This holiday season, Save the Children is set to roll out its very first gaming‑centric and live‑stream fundraising campaign, dubbed Save Point. The new venture represents a strategic push to tap into the vibrant world of video games and online streaming as a fresh avenue for raising money and awareness for children in need.
Fiona Baxter, the organisation’s senior fundraising manager, shared with GamesIndustry.biz that the concept for Save Point emerged from a broader ambition to deepen the charity’s connection with the gaming community. “We wanted a way to reach gamers not just as occasional donors but as partners who could champion our cause in a format that feels natural to them,” Baxter explained. “Many people can’t or don’t want to run a marathon or take part in a traditional charity walk, so a gaming‑focused event offers a more inclusive, accessible alternative that still delivers impact.” The charity has teamed up with well‑known online creator and streamer TheKapFantastic, who previously helped raise over £5,000 for Save the Children earlier in the year. This partnership is intended to showcase how individual influencers can mobilise their audiences for a common good, while also signalling Save the Children’s commitment to forging long‑term relationships with content creators across the gaming ecosystem.
Baxter emphasised that the event is only the beginning of a sustained effort to engage gamers and streamers beyond the two‑day window. “Our hope is that after Save Point we’ll have a growing network of supporters who continue to champion our work, whether by hosting their own streams, organising gaming tournaments, or simply spreading the word about the challenges children face worldwide.” She added that success will be measured not merely by the amount of money raised, but by the depth of the new community that emerges: “If we walk away with a fresh crew of passionate gamers who want to keep collaborating with us, that will be a massive win.” Because this is Save the Children’s first foray into a gaming‑driven fundraiser, the organisation anticipates a steep learning curve. “Every piece of feedback we receive—from technical hiccups to audience engagement insights—will be priceless,” Baxter said.
“It will help us refine the format and scale up future events, making each successive campaign bigger, better, and more rewarding for participants.” Describing gamers and streamers as the "unsung heroes of fundraising," Baxter noted that the gaming sector is beginning to set a new, innovative standard for charitable support. She highlighted the shared love of storytelling, imagination, and immersive worlds that unites gamers, arguing that these qualities can be harnessed for tangible, real‑world change. “When we channel the passion gamers have for virtual adventures into actions that improve lives offline, we demonstrate just how powerful that community can be,” she remarked.
Save Point is a core component of the wider "The One Delivery That Matters" campaign, which officially launches in November 2026. The campaign’s messaging centres on the stark reality that, for millions of children this Christmas, the most vital gifts are not toys but essential supplies—food, medicine, warm clothing, and safe shelter. Baxter underscored this point, saying, “Anything you can order with a tap of a screen can be delivered to your door, but for many children the only deliveries they need are those that protect their health and future.” The event is scheduled for December 5‑6, 2026.
Participants can sign up through a dedicated registration portal, where they will receive guidance on setting up a fundraising livestream, choosing donation platforms, and promoting their stream to maximise reach. The charity will provide promotional assets, suggested talking points, and real‑time updates on fundraising totals to keep audiences engaged throughout the two‑day period. In addition to the live‑stream component, Save Point will feature a series of mini‑challenges and milestones designed to keep viewers entertained and donors motivated. These may include speed‑run contests, community‑wide boss battles, and collaborative charity raids where multiple streamers unite their audiences for a common fundraising goal.
By integrating game mechanics such as leaderboards, achievement badges, and reward tiers, the event aims to replicate the excitement of gaming while translating it into concrete financial support for children in crisis. The initiative also seeks to educate viewers about the broader context of the charity’s work. Throughout the streams, Save the Children will intersperse short documentary‑style segments that illustrate how donations are turned into life‑saving deliveries on the ground.
This storytelling approach is intended to bridge the gap between the virtual entertainment experience and the real‑world impact, reinforcing the message that every contribution, no matter how small, can make a difference. Looking ahead, Save the Children plans to analyse the data collected during Save Point—viewer numbers, donation spikes, engagement patterns—and use those insights to craft future campaigns that are even more tailored to the gaming audience.
The ultimate ambition is to establish a recurring annual event that becomes a staple in the charity calendar, much like traditional marathons or gala dinners, but uniquely positioned within the digital entertainment sphere. By embracing the gaming community’s enthusiasm for collaboration, competition, and storytelling, Save the Children hopes to set a precedent for how NGOs can innovate their fundraising strategies in the digital age. As Baxter concluded, “If we can turn the joy of play into lasting, positive change for children around the globe, we’ll have proven that the power of games extends far beyond the screen.”