Charity Streaming 101
A general guide to streaming for a cause! I’m Australian so most of my experiences may reflect that, but if anyone has suggestions or questions please let me know!
This guide is always being updated - Updated October 2021 - 12 minute read
Index
Choosing a charity
PICK A CAUSE IMPORTANT TO YOU
The first step to making a difference with streaming is to choose a cause that you want to support.
When you pick a cause that is important to you, it shows.
Some questions you should ask yourself are:
Why do you want to fundraise for this charity?
What kind work do they do?
Are they local or International and does that matter to you?
What percentage of donations goes to the cause? (This should be readily available on their website)
What is their reputation? (DO YOUR RESEARCH! A quick Google search can help)
Make sure that it’s a cause and a charity that you know enough about and that you’re willing to fully endorse, after all, you’re asking your audience for their time and their hard-earned funds.
Choosing a fundraising platform
Some charities already have certain platforms that they choose to host their campaigns on. If you’re creating your own campaign, you have the choice of which platform to use.
Some popular fundraising platforms are:
Tiltify can be used to create individual or team fundraising pages and has integrated alerts and goals for streaming platforms. Live updates/alerts are very important as donors get instant recognition for their support.
One drawback of American platforms is that a lot of Aussie Charities aren’t an option on the site. That’s where I’ve either used another platform, or contacted the charity asking them to register on Tiltify.
My advice would be to choose a platform based on your needs (location, currency, fees, registered charities, integration etc).
If you’re not sure about creating your own event, some pre-existing events that you can join are:
DO NOT TAKE FUNDS INTO YOUR PERSONAL PAYPAL ACCOUNT
This is a questionable method; people can never be sure where the funds are going, and they are unable to claim their donations on tax.
PayPal has been known to lock and limit accounts receiving large amounts of funds.
Not only that but regular viewers may trust you enough to donate, but newer viewers may be turned off donating to someone they don’t know.
This could still count as your income, and there are so many platforms nowadays that taking funds through PayPal shouldn’t be necessary.
REACH OUT TO THE CHARITY
Charities that understand live streaming will want to get involved in your campaign too!
The first time I live streamed for the Starlight Children’s Foundation I approached them about streaming from the Starlight Express Room and talking to a Starlight Captain about what they do for unwell children. It was a really special experience... and then we got absolutely destroyed by one of the Captains at Just Dance!
Never be afraid to reach out to them via email if you have an idea or would like to speak more about the cause with a representative, they always want to find new ways to raise awareness and funds!
Basic stream planning
IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING
Timing depends on how much prep time you need (you WILL need a bit of it) and how long you’re fundraising.
Are you fundraising one night, a weekend, a whole month?
In my experience, weekends may be best for short streams as more people have time to watch.
If you’re fundraising on a National or International day, then you may prefer to stream on whatever day that falls on.
If you’re fundraising for a month, you have a lot of wiggle room.
A disclaimer that important causes can and should be supported year-round, I have preferences and yours may differ. For example, when I celebrate Christmas, I prefer to support disadvantaged Australian families as it can be quite a difficult time for many.
GIVE ENOUGH NOTICE
Info can get lost in the whirlwind of the internet and sometimes it can take people a while to hear about events. Make sure that people know about it well in advance - I like to announce at least 2-4 weeks beforehand.
Canva is a free site (with some paid assets) that’s great for making event announcement graphics.
THE IDEAL STREAM LENGTH IS THE STREAM LENGTH THAT IS IDEAL FOR YOU
I personally don’t agree with solo 24+ hour streams; I think they’re fun and more effective in a group event. In saying that, I’m not your mum.
A popular idea is to have a marathon with streamers hosting the next person once their stream has ended, that way awareness is raised across several communities and (hopefully) no one burns out!
Team marathon events bring a sense of community AND you’re able to take part from the comfort of your own home.
If you decide to hold a subathon (where subs and donations extend the length of the stream) it might be a good idea to have the time add up for more than one stream. For example, if it adds up to 24 hours you could split it into 2 x 12 hour streams.
Realistically, there may not be many viewers willing to stay up for 24+ hours to watch (or maybe they will, you know your audience best!), but keeping streamers in or near their usual stream time is great for round the clock fundraising.
GenerOZity is an excellent example of a marathon event.
In the past, they’ve begun on a Friday and end on the Sunday with different streamers taking different time slots, which also brings variety!
Choosing how to fundraise
THINK OF YOURSELF TOO
There are plenty of options when deciding how you support the charity of your choice.
You can choose to donate a percentage of sub revenue if that’s what you’re able to do - make sure you’re transparent about it if you do.
For full-time streamers, this could be too much to ask, as they support themselves through streaming.
Of course we all want to do our absolute best for those who need it, but please don’t neglect your own needs when supporting a cause.
OTHER WAYS TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Sometimes platforms like Twitch will have a “Cheer with #Charity” event which encourages viewers to buy bits and cheer in chat to support both your favourite streamers and charity. Recently they supported Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organisation.
You can also buy games from sites like Humble Bundle* - where a percentage of the profits goes towards either the charity chosen for the game bundle, or the charity of your choice.
*Disclaimer that I’m partnered with them, but I’m not advertising my links here as this piece is purely for education and not for personal gain.
EVEN IF YOU’VE RAISED $0, YOU’VE RAISED SOMETHING
If you can’t take part, RAISING AWARENESS is invaluable.
Speaking up about the cause, sharing fundraising streams, and sharing posts from the charity itself on social media is just as important.
Even if you can’t fundraise when you planned, there’s no time limit. There’s always tomorrow, next week, or next event. We’re seeing an increase of charities becoming aware of charity streaming, and it’s okay to be more selective with what you support and when.
Posting or speaking about the causes you care about is incredibly important, you never know who will be inspired.
Getting technical
HAVE MODERATORS
Aside from keeping chat in line they’ll be helpful with sharing charity info and donation links, repeating incentives/milestones, and keeping you motivated.
They’re a gift in any stream, let alone charity streams so make sure they know you appreciate them!
Timed commands with info and links, announcement/reminder posts in chat and on social media are important so that all info is readily available and you’re not fumbling around at the last minute. (Guilty!)
TEST EVERYTHING IN ADVANCE
Even once you’ve tested all your equipment, internet speed and quality, links etc. stay prepared for technical difficulties. I don’t think I’ve done a single charity stream without tech issues!
Having backup games or other consoles if you have them will be handy on the fly, especially when things like capture cards can be temperamental on a good day.
If you have down time where you’re waiting for a reboot or an install, you can take that opportunity to go into detail about the cause. Maybe show the charity’s website and scroll through their info or watch one of their videos!
Content
PICK GAMES/ACTIVITIES THAT WORK FOR YOU AND YOUR AUDIENCE
For my community, horror games with scare alerts are always a favourite. Some people like to stream difficult/rage inducing games, but that might not be for you.
Don’t do anything that you really don’t want to do. If you’re genuinely not having a good time, it won’t support your cause effectively.
Be aware that certain charities require you to keep it PG, children’s charities especially. Make sure you follow your streaming platform’s Terms of Service.
For horror games, you might want to check if they have any content warnings. I’ve included some of these here (curated Steam list coming soon!)
Ask your community what they want to see! Polls are great for this.
It’ll be their funds going towards the cause so their input is valuable, but always have your boundaries too.
Challenges, milestones & incentive ideas
Once again, it’s about what you want to try and what people want to see.
Be prepared to hit your goals, so make sure you price incentives right and that you’re willing to do them (sometimes over and over and over).
You may want to make a budget to cover costs of incentives/rewards. Be mindful of shipping times when buying anything for the event!
Some examples for milestone streams or donation incentives:
Themed streams - 80’s, 90’s, holidays, a specific video game series etc.
Embarrassing activities - smashing eggs, drawing/pie on face, dancing, I once wore a giant inflatable T-Rex suit... “rawr”
Difficult games - (curated Steam list coming soon!) You could have an incentive to alt F4 or to play for longer
Scary games - (curated Steam list coming soon!) You could also add a heart rate monitor or scare alerts
Spicy/gross but edible food - Beanboozled, spray cheese, any food you hate
Colouring/Shaving hair - doesn’t have to be permanent! You could use hair chalk or coloured spray
Cosplay/Makeup - you could have someone else do your makeup too
Cooking - so many options, you could make it interactive with names on desserts or pancake shapes!
Art - even if it’s made in Microsoft Paint
Music/Karaoke - careful with DMCA!
Special guests/Group streams - interviews or just plain shenanigans (curated Steam list coming soon!)
Exercise - push-ups, burpees etc.
Letting audience affect the game - Minecraft Twitch Spawn, Crowd Control, play blindfolded, invert controls etc.
Wheel of chance/punishment - RT Extra Life is an amazing example of this
Let your imagination run wild! Try things you’ve always wanted to and just have fun!
Rewards
Consider rewards for those who are spending time in or donating to your campaign.
Involve donors in the stream! Ask them what they would like! Prepare for another list!
Some ideas:
Names of donors on something - whiteboard/balloons/face etc.
Handwritten cards
Art
Giveaways of equipment or game keys - sponsors can help here!
In stream currency
Join a game with you
Special rewards for top donors
It seems obvious but the main thing that you should do for every single person is THANK THEM.
They’ve given their time and attention which is already incredibly valuable as it is, and those who have donated have given their hard-earned funds to support the cause.
It’s always good to openly thank those who like or share your campaign on social media too, as spreading the word does wonders.
Other tips
Take care of yourself! Get enough sleep, take regular breaks, have water and snacks on hand. - a ‘be right back’ screen is handy for this
Pick a realistic starting goal, you can extend it later!
Outside events are great too and can be unique to stream or record - fun runs, marathons, fitness challenges etc. (Just be sure that it’s allowed and doesn’t bother the people around you)
There’s no harm in politely asking your favourite companies if they’d like to provide giveaways for your event, it’s for a good cause and it’s marketing for them - the most you’ll get is a “no”
Ask your community to share your campaign on social media - even if they can’t donate, it’s still contributing
Streaming with a friend can make things more fun! In my experience you motivate each other, can tap in or out for a break, get competitive or cooperative, and it helps with shyness!
Take note of what went well (or what didn’t) for next time!
”Am I too small to fundraise?”
Short answer: NO!!!
You’re NEVER too small to make a difference. $1 raised is $1 more than the cause had before, and even if you don’t raise money, you’ve still raised one thing: AWARENESS.
Start small with donation goals, and who knows? Maybe you’ll absolutely SMASH your goal and be able to extend it!
If possible, creating or joining a team makes it a joint effort and can ease the pressure.
Back to top
If you’ve never streamed for charity before and you’re looking for that push, this is it!
You can plan your first charity stream!
Honestly, the hardest step is just to start. It can seem daunting but remember that you’re doing it for a good reason!
If you have any questions or suggestions for additions to this let me know!
Charity streaming is something that I’m extremely passionate about, and I hope this post helps you.
Take care of yourselves,
Ruby Hart
RubeePlays