Games Industry Gets a Charity Match Platform — Meet Cause+Select

by

As a big believer in games for good, I’m really excited about this new platform called Cause+Select! It’s been created by Wayne Emanuel from Ctrl+Impact, along with the publishing agency ICO. Basically, it’s a way to connect charities who need help from the gaming world – things like development, publishing, or content creation – with people who can actually provide it. It sounds like a great solution because a lot of developers and creators were getting swamped with requests, and charities were struggling to get noticed. It’s currently in beta, so it’ll be interesting to see how it develops!

It’s become much harder for charities to get funding worldwide, especially with changes at organizations like USAID and increasing global instability. Because of this, more and more charities are looking to the video game world for income and to raise awareness. This has made a competitive fundraising landscape even more crowded, joining existing initiatives like GamesAid, SpecialEffect, Games Done Quick, Yogscast’s Jingle Jam, and Humble Bundle.

Game companies are facing a challenge due to the huge increase in requests for things like charity codes, livestream help, and sponsorships. Developers and publishers say they’re being overwhelmed with these requests, making it hard to carefully choose partnerships that align with their values.

Beyond just the sheer number of failed collaborations, there was also a fundamental issue with how those that did happen were structured. According to Emanuel, lasting partnerships need both sides to actively contribute and benefit, rather than simply having a studio attach its name to a project without real involvement.

Charities are also finding it tricky to work within the gaming industry, as it has its own unique language and ways of doing things. Some charities, like War Child and Make-A-Wish, are doing well because they employ people who already understand the gaming world – Miles Jacobson at War Child and Rob Small at Make-A-Wish. However, for charities that don’t have this in-house knowledge, it’s hard to get involved.

It’s difficult to grasp all the specialized language of video games if you don’t already have someone on your team who’s familiar with the industry, according to Emanuel.

Cause+Select helps charities and game companies connect for fundraising. Charities post details about their campaigns and the support they need. Game companies can then search these listings by location, cause, and other criteria, and express their interest directly on the platform. Once the charity approves, both organizations can work together independently. The platform also includes a helpful guide with gaming terminology to help charities feel more comfortable with this type of fundraising.

So, during the beta, the platform is totally free for everyone. And the good news is, it’ll stay that way for developers, publishers, and creators even after launch! Charities will chip in a small fee, but it’s awesome to see they’re already on board. The first charities joining us are really meaningful – Calm (they help with suicide prevention), Gamers Outreach, CoppaFeel (a youth breast cancer charity), WWF, and Make-A-Wish. The plan is to build up a big community of gamers first, then open things up to more charities. To qualify as a charity partner, you just need to be officially registered and have a valid charity number.

Emanuel argues that charities offer game companies tangible benefits beyond just improving their public image. For example, while working with War Child, he secured Carey Mulligan – a supporter of the charity – to do a voiceover for a Bandai Namco DLC at no cost to the studio. In another instance, War Child’s contacts in the music industry helped lower the expense of renting the Hammersmith Apollo for a Bethesda concert, ultimately reducing the marketing budget.

Emanuel explained that the platform’s main goal is to highlight the overall impact and worth of charities, not just the good work they do.

This platform aims to create a comprehensive record of the games industry‘s charitable work. It will track how many studios participate in giving, the total amount of money raised, and the number of people or communities helped, ultimately showing the positive impact the industry has made.

Read More

2026-04-29 11:16