Stronger Together in Games: 6 big non-profits work toward helping game devs

It’s no secret that this year has been both one of the best years ever in terms of game releases and one of the worst years ever in terms of being a game developer. But, there’s an old Mister Rogers quote that comes to mind.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news,” he explained, “my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

That’s why six well-established 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations have come together to have a fundraiser to help with mental health and focus on the constant string of industry layoffs in 2023. It’s called Stronger Together in Games and it’s comprised of some of the real firepower of the game industry.

Stronger Together in Games has some heavy-hitter non-profits

If you’re unfamiliar with any of these orgs, let me educate you, as they’re all fantastic and do amazing things. Any single one of them is worthy of following and supporting.

But, all six? This is a force to be reckoned with for Stronger Together in Games.

The International Game Developers Association, or IGDA, has been around since 1994. It started as a lobby group to give game developers and publishers a voice in US Congress, but has expanded into much more than that. They help with resources and support for both major and lesser known devs. The org has always been run by fantastic people and is worthy of following anytime.

The IGDA Foundation is a spin-off from the main IGDA. Think of it more as the charitable branch that focuses on underprivileged and marginalized devs. Needless to say, it’s a one-two punch having both the main org and the Foundation both involved.

Women in Games International, or WIGI, is all about (surprise, surprise) women in the game industry. It’s important to note that women helped shape the game industry as we know it. WIGI has been around since 2005 and, similar to IGDA-F focusing on marginalized developers, it’s out to offer resources and support specifically for women.

A “game jam”, if you’re unaware, is an event where people come together and form groups to build games, usually over a short amount of time. The Global Game Jam, originally spun-off from the IGDA in 2008-09, takes place once a year and brings together thousands of professional and aspiring game developers to build games, walking simulators, interactive experiences (similar to Lofi Worlds that I talked about the other day), and more across a single weekend. While it’s a non-profit, the charity here is bringing people together and just letting them create.

Game to Grow is the youngest non-profit on this list, being founded in 2017, but has already done so much for the gaming community. Their focus is more on the kids, using games to help for therapeutic, educational, and community growth. They do things like bringing gaming sessions to kids in hospitals, as well as training professionals on how to use gaming for therapy and more.

As someone that deals with anxiety and depression, let me tell you about Take This. Their focus is all about mental health, in both gamers and game developers, since their founding in 2012.

If you’ve ever been to major game conventions, there’s a chance you saw their Take This AFK Rooms. They’re quiet spaces away from the thousands of people in the main halls. I’ve used them more times than I can count at PAX events and they’re a real godsend for mental health during a loud event. But, Take This does so much more for resources for those that need it as well.

Full disclosure: Their work with mental health led me to eventually become a Take This Ambassador (class of 2020), so I’m a little more gushy about this particular one. But, all of the orgs in Stronger Together in Games mentioned here are just fantastic. No, no one got me to write this article. I’m just really supportive.

What is Stronger Together in Games and how can I support it?

As mentioned, the six Stronger Together in Games charities are coming together to help developers in this time of crisis. The plan is to raise $100,000 in donations, as well as to get that maximum $50,000 match from their sponsor companies, which are Amazon Games, Foundation Law, Google for Games, Midwest Games, Modulate, and SEGA of America. That would total at least $150,000.

I think we can do better than that.

The plan is for streamers from all walks of life to stream on December 8th, 2023 and have people donate directly to their GiveButter. As of writing, there is already $700 donated to the Stronger Together in Games cause and the stream isn’t for another week and a half. If you need access to their logos, banners, or colors, here’s a link to their entire kit.

They want to hit their goal by the end of December, but the 24-hour Stronger Together in Games stream will be available on YouTube starting Friday at 8 a.m. PST.

If you can, donate. If you can’t donate, share this article or the Stronger Together in Games GiveButter page to let people know that the game industry needs everyone’s help right now.