About the Campaign

Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. While the UN Foundation has been working with the UN to fight malaria for years, it was a column that Rick Reilly wrote about malaria in Sports Illustrated, challenging each of his readers to donate at least $10 for the purchase of an anti-malaria bed nets -- and the incredible response from thousands of Americans across the country -- that led to the creation the Nothing But Nets campaign.

The reaction to Reilly's 815 words made clear that thousands of people were ready to help the million children dying unnecessarily each year of malaria. Within a few short months, Nothing But Nets raised over 1 million dollars. And so Nothing But Nets was born.

The UN Foundation has now partnered with groups as diverse as National Basketball Association’s NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church and Sports Illustrated to bring Nothing But Nets to the American public. These Founding Partners are joined by corporate, multi-media and financial partners to make a significant impact by raising awareness and funds to purchase and distribute bed nets and save lives.

Now, we're asking you to help spread the word about Nothing But Nets, and how easy it is to protect children from malaria with bed nets.

You can save a family. Your church, school, or team can save a village.

Together, we can cover Africa with life-saving bed nets.

How it works

Nothing But Nets is powered by your passion; it works because you do! Create a community for your church, school, team, or family and friends. Together, you can spread the word, raise funds, and share your stories.

With the money you raise, the UN Foundation and its partners work with the Measles Initiative – one of the most successful vaccination efforts ever undertaken – to purchase bed nets and distribute them in countries and communities in greatest need.

Using its proven distribution system – which in just five years has vaccinated nearly a quarter billion children – the Measles Initiative will distribute bed nets along with measles vaccinations and other medicines to at-risk countries. It’s an effective and cost-efficient way to get the nets to the people who need them.

Read our Year 1 Report.

Getting Involved

At NothingButNets.net you will find resources on malaria, toolkits that you can download to help you raise awareness and organize fundraising events, and the ability to create or join a Netraiser team.

Sign up as a Netraiser Team Captain to recruit your friends, family and co-workers to help support you in raising money for bed nets to prevent malaria in Africa. As a Team Captain, you can invite people to join your team so they too can ask their friends to sponsor them within your team or simply ask for sponsors.

And, check out the success of our first-ever World Malaria Day!

Working together, we can cover Africa with lifesaving bed nets.

Send to friend