Milana Vayntrub, best known to millions as “Lily from AT&T,” has turned online attention into real-world impact by helping raise over $500,000 for Los Angeles wildfire victims. Instead of ignoring the intense focus on her appearance, she chose to channel it into compassion, using a playful fundraising platform inspired by OnlyFans to support families who lost everything in the fires.
From Refugee Child to “Lily from AT&T” and Activist
Milana Vayntrub was born on March 8, 1987, in Tashkent, in what is now Uzbekistan. As a Jewish child facing religious persecution, she fled the former Soviet Union with her parents when she was just two or three years old. The family arrived in the United States as refugees and eventually settled in Los Angeles, where her parents worked multiple jobs to build a new life. Growing up in West Hollywood, Milana learned early what it meant to start over with very little—and that experience has shaped her empathy and activism as an adult.
She began acting in commercials as a child to help support her family, later studying improv at Upright Citizens Brigade and appearing in shows like “This Is Us,” “Love,” and “Silicon Valley.” But it was her role as Lily Adams in AT&T commercials that made her a household name. Even as the “Lily” ads made her famous, she used her growing platform to advocate for refugees, co-founding the “Can’t Do Nothing” movement after visiting Syrian refugee camps in 2016. Her journey from refugee child to working actress, comedian, and activist is a story of resilience, creativity, and a deep desire to give back.
How “Only Philanthropy” Raised $500K for LA Wildfire Victims
Over the years, Milana has dealt with intense online objectification, including unsolicited sexualized edits of her “Lily” commercials. Instead of letting that negativity define her, she flipped the script in 2025 by helping launch a fundraising platform called Only Philanthropy—a cheeky nod to OnlyFans. The idea was simple but powerful: supporters make donations to vetted causes, and in return they receive access to exclusive, watermarked “flirty but respectful” photos of Milana, taken on her terms and within clear boundaries.
In her first campaign, she raised around $170,000 in just four days to help a Los Angeles single mother named Bridget, whose home had been destroyed in a wildfire. The funds covered a year of housing, replacement medical equipment and clothing, and a vehicle so Bridget could care for her children—including a son with cerebral palsy. The success of that initial effort inspired a second, larger campaign benefiting multiple survivors through grassroots groups like My Tribe Rise, ultimately pushing Milana’s total wildfire fundraising past the $500,000 mark. For many beneficiaries, the money meant not just financial relief but the feeling that someone truly saw and cared about their struggle.
A Playful Platform with a Serious Impact
Only Philanthropy describes itself as a “playful fundraising platform” that transforms creator influence and fan attention into mutual aid. Donors typically contributed around $100–$120 each, and campaigns often reached their goals in under a week with fewer than ten hours of creator work. Instead of monetizing attention solely for profit, Milana used it to send direct grants to elderly, disabled, underinsured, and working-class families hit hardest by the LA fires—people who often fall through the cracks of traditional disaster relief.
Milana has called the project “the best thing I’ve ever been part of,” thanking supporters for proving that women can mobilize their audiences into powerful, purpose-driven communities. For survivors like Bridget, the impact went far beyond numbers. She described the support as “the first time in a long time I felt seen,” a reminder that behind every viral fundraiser are real people rebuilding their lives from ashes.
Why Milana Vayntrub’s Story Matters
Milana Vayntrub’s journey—from refugee to beloved “Lily from AT&T,” to activist and creative fundraiser—shows how personal history and public attention can be harnessed for good. By reclaiming control over how her image is used and turning it into a tool for mutual aid, she has modeled a new kind of philanthropy rooted in consent, humor, and solidarity. Her $500,000 wildfire campaign isn’t just a feel‑good headline; it’s a blueprint for how influencers and fans can work together to change lives in moments of crisis, one “flirty” photo and one act of generosity at a time.
