charity auction model after observing early examples of NFT-based fundraising momentum in the space. Over a six-month period, the team built partnerships across the NFT ecosystem and ran a campaign that raised over $130,000.
Critically, Sostento treated this like any other fundraising channel: leadership conducted due diligence, clarified internal responsibilities, and ensured the organization could accept proceeds without risking administrative overload. In the campaign described by Sostento, proceeds were sent in ETH to The Giving Block, which then converted the funds to USD and deposited them into Sostento’s bank account in under two weeks.