Fundraising flourishes in the video game industry as individuals and organizations turn to live broadcasting gameplay.
Twitch has seen its streaming community raise over $8 million for a wide array of fundraising initiatives. This number is expected to grow exponentially when the main event of Extra Life 2013, the biggest gaming charity of the year, commences on November 2, 2013. While Twitch supports and promotes various charity initiatives, the $8 million represents funds organically raised by the Twitch community for the causes of their choice.
Among the hundreds of charity broadcasts every year on Twitch, Extra Life is one of the most prominent. As a sponsor and promoter, Twitch is designating a spot on its homepage directory to Extra Life 2013. While the directory is normally reserved for specific games, there will be an Extra Life 2013 icon so visitors can easily find all broadcasters who are raising funds for the event. To date, more than 4,500 Twitch broadcasters have signed up to support Extra Life 2013 with that number expected to double by November 2.
“Twitch is changing lives by connecting kids in need with gamers who care,” said Jeromy Adams, Founder and Director, Extra Life. “What better community to answer the call for help for kids than one that has never lost touch with their inner child. Twitch is game-changing.”
While Extra Life raises money for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, there are other marquee organizations that have benefitted from Twitch’s philanthropic-minded gamers. This includes American Cancer Society, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, and American Red Cross, among many others. Some of the groups and events that have successfully leveraged Twitch for humanitarian causes include Speed Demos Archive’s SDA Charity Marathons, AtheneLIVE’s Gaming For Good, LoadingReadyRun’s Desert Bus For Hope, AbleGamers and KBMOD.
