I’ve spent this month reflecting on my time in the TTRPG community. While doing this reflection, I thought a lot about the charity work the Itch-based TTRPG community has performed in the last few years. This led to me pondering how much we’ve raised since 2020
So, I sat down and worked it out! I then made the data into a small infographic. After I posted this graphic on Twitter, many people DM’ed me with questions about it, so I thought I would write a blog post looking at the figures in a little more depth.
Some Caveats
Before we start, I should point out that there are some things to keep in mind when looking at the numbers.
- The dollar amounts are pulled from the bundle’s Itch page. This dollar amount is before fees, taxes, and everything else. So this might not be the exact amount the charity received. [This is because I didn’t want to bother a load of charities with requests for financials, especially during Tax season.]
- I made this graphic on April 12th, 2023, and only included bundles that had finished before this date.
- I’ve likely missed a few bundles. While I did my best to include as many as possible, I’m sure at least a few slipped under my radar.
TTRPG Community Charity Bundles
The first part of the graphic focuses on TTRPG-specific bundles run by members of the TTRPG community. The figures are:
| Bundle Name | Creators Involved | Products Included | Amount Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundle for Buffalo | 153 | 180 | 6,436.16 USD |
| Bundle for Reproductive Rights | 267 | 454 | 6,534.34 USD |
| Katelynn’s Closet Charity Bundle | 27 | 44 | 1,370.00 USD |
| Solo But Not Alone | 64 | 87 | 31,650.24 USD |
| Solo But Not Alone 2 | 74 | 102 | 29,313.21 USD |
| Solo But Not Alone 3 | 105 | 149 | 37,515.00 USD |
| The TTRPG Community Stands with Ukraine Bundle | 84 | 112 | 60,952.00 USD |
| TTRPG Charity Bundle for Afghan Support | 37 | 71 | 7,182.00 USD |
| TTRPG Charity Bundle for Trans Support | 46 | 75 | 20,852.79 USD |
| TTRPGs Against Domestic Violence | 17 | 30 | 450.00 USD |
| TTRPGs for Reproductive Rights | 203 | 291 | 128,477.87 USD |
| TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Florida | 254 | 505 | 283,986.59 USD |
| TTRPGs for Trans Rights in Texas! | 302 | 493 | 406,491.87 USD |
This means that, since 2020, the TTRPG community alone has raised at least $1,021,212.07 for good causes.
I had quite an emotional moment when I finished working this out. Because that’s just an extraordinary amount of money.
Doubly so when you consider how most of these bundles were organized through social media by solo or small teams of creatives without any formalized organizational structure to support or promote them.
Fun Fact: If you brought all the bundles listed above, you would have 2593 games! [Of course, some will be duplicates].
This means you could play one game every day for over 7 years!
Itch-Wide Charity Bundles
Many TTRPG people have taken part in the bundles organized by Itch. But these bundles also contain every media type available on Itch, from art to video games. The figures are:
| Bundle Name | Creators Involved | Products Included | Amount Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bundle for Racial Justice and Equality | 1391 | 1741 | 8,149,814.66 USD |
| Bundle for Ukraine | 738 | 998 | 6,370,597.20 USD |
| Worthy of Better, Stronger Together for Reproductive Rights | 125 | 174 | 44,207.99 USD |
| Indie Bundle for Abortion Funds | 856 | 1122 | 384,086.30 USD |
| Indie bundle for Palestinian Aid | 1063 | 1272 | 899,778.86 USD |
So, since 2020, the Itch-wide bundles have raised at least $15,848,485.01 for various good causes.
Fun Fact: If you brought every bundle above, you would have 5307 products! This is enough to look at a new thing every day for 14 and a half years!
Combined Total
This means that, since 2020, Itch charity bundles have raised a massive $16,869,697.08 for charity.
If you brought all of these bundles, you would have 7900 items. Enough to look at a different one every day for over 21 years!
Jonathon Greenall is a freelance writer, artist, and tabletop roleplaying game designer who has written for CBR, Polygon, Nintendo Life, Gayley Dreadful, Enbylife, and many other publications. They have also published several popular and highly-praised tabletop roleplaying games including “You Have One Ability….The Ability To Fuck This Up,” “Macarons, Milkshakes, And Magic,” and “Wander Wizards.”
Jonathon has always been fascinated by media, from the big hitters to the small, obscure, and often overlooked titles that linger on the sidelines, capturing both the on and off-camera stories that make these shows so fascinating.
Jonathon is also a major anime fan, having been exposed to the medium through shows like Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Since then, Jonathon has maintained a passion for anime, watching most new shows each season and hunting down overlooked gems from previous ones.