Sudden Partnerships Spark Real Change

Social media plays a significant role in society. While it has developed over time, from simple e-mail and chat programs to multi-faceted content connection platforms, the purpose of social media has remained relatively the same: “[a place for] online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content,” says the American Psychological Association. In recent years, new social media companies have reevaluated how to approach this purpose. The platform Snapchat, for example, is specifically tailored to create an online environment through personal messaging. In the last few weeks, though, Snapchat has received credit for something beyond its original objective: charity.

On Thursday, June 25, married couple Evan Spiegel, the CEO of Snap Inc., and Miranda Kerr, model and CEO of KORA Organics, announced their most recent philanthropic activity. Partnering with Undue Medical Debt, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the quoted mission to “strengthen communities by erasing financially burdensome medical debt,” the couple pledged and donated $550 million to eliminate medical debt for California residents. Still, there is plenty of gray area about how this partnership was conceived with this brief description.

For starters, this is not Spiegel’s first beneficiary action. Since 2017, Spiegel has spent various spurts of effort towards nonprofit and service-oriented organizations. Recently, he was one of many to help fund the post-Pacific Palisades fire support systems in Los Angeles County. As Pacific Palisades and California are his hometown and home state, Spiegel stated that he cares “deeply about the wellbeing of [California] communities,” and as of now, that deep appreciation and consideration for California is being shown through this new partnership.

The other half of the new coalition has also been making its mark for a while. For the last 12 years, Undue Medical Debt has assisted individuals around the nation with their medical debt. In the United States, an overwhelming number of people experience medical debt at some point in their lives. According to Envzone, “Currently, 100 million people in this country have some kind of health care debt…,” making Undue Medical Debt’s search for a solution more dire than ever.

Together, Spegiel, Keer, and Undue Medical Debt hope to alleviate medical debt for at least 261,000 California residents. Not only is this number of people incredible, but it also shows how one goal can transform into something greater. All things considered, the sudden partnership between these two individuals and this company will be life-changing and, hopefully, bring together new connections across the philanthropic community.