This holiday season, Save the Children is set to roll out its very first gaming‑focused fundraising campaign, dubbed Save Point. The initiative merges video‑game play with live‑streamed charity events, aiming to tap into the enthusiasm and reach of the online gaming community.
Fiona Baxter, the organization’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 gamers. “We wanted a way to engage the gaming world in a manner that feels natural for them,” Baxter explained. “Traditional fundraisers like marathons are fantastic, but they aren’t accessible to everyone.
A gaming‑centric event lowers the barrier to entry and showcases how a different type of supporter can make a tangible impact.” To bring the vision to life, Save the Children has teamed up with popular content creator and streamer TheKapFantastic, who earlier in the year raised more than £5,000 for the charity through his own channel. The partnership underscores the growing trend of influencers leveraging their platforms for social good, and it provides a familiar face for viewers who might be new to charitable giving. Baxter emphasized that the partnership is just the beginning of a longer‑term strategy.
“Our goal is to cultivate ongoing relationships with gamers, streamers, and their audiences long after the event concludes,” she said. “If we can introduce more people in this community to the vital work we do—and why it matters—that would be a massive win.
Success, for us, means walking away with a fresh cohort of supporters who are eager to game for the cause again because of the positive experience they had this time around.” Because Save Point is a pilot effort, the charity anticipates a steep learning curve. “There are countless learning opportunities embedded in this event,” Baxter noted.
“Since this is our first foray into a gaming‑based fundraiser, the feedback we gather will be priceless. It will help us refine the format and scale up even bigger, more ambitious gaming events in future years.” Baxter also highlighted the pivotal role that gamers and streamers play in modern fundraising, calling them the “unsung heroes of fundraising.” She observed that the gaming ecosystem is setting a “new, innovative standard” for how charitable causes can be championed. “Gamers share a love for storytelling, imagination, and immersive worlds.
By channeling that passion into real‑world impact, we demonstrate just how powerful the gaming community can be when it rallies behind a common purpose.” Save Point is a cornerstone of Save the Children’s broader campaign titled “The One Delivery That Matters,” scheduled to launch in November 2026. The campaign seeks to shift public attention from traditional holiday gifts to the essential items that vulnerable children need during the festive season—food, medicine, warm clothing, and safe shelter.
Baxter illustrated the contrast vividly: “Anyone can order a toy with a few taps on a screen, but for millions of children this Christmas, the most urgent deliveries are those that sustain life and protect childhood.” The event itself will run over two days, from December 5 to December 6, 2026. Participants can sign up to take part in the livestream fundraiser, receive guidance on setting up their own streams, and learn how to encourage their viewers to donate. By integrating donation prompts directly into the streaming platform, the charity hopes to make giving as seamless as pressing ‘play.’ Beyond the immediate fundraising goal, Save Point aims to foster a sense of community among gamers who share a commitment to social responsibility. The event will feature collaborative gameplay sessions, challenges, and milestones that unlock additional donations from corporate sponsors.
These interactive elements are designed to keep audiences engaged, turning passive viewership into active participation. In addition to the primary fundraiser, Save the Children plans to produce a series of follow‑up content pieces—interviews with participating streamers, behind‑the‑scenes looks at the event’s production, and stories from children whose lives are directly improved by the donations.
This multi‑layered approach ensures that the impact of the campaign extends far beyond the live dates, reinforcing the message that every contribution, no matter how small, helps deliver essential supplies to children in need. Overall, Save Point represents a bold experiment in marrying entertainment with philanthropy.
By leveraging the reach of online gaming, the charity hopes to inspire a new generation of donors who might not have engaged with traditional fundraising models. If the event proves successful, it could set a precedent for other nonprofit organizations to explore similar gaming‑centric initiatives, further expanding the toolkit for charitable fundraising in the digital age.