How Dan Mace Is Making Kindness Go Viral: Inside Beast Philanthropy's Storytelling Super‑Power

Forbes

4 days ago

Getting involved in Philantropy
What happens when you merge cinematic storytelling with philanthropy — and strip away every trick that makes traditional filmmaking sensational? For Dan Mace, the creative force behind Beast Philanthropy, the answer is both simple and profound: you find a way to tell the truth and still move millions.
Mace, known for his collaborations with creators like Casey Neistat and for his own award-winning films, wasn't initially convinced that the mix of philanthropy and YouTube's fast-paced attention economy could work. 'I struggle to see these videos getting any more than 5 million views,' he admitted when first approached. Yet, the very first video he directed for Beast Philanthropy soared to 20 million views — and changed the course of his career. 'I then studied that video for a very long time to try and figure out' why it resonated so deeply with audiences.
Fast forward 29 months, and Mace has helped grow the Beast Philanthropy channel to 28 million subscribers, with most videos now surpassing 25 million views each. 'When I started, people would constantly say that it's impossible to make philanthropy films 'viral.' With Jimmy Donaldson's (Mr Beast's) dedication and my exceptional team at JOE, we are pulling it off, film by film,' he said.
Traditional charity films often swing between two extremes: earnestness that bores or sensationalism that exploits. 'We refuse to do either,' Dan told me. The Beast Philanthropy team instead aims for the sweet spot where entertainment, inspiration, and impact intersect—content you want to watch and feel compelled to share. That alchemy matters because on this channel every view literally funds the mission: 100 percent of ad revenue, brand deals, and merch profit flow straight back into projects on the ground.
Dan Mace is a creative and visionary Filmmaker, Youtuber, CCO (Chief Creative Officer) for Beast ... More Philanthropy and the founder of JOE and ALL OF US Studios in Cape Town.
For Mace, storytelling has always been about emotion — the ability to make people feel something real. But philanthropy posed a unique challenge. 'With philanthropy, and especially with BEAST, everything that we say, everything we do, is 100% true,' he explained. 'Sometimes, as a director, I think I could make this seem a lot more impactful by framing it differently, but we have to focus on being really, really honest and still make it gripping. It's a fascinating challenge.'
Music is one of the tools he uses to shape that honesty into something powerful. 'We score all the films ourselves,' Mace said. 'That really helps when you have the ability to control the emotion through music, you can work people towards a crescendo with different motifs.' He often records authentic sounds on location — the footsteps, voices, and rhythms of the communities they're filming — and weaves these elements into the score to make the films feel alive and deeply personal.
Beast Philanthropy is not just about creating content — it's about creating change. Every view directly fuels real-world impact. 'The sums of money that come in through philanthropy that goes straight back into philanthropy is insane,' Mace said. Unlike most charities, 100% of the revenue from ads, brand deals, merchandise, and donations goes directly to the causes. MrBeast personally covers the production costs, ensuring every penny raised is put to work.
But for Mace, the most powerful moments aren't on camera. 'They're not these really aesthetic pieces of content,' he said. 'They're just legitimately sending you a video over WhatsApp, thanking you and going like, you know, this is, look at the impact it's made on the community. And that for me is the most special part.'
The scale of Beast Philanthropy's work is staggering. In the past two years, the team has launched 30+ films spanning more than 20 countries, delivering everything from life-saving surgeries to solar-powered villages. They've built homes for orphans in South Africa, provided 20,000 pairs of shoes for school children, and funded 100 heart surgeries for children in Nigeria.
In Asia, they've powered a mountain hospital and birthing center in Nepal, given 2,200 prosthetic limbs in Cambodia, and rebuilt shelters for hundreds of animals in Thailand. In the U.S. alone, the channel has donated over $2.7 million in clothing, 13 tons of food, $1 million in dental surgeries, and supported teachers, hospitals, and mental health organizations.
'When I look back at the projects we've brought to life across the globe, I'm so humbled,' Mace said. 'Creativity truly has the ability to change the world.'
Mace approaches YouTube storytelling with the same precision he learned during his years in advertising. His formula? Impact, communication, and persuasion.
'The hook up front, this is why,' he explained. 'Once you get into the video and the hook suggests that yes, the film is indeed going to show you what you've clicked on, you go into this level of communication, and that's where you solve the emotion throughout that communication part. The persuasive elements at the end… that's transforming in those last 30 seconds of the film, giving people the ability that now they really want to be involved.'
This structure ensures that viewers are not just entertained but also moved — inspired to share, donate, or simply see the world in a new way.
When Mace joined Beast Philanthropy, he wanted to create something with more depth than the flashy giveaways that defined early videos. 'The videos prior were kind of… bubblegum,' he said. 'They were throwing money down and had these little explosion animations. It's just not what I was interested in.'
Today, every video is designed like a cinematic mini-documentary. A project in Colombia, for example, powered a remote island but also gave women a path to financial independence by creating a bakery. 'Does the creation of a bakery on an island sound as clickable as 'We Powered an Island'?' Mace asked. 'Probably not. But once we get them to click, we can introduce the deeper story — like women's empowerment — and keep them engaged through authentic storytelling.'
For Mace, Beast Philanthropy offers viewers a simple yet powerful way to contribute. 'There's this notion where it's like, okay, there's so many problems in the world, which there is,' he said. 'If you go and you just view a Beast Philanthropy video, a simple view is giving back.'
Even young audiences are finding inspiration in the work. 'There's been comments of kids saving their tooth fairy money to donate a few dollars to the charity,' he shared. 'That stuff is just incredible for youth. It's given a lot of hope'
Our conversation ends with a mutual sense of wonder at what storytelling can still achieve. 'I've stopped trying to be the best,' Dan says quietly. 'Now I just want to share what I've learned. Because there are so many amazing organizations out there doing incredible work—but no one sees them. And views? Views create hope.'
Beast Philanthropy proves that storytelling, when done with honesty and heart, can turn attention into real impact. With just one click, a viewer can spark donations, amplify awareness, and help change lives. In a world overloaded with content, these stories stand out because they remind us that even the smallest action can make a difference.