Gaming for Good: how to engage the streaming community

This article is sponsored by Salesforce.org – a dedicated social impact team of Salesforce that delivers technology to non-profits, educational institutions, and philanthropic organisations so they can connect with others and do more good.

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Gaming for Good exploded in the past year, as charities sought to diversify fundraising avenues and reach out to new demographics. One of the core ways charities aimed to raise funds is by streaming, where viewers donate while they interact on platforms such as Twitch.

 

The Gaming for Good podcast offers a documentary-style exploration of charity gaming and the latest episode demystifies the ways in which streamers raise funds for charities. The hosts at Salesforce.org go straight to the source, pulling back the curtain and asking the charities involved and the streamers themselves for some best practice advice.

 

The podcast asks – and answers – some essential questions, such as:

• Who exactly are the streamers?
• What motivates them to raise money?
• How do charities find and engage with streamers?
• How can charities help streamers raise funds more effectively?

 

Focussing on small streamers

 

Fundraising by streaming is often seen through the lens of the influencer, the big-name and high-profile streamers. But the podcast emphasises the need for charities to look at small streamers, finding people who are more committed to the cause and more engaged.

 

The podcast hosts talk to the British Red Cross (BRC) about their Gaming for Good journey, looking at some successes and failures. The BRC started, like many charities, by looking at influential streamers, namely people with between 10k and 100k Twitch followers.

 

But during the early stages of Operation COVID-19, BRC noticed that relying on big streamers posed some serious challenges, such as lots of admin, lots of research, and lots of rejection. 

 

BRC changed strategy, switching from big to small, focussing on the folks ‘in the cheap seats’ of platforms like Twitch. After a few more failures, learning a few more lessons, they finally got it right. The Operation COVID-19 campaign exploded with the help of lots of small streamers, far surpassing the goal of £20k and raising in excess of £200k.

 

 

Prioritising the personal touch

 

The podcast also spoke to the US-based Humane Society and asked them questions about their Gaming for Good journey. The Humane Society provided wonderful insight with candour, honestly and openly admitted an early absence of streaming knowledge.

 

The charity was candidly honest about their lack of expertise and asked the streaming community for help. The charity told streamers that they were good at helping animals, but terrible at streaming. Their honesty and humility appealed to many general streamers. The charity immediately started forming strong and lasting relationships with small streamers.

 

The Humane Society emphasises the importance of a personalised approach. The charity says that it will offer personal support to all streamers, regardless of popularity or status. That personal support is repaid in loyalty to the charity, which means that lots of small streamers go above and beyond for the Humane Society, as they found a personal connection with the cause.

 

The latest episode of the Gaming for Good podcast raises some fascinating points. The main takeaways of the podcast include, among other things, how charities can build strong and robust communities, the importance of doing your research, and so much more.

 

You will not want to miss the episode. Check out the Gaming for Good pod below!