This holiday season, Save the Children is set to roll out its very first gaming‑focused fundraiser, a live‑streamed event dubbed Save Point. The initiative, scheduled for December 5‑6, 2026, merges the excitement of video games with the power of charitable giving, aiming to attract a new wave of supporters who might not otherwise take part in traditional fundraisers such as marathons or galas. Fiona Baxter, the organisation’s senior fundraising manager, shared her enthusiasm with GamesIndustry.biz, saying that Save Point emerged from a broader ambition to deepen the charity’s relationship with the gaming community. “We wanted to create a platform where gamers and streamers could contribute in a way that feels natural to them,” Baxter explained.
“Not everyone has the stamina or the time to run a marathon, but almost anyone can sit down at a console or a computer and play, chat, and raise money for a cause they care about.” The event will be anchored by popular online content creator and streamer TheKapFantastic, who has already demonstrated his fundraising chops by generating more than £5,000 for Save the Children earlier this year. His involvement underscores the charity’s strategy of leveraging established personalities within the gaming sphere to amplify reach and inspire participation.
Baxter noted that the partnership with TheKapFantastic is just the beginning; the charity hopes to forge lasting connections with a diverse array of gamers, influencers, and e‑sports teams long after the two‑day fundraiser concludes. “Imagine being able to tell someone in a Twitch chat or a Discord server about the life‑changing work we do in the field, and then watching that same community rally together to fund essential deliveries for children in need,” Baxter said. “If we walk away from Save Point with a fresh cohort of supporters who are eager to game for us again, we’ll consider the event a massive success.” Because this is Save the Children’s first foray into a gaming‑centric fundraiser, the team is treating the experience as a learning laboratory.
“We’ll be gathering feedback on everything from the technical setup to the way we communicate our message during a livestream,” Baxter added. “Those insights will be invaluable as we aim to scale up and host even bigger, more ambitious gaming events in the years to come.” Baxter also praised gamers and streamers as the "unsung heroes of fundraising," highlighting how the gaming world is beginning to set a new, innovative standard for charitable support. She pointed out that many gamers share a love of storytelling, imagination, and escapism—elements that can be harnessed to drive real‑world impact. "When we channel that passion into concrete actions—like raising funds for food, medicine, warm clothing, and safe shelter—we showcase just how powerful the gaming community can be," she said.
Save Point is a key pillar of Save the Children’s broader campaign, "The One Delivery That Matters," which launches in November 2026. The campaign seeks to shift public attention from the typical holiday gift‑giving narrative to the urgent, life‑saving deliveries that children in vulnerable situations are awaiting this Christmas. Baxter emphasized the stark contrast: "For many children, the most important present this year isn’t a toy or a treat—it’s a package that contains the basics they need to survive and thrive." She likened the ease of ordering anything online with a few clicks to the heartbreaking reality that, for millions of children, essential supplies are still out of reach.
The Save Point event will be fully accessible online, allowing participants from around the globe to join in real time. Those interested can sign up through the charity’s website, where they will receive guidance on setting up their own fundraising livestream, selecting donation platforms, and promoting their stream to maximize reach.
The charity will also provide promotional assets, such as overlays, badges, and themed graphics, to help streamers maintain a cohesive visual identity throughout the two‑day window. In addition to the main livestreams, Save Point will feature a series of side activities designed to keep audiences engaged.
These may include charity‑focused gaming tournaments, speed‑run challenges, and interactive Q&A sessions with Save the Children field workers who will share stories from the front lines. By weaving together entertainment and education, the event aims to deepen donors’ understanding of the issues at stake while encouraging them to give generously. The charity is also exploring collaborations with game developers to incorporate in‑game items or limited‑edition skins whose purchase proceeds will flow directly to the campaign. Such integrations could further blur the line between play and philanthropy, offering gamers tangible ways to contribute without interrupting their experience.
Overall, Save Point represents a bold experiment in modern fundraising, marrying the immersive appeal of video games with the urgent need for humanitarian aid. If successful, it could pave the way for a new generation of charitable events that are as inclusive, dynamic, and digitally native as the audiences they aim to serve. Baxter concluded with optimism: "The gaming community has shown time and again that when we come together, we can achieve extraordinary things.
We’re excited to see what we can accomplish when we turn our love of play into a force for lasting change."