How Much Money Vlogbrothers Makes from YouTube (...and where it goes)

2022-02-08 · announcement · John · 4:00 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: Internet & YouTube) · mode: Advocacy & fundraising · tags: fundraising ask, civic or action cta, calendar ritual, recurring series

In a suited 'Bank of Nerdfighteria' report, John says Vlogbrothers earned just over $145,000 in 2021, all given to the PIH Sierra Leone project and educational grants, and explains the 15th Project for Awesome: its matching fund, two halves, and the call for videos.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Suit, five-part money video; part one: John's privated TikToks

★★ John says the best way to use TikTok is to post a video, let people see it for about 12 minutes and then private it, which he admits is inventing Snapchat; he has privated 120 TikToks. (playful) — 00:00:00 · TikTok

00:00:29 — P4A perks teaser; part two: Vlogbrothers' 2021 YouTube revenue and where it goes

★★★ John announces many perks for donors during the 15th Project for Awesome, the community's annual 48-hour charity fundraiser, beginning February 25th at noon Eastern. — 00:00:29 · Project for Awesome
★★★ John says Vlogbrothers earned just over $145,000 in 2021, mostly from YouTube ad revenue, some from YouTube Premium subscribers and Super Chats. — 00:00:29 · Vlogbrothers, YouTube, online advertising
★★★ John says half the money went to the brothers' Partners In Health project to reduce maternal mortality in Sierra Leone; the rest was split between a Complexly educational fund and a fund for emerging educational creators. — 00:00:58 · Partners In Health, maternal death, Sierra Leone, Complexly
★★ John says this year's (2022) grants went to educational creators such as Tom Lum, Alexis Nikole and Flipping Physics, all great, with links in the doobly-doo. — 00:00:58 · doobly-doo
★★★ John says they have handled ad revenue this way for years, possible only because both have other jobs: books for John and, for Hank, 10,000 jobs including books. — 00:01:27 · Hank Green
★★★ Because their books sell better thanks to Vlogbrothers, John says it is wrong to say they keep none of its value; they only keep none of the ad revenue. — 00:01:27

“it's not accurate to say that we don't keep any of the value created by Vlogbrothers”

00:01:56 — Part three: the P4A matching fund and the Foundation to Decrease World Suck

★★ Every year Nerdfighters join the brothers in a P4A matching fund, a big reason the Project for Awesome donated over $2.3 million to charity last year (2021). — 00:01:56 · Nerdfighteria, Project for Awesome
★★★ John asks viewers who can donate $500 or more to the 2022 Project for Awesome to join the matching fund via the Google form linked below. — 00:01:56 · Project for Awesome, doobly-doo · also in: why we make art
★★ John notes P4A donations are tax-deductible in the US, as with any charity, except this one is called the Foundation to Decrease World Suck. — 00:01:56 · Foundation to Decrease World Suck, Project for Awesome, world suck

00:02:26 — Part four: how the P4A works, separate from the PIH project, first-half charities

★ John jokes that they maybe should have rethought the foundation's name, but here they are. (playful, hedged) — 00:02:26 · Foundation to Decrease World Suck
★★ John notes the Project for Awesome is completely separate from the community's Partners In Health Sierra Leone project to reduce maternal mortality. — 00:02:26 · Project for Awesome, Partners In Health, maternal death, Sierra Leone
★★★ In the P4A's first half they raise unrestricted funds for pre-selected charities, this year (2022) Partners In Health and Save the Children, long-time partners, not for a particular project. — 00:02:26 · Partners In Health, Save the Children, Project for Awesome

00:02:56 — Second half, and part five: make a P4A video; sign-off

★★ In the second half they raise unrestricted funds for charities chosen by viewers through their P4A videos and votes at projectforawesome.com. — 00:02:56 · Project for Awesome
★★ John says the two halves let people give either to charities they know well or to charities chosen by the community. — 00:02:56
★★★ John hopes viewers will make a Project for Awesome video for a nonprofit they care about and submit it at projectforawesome.com before February 23rd. — 00:03:26 · Project for Awesome
★★ John says such a video helps people learn about organizations doing good, and a selected organization could get quite a lot of money. — 00:03:26
★★ John says last year (2021) the Project for Awesome donated over $27,000 to each charity chosen by the community. — 00:03:26 · Project for Awesome

In the description and comments

★ The description recommends Hank's video on how to make a good P4A video. — video description · Hank Green, Project for Awesome
★★ The description lists the educational grant recipients funded by the ad revenue: MattieWex, Tom Lum, Sofishtication, Alexis Nikole, Entomology Abby, Astrokirsten, The Garbage Queen and Flipping Physics. — video description
★★ In a comment John says Vlogbrothers makes much more per user from YouTube Premium than from ads, which he believes holds for every creator. — video description · online advertising, YouTube
★★ In a comment John says they don't run unskippable ads, which hurts their CPM a lot but they think makes for a better user experience. — creator comment · online advertising
★★ In a comment John says joining the matching fund functionally equals donating, but research indicates matching funds increase overall giving, which is why they do it. — creator comment · Project for Awesome
★★ Replying to a complaint, John says the community decides where P4A money goes, not him or Hank; donors wary of some nonprofits should give in the first half. — creator comment · Project for Awesome, Nerdfighteria
★★ In a comment John says creator grant applications are taken year-round, with grants given once or twice a year depending on revenue. — creator comment
★ In a comment John jokes there are still no fishing boat proceeds and he really needs to get a fishing boat. (playful) — creator comment · fishing boat proceeds

Threads in this video

callback · John's 'fishing boat proceeds' joke: the income he never has (2007) — In a comment John jokes there are still no fishing boat proceeds and he really needs to get a fishing boat.
announced · P4A 2022 edition — John announces many perks for donors during the 15th Project for Awesome, the community's annual 48-hour charity fundraiser, beginning February 25th at noon Eastern. (00:00:29)
milestone · Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) — John says vlogbrothers earned just over $145,000 in 2021: half went to the brothers' Partners In Health maternal-mortality project in Sierra Leone, the rest was split between a Complexly educational fund and grants to emerging educational creators such as Tom Lum, Alexis Nikole and Flipping Physics. (00:00:58)
progress update · John: keep Nerdfighters up to date on how the vlogbrothers pre-roll money is spent (2014) — John says vlogbrothers earned just over $145,000 in 2021: half went to the brothers' Partners In Health maternal-mortality project in Sierra Leone, the rest was split between a Complexly educational fund and grants to emerging educational creators such as Tom Lum, Alexis Nikole and Flipping Physics. (00:00:58)
looked back · Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) — John says they have handled ad revenue this way for years, possible only because both have other jobs: books for John and, for Hank, 10,000 jobs including books; and since their books sell better thanks to vlogbrothers, it is not accurate to say they keep none of the value it creates. (00:01:27)
restate · How should online creators be paid: ads, sponsorships, paywalls or direct audience support? — Because their books sell better thanks to Vlogbrothers, John says it is wrong to say they keep none of its value; they only keep none of the ad revenue. (00:01:27)
looked back · P4A 2021 edition — Every year Nerdfighters join the brothers in a P4A matching fund, a big reason the Project for Awesome donated over $2.3 million to charity last year (2021). (00:01:56)
asked · John asks donors of $500 or more to join the P4A 2022 matching fund via Google form (2022) — John asks viewers who can donate $500 or more to the 2022 Project for Awesome to join the matching fund via the Google form linked below. (00:01:56)
rule change · P4A 2022 edition — In the P4A's first half they raise unrestricted funds for pre-selected charities, this year (2022) Partners In Health and Save the Children, long-time partners, not for a particular project. (00:02:26)
restate · What makes charity or aid work well? — In the P4A's first half they raise unrestricted funds for pre-selected charities, this year (2022) Partners In Health and Save the Children, long-time partners, not for a particular project. (00:02:26)
asked · John asks viewers to make P4A 2022 videos for nonprofits they care about, submitted at projectforawesome.com by February 23 (2022) — John hopes viewers will make a Project for Awesome video for a nonprofit they care about and submit it at projectforawesome.com before February 23rd. (00:03:26)
restate · What is the community's charity drive for: attention for causes, money, or the community itself? — John says such a video helps people learn about organizations doing good, and a selected organization could get quite a lot of money. (00:03:26)
looked back · Foundation to Decrease World Suck becomes a real non-profit (2012) — John notes P4A donations are tax-deductible in the US, as with any charity, except this one is called the Foundation to Decrease World Suck. (00:01:56)
came true · Hank: P4A 2021 money will go to many charities and have a lot of real-world impact (2021) — John says last year (2021) the Project for Awesome donated over $27,000 to each charity chosen by the community. (00:03:26)

Where the stories that moved here went next

P4A 2022 edition — completed; last: milestone, 2022-08-05
John asks donors of $500 or more to join the P4A 2022 matching fund via Google form (2022) — reported back; last: result reported, 2022-02-25
John asks viewers to make P4A 2022 videos for nonprofits they care about, submitted at projectforawesome.com by February 23 (2022) — reported back; last: thanks, 2022-03-04
Hank: P4A 2021 money will go to many charities and have a lot of real-world impact (2021) — came true
John: keep Nerdfighters up to date on how the vlogbrothers pre-roll money is spent (2014) — open (updates through 2026, not reported done); last: progress update, 2026-10-09
Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) — running; last: looked back, 2026-10-09

Mentioned

Central: online advertising · Project for Awesome

Also: People: Alexis Nikole · Tom Lum

Projects: Bank of Nerdfighteria · Complexly · Foundation to Decrease World Suck

Works: Flipping Physics · The Power of the Dog

Organizations: Partners In Health · Save the Children · Snapchat · TikTok · YouTube

Terms: doobly-doo

Concepts: maternal death

Places: Sierra Leone

Products: Super Chat · YouTube Red

Only in the description or credits: Astrokirsten · Entomology Abby · fishing boat proceeds · MattieWex · Sofishtication · The Garbage Queen

← Previous: How John and I Talk About Ideas · Next → Knowing is not Understanding - Pluto and the P4A