Steven Savage

Pick a charity and have you and your group/convention do events to support it.

This is probably the simplest thing you can do, but it’s also effective. Almost any major geeky con has an associated charity or two, raising money for them with sales, donations, auctions, and so forth. It’s almost an afterthought.

Of course it shouldn’t be an afterthought – clubs and cons and the like can do a lot of good. It doesn’t even have to be raising money – maybe you rally your group to work phones, or gather books or school supplies, or whatever you want to do or try. Find the right cause and get imaginative.

You could even get creative with all sorts of theming and synergies:

• Do a blood drive at your vampire event.
• If you’re a fanfic group, donate time to maintaining the website for a good cause.
• Your literature-oriented convention could promote literacy (and maybe give people a chance to join a literacy organization)

There’s too many suggestions to even try at this point – but remember it can’t hurt to pick something relevant and give it a try. Your only risk is doing less good than you intended . . . but always do more than doing nothing.

Oh and if you don’t have a group or organization that’s charity inclined?  Do it yourself. Better a $10-a-month donation off your credit card than nothing.  Besides that monthly deduction can keep reminding you there’s always more to do . . .

Turn your hobby or geekery into a marathon and use it as a charity drive.

You remember those six hours you spent on a computer game. Or that marathon RPG session. OK, actually in a few cases you don’t, but either way what you did for fun was to endure a kind of mental gauntlet.

What if you did this to raise money?

Marathons, especially in Video Game communities, are a popular way to raise money for a good cause. People band together and play games for ridiculously long times – and often play ridiculous games as well. This is often done publicly, usually online, for people to enjoy, get involved, and wonder. It’s good fun, but it’s also great for awareness, camaraderie, and raising money.

Of course it doesn’t have to be video games,though those are ideally suited for marathons and as noted they’re quite popular. Why not have a marathon RPG session? Marathon comics drawing session? Cosplay creation? Anything can be marathoned, and with online streaming and social media you can involve the world – and get them to donate.

You could also tie it into other efforts:

• A cosplay marathon could also be a tutorial for people, raising interest – and money.
• A game marathon could be run by your company around the games they make.
• Game mod makers could make a mod just for a charity event – then release it.

The sky, and your access to caffeine, is the limit.

Resources

RPG Marathons

• Role-playing Gamers Giving A Bleep – Does RPG marathons for good causes.

Video Game Marathons:

• Crystals For Life – Does RPG speedruns to benefit the JDRF and their work on Type 1 diabetes.
• Desert Bus – Since 2007 Desert Bus has been raising money for Child’s Play via webcasting marathons of the infamous never-ending bus driving game “Desert Bus.”
• Game To Aid – A charity that raises money via broadcast video-game marathons, often with various creative (and at times painful) themes.
• Games Done Quick – Does game speedruns to raise money for charity.
• Gaming For Others – A UK group that does marathons for charity, and works with Special Effect.
• Hyrule Hustlers – Video game enthusiasts who sponsor Childs Play and run Zelda-based events and marathons.
• Indie Games For Good – Indie Games For Goods raises money for Child’s Play by focusing on Indie Game marathons.
• Marathon Gamers – A gaming marathon group thta does marathons for charities.
• Mario Marathon – A yearly all-Mario gameathon to support Childs Play.
• One Big Game – A nonprofit that raises money by selling games.
• U-Pick Video Game – Raises money for charity via marathons where others pick the games.
• Video Game Nightmarathon – Does Halloween-themed and horror game marathons for charity.