This holiday season, Save the Children is set to debut its first ever gaming‑focused fundraising initiative, a two‑day event titled Save Point, scheduled for December 5‑6, 2026. The concept emerged from a broader ambition to deepen the charity’s connection with the worldwide gaming community, a demographic that has shown a growing appetite for social impact. Fiona Baxter, the charity’s senior fundraising manager, told GamesIndustry.biz that Save Point was "born from a wider desire to engage more with the gaming community," and that the event is designed to be both inclusive and compelling for partners and individual supporters alike. Unlike traditional physical challenges such as marathons, which can be prohibitive for many due to time, fitness level, or accessibility, a gaming‑based fundraiser offers a low‑barrier entry point.
"Save Point is allowing us to engage more with the gaming community, both from a partnership and individual supporter perspective. Not everyone can run a marathon, so an event like this is a lot more accessible and allows us to showcase what a different type of supporter can do," Baxter explained.
By leveraging the interactive and social nature of live streaming, the charity hopes to attract participants who might otherwise never encounter its work. The event will be anchored by a collaboration with popular online content creator and Twitch streamer TheKapFantastic, who previously helped raise more than £5,000 for Save the Children earlier in the year. Baxter emphasized that this partnership is just the beginning of a longer‑term strategy to cultivate relationships with gamers, streamers, and their audiences.
"It would be incredible to reach more people in this community with information about the work we do and why it's important," she said. "I will consider it a huge success if we walk away from this event with a new crew of supporters who might want to game for us again because of their experience with us." Because Save Point is a brand‑new format for the organization, the team anticipates a steep learning curve. "There are also a lot of learning opportunities in this event.
This is our first time doing this type of fundraiser, so the feedback we get will be invaluable and help us shape bigger and better gaming events year‑on‑year," Baxter noted. She described gamers and streamers as "unsung heroes of fundraising," highlighting how the gaming space is "setting a new, innovative standard" for charitable support.
The underlying philosophy, according to Baxter, is rooted in the shared values of the gaming community: storytelling, imagination, and escapism. "There is an understanding between game‑lovers that we are a group of people who love stories, imagination and escaping to new worlds through the power of play. By turning our love of gaming into a force for real‑world, lasting change, we're demonstrating just how powerful and impactful the gaming community can be," she added. Save Point is a key component of Save the Children’s broader campaign, "The One Delivery That Matters," which launches in November 2026.
The campaign seeks to shift the public’s focus from material gifts to essential supplies that children in crisis need during the festive season—food, medicine, warm clothing, and safe shelter. Baxter illustrated this contrast with a vivid metaphor: "Absolutely anything you could think of can be delivered right to your door at the tap of a screen. But for millions of children this Christmas, it’s not toys or treats they’re waiting for – it's the deliveries that will save lives and protect childhoods." Participants in Save Point will be able to register their interest through a dedicated portal, where they will receive guidance on setting up a fundraising livestream, choosing donation targets, and promoting their streams across social platforms. The charity plans to provide a suite of resources, including graphics, donation overlays, and talking points, to help streamers communicate the urgency of the cause effectively.
Beyond the immediate fundraising goal, Save Point aims to create a lasting network of gaming advocates who can champion the charity’s mission throughout the year. By integrating charitable messaging into the fabric of gaming culture—through in‑game events, charity skins, and collaborative challenges—the organization hopes to embed philanthropy into the everyday activities of gamers.
The event also presents opportunities for corporate sponsors within the gaming industry to demonstrate social responsibility. Potential partners include game developers, hardware manufacturers, and e‑sports teams, all of whom can contribute prize pools, matching donations, or exclusive in‑game items that incentivize viewer participation.
In summary, Save Point represents a strategic pivot for Save the Children, tapping into a vibrant, digitally native audience that values community, creativity, and impact. By marrying the excitement of live gaming with a clear humanitarian purpose, the charity seeks to not only raise essential funds for children in need this Christmas but also to establish a replicable model for future fundraising initiatives in the gaming space.