A Little Giving
I recently received an e-mail from a charity asking whether we donate games. Since we’re pre-production on our first print run – the answer is no. But, it got me thinking about what our policy will be, and how we currently give back.
There are so many causes that need support, that giving ultimately becomes a personal choice on what causes resonate with you - what you have the means to support - and you feel you can make a difference in.
Chelsea and I mostly give to two types of organizations:
Animals: we have a recurring monthly donation to the ASPCA and have at times given to save elephants and turtles. We’re also supporters, fosters and volunteers for our local dog rescue True North Rescue Mission.
Social: We support women’s, LGBTQ+, and civil rights, with semi-regular donations to the ACLU and similar non-profits.
But, this is a board game blog, so I thought it would be fun to explore some board game related non-profits and charities. I’m not sure how, or in what way we’ll ultimately support these organizations, but they’re definitely on our radar.
These are all 501(c)(3)s – which means your donations are tax deductible in the US.
Is a non-profit out of St. Louis that builds community and fosters “creative learning by distributing board games to those in need including educators, youth service providers, military, health care providers, and others.”.
Sometimes it can be hard to feel like your donations are having an impact. MFP solves that with their Miniature Market and Amazon wish lists. If you buy Ticket to Ride – you know that copy of the game is getting out there into the world, to bring some people some joy.
The fund was founded in memory of Tom Vasel’s son Jack to raise and distribute funds to members of the board gaming community who are suffering personal hardship.
Games are about bringing people together. The Jack Vasel memorial fund offers a way to extend our communities and support one another in our most trying moments.
There are only a limited number of testimonials on the Fund’s website (I wish there were more, or some sort of information on number of people supported and how), but for the most part it seems to focus on helping families through financial hardship due to illness.
The Spiel Foundation was born out of a podcast – The Spiel (a show about games and the people who love them) – when at a meet-up (the Spiel-a-thon) that turned into a fundraiser for the non-profit organization.
A small part of The Spiel Foundation’s warehouse (also, Labyrinth is such a great game)
The Foundation’s primary focus is to deliver bundles of games to (children’s hospitals, senior centers, shelters, halfway houses, boys and girls clubs, schools, libraries, and even prisons).
I love the attention to detail that goes into their bundles, from selecting games appropriate to their audience, to hand punching all the components and ensuring that the games are ready to play.
It’s an impressive organization that has delivered over 2,500 bundles to millions of players.
GHG is a scholarship program for and by Magic: The Gathering Players. They have occasional tournaments, and heavy involvement within the Magic: The Gathering pro-community including Chris Pikula on the board, and Jon Finkel as treasurer.
I haven’t seen similar scholarship programs for board gamers more generally – but if you know of any, let me know in the comments as I would love to look into them.
Upcycle Your Games
Many of us have games on our shelves that haven’t seen the table in years. If you’re looking to downsize, or rotate your collection, you can consider donating your games.
My Kind of Meeple has a list of places to donate used board games.
What ways do you enjoy giving back?
