The 2024 Survey Results Are In: Gamers are Generous!
Introduction
Throughout 2024, Gamers Engaged distributed a survey to learn about perceptions of generosity in our gaming communities. Our objective? To find new ways to increase engagement with nonprofits through activities like donating and volunteering. Thank you to everyone who shared their time and input to contribute to the survey.
Distribution and Demographics
Gamers Engaged distributed the survey through friends and partners at gaming companies and industry events, like PAX. We also promoted the survey via email and social media to the Gamers Engaged community. A total of 102 people completed the survey between August 1 to December 31, 2024. We'd like to get a more representative sample of our gaming community in 2025 and could really use the help of our engaged community sharing it with more people We’re really excited to see where we could grow our understanding through the 2025 survey! Seventy-four respondents reported being male, 24% female and 2% non-binary. The bulk of respondents (70.3%) fell between the ages of 25 to 44. While we distributed the survey among game companies, only 32.7% of respondents reported working in the gaming industry. For those who worked in the industry, their roles varied widely.
Gaming Habits
We surveyed respondents on their gaming habits, both what types of games they play as well as hours played per week. Just over half (51.2%) of respondents reported playing 5 to 20 hours a week. Role-playing games lead in popularity (32.9%) followed by video games (25.7%).
Perceptions of Philanthropy and Volunteerism
One core objective of our survey was to learn about the gaming communities’ knowledge and perception of philanthropy within the industry and among people who identify as gamers. Generally, respondents reported being “somewhat familiar” (47.5%) or “very familiar” (22.8%) with philanthropic efforts within the gaming community.
Additionally, a majority of respondents (65.3%) had actually reported participating in charitable events or initiatives hosted by game companies or organized by gamers in 2024. In an open-ended follow-up question, respondents shared participating in the following events or initiatives:
The Bungie Foundation events, like Game2Give (20 mentions)
Gamers Engaged Gauntlet (8 mentions)
Donate to charities, unspecified (8 mentioned)
ExtraLife (4 mentions)
Giving to Charity Streams, unspecified (4 mentions)
Spiel-a-thon, Spiel Foundation (2 mentions)
Corporate volunteer events, unspecified (2 mentions)
Others with single mentions: Child's Play, Seattle Indies, Charity TTRPG Conventions, EA campaign, itch.io Charity Bundles, Call of Duty Endowment, AbleGamers, Gencon Blood Drive via Heinlein Society, Sponsored SIX, Indie Gaming Expo at PAX, WotC Day of Giving, Video Game Clubs of America, Givetoberfest with Xbox Game Studios, Tabletop Gaymers, Diana Jones Award, Paizo Org Play Groups online events
Respondents largely agreed that gaming companies should be involved in philanthropy and volunteerism, with 51.5% saying it’s “very important” and 36.6% saying it’s “somewhat important”.
“This outcome is exactly why we created Gamers Engaged! When you combine the 51 and 36 percentages re: very important and somewhat important, that's 89%! So I look forward to understanding WHY they think it's important. Is it because gamers are a generous bunch and think it should be reflected more in the companies that they work for and with, or is it part of a general trend that most people think these days- corporations "should" be better citizens and embody more Corporate Social Responsibility.”
- Lyla Ross, Founder and Executive Director, Gamers Engaged
The frequency at which respondents were offered opportunities to either donate to a nonprofit or volunteer at a nonprofit via the games industry or their gaming communities varied. Gamers engaged found the disparities between opportunities to donate and volunteer interesting. For example, on a monthly basis 21% reported having opportunities to donate but only 7% reported opportunities to volunteer. There is a similar gap for the quarter: 45% reported having opportunities to donate but only 24% reported opportunities to volunteer
Chart Title: How often are you presented with opportunities to donate to a nonprofit via the games industry or your gaming communities? How often are you presented with opportunities to volunteer at a nonprofit via the games industry or your gaming communities?
“The above chart is a direct reflection of where we can make a measurable impact through volunteerism! I look forward to sharing this with our new corporate sponsors moving forward. I think we could event create a CSR survey for our corporate partners to help them learn more about what their employees think about this topic. My experience tells me that execs often think that they have to make sweeping changes or efforts to offer volunteer and other engagement opportunities, but usually it just means that an exec or two needs to unlock funding for one passionate individual to lead efforts within the company. We would love to start building out more meaningful conversations with the execs and the passionate person who is motivated to see this happen!”- Lyla Ross, Founder and Executive Director, Gamers Engaged
When asked about perceptions of philanthropy in the games industry and gaming community, the majority (53.6%) responded that “philanthropy is a core value”. On the opposite side of the spectrum, only 3.1% felt that “philanthropy is mostly used as a marketing tool rather than a genuine effort to make a difference.”
Chart Title: Which of the statements below best describes your perception of philanthropy in the games industry and gaming community?
When asked if they “would like to see more/less opportunities to support nonprofits” the overwhelming majority of respondents replied “more” at 85.1%. Only 1% replied “less” and 13.9% replied “perfect right now”.
Respondents care about a wide variety of interests. When asked “what charitable causes do you want to see the gaming community support” results show a spread of interests. Respondents could select multiple causes. Education emerged in the lead at 13.7% followed closely by mental health at 13.4% and diversity, equity and inclusion in third at 11.6%.
Many of the respondents (59.4%) were also aware of nonprofits that are specifically focused on the gaming community. In an open-ended follow-up question, respondents listed the nonprofits they are aware of:
The Bungie Foundation (17 mentions)
International Game Developers Association (3 mentions)
Gamers Engaged (6 mentions)
Game to Grow (2 mentions)
Extra Life (11 mentions)
Child’s Play (5 mentions)
Take This (4 mentions)
Rose Gauntlet Foundation (3 mentions)
MagiKids (2 mentions)
Comic Relief USA (3 mentions)
Seattle Indies (3 mentions)
Committee of 100 (3 mentions)
The Spiel Foundation (2 mentions)
GCX (2 mentions)
Other - Single Mentions: Central Ohio Gaming Group, Guardians Mental Health, Games for Change, Alexandria RPG, GeekGirlCon, Pixelles, I Need Diverse Games, Desert Bus, Play With Purpose, SpecialEffect, AbleGamers, Heinlein Society, CoD Endowment, Global Game Jam, Video game clubs of America, Gamers Outreach, Tabletop Gaymers, The Diana Jones Award Foundation, the RPG Creators Relief Fund
We also asked respondents if they had donated to nonprofits within the gaming community, like those listed above. A majority of respondents (79.2%) reported donating while 20.8% reported they had not. For those who did not donate to gaming focused-nonprofits, most (55.5%) cited financial constraints as a concern followed by a preference to donation to other mission areas (21.9%).
Survey respondents also replied to a few open-ended questions. Gamers Engaged selected a few of the responses to each question that best reflected the range and diversity of the answers.
In your opinion, what role should the gaming community play in addressing social issues?
Gaming has a massive impact on many people, it can be a great way to bring awareness
I think the gaming community should remain somewhat neutral
I don't think giving should be an all-consuming goal for gaming communities, but it needs to present
It should be an equal focus to business interests
Just helping financially to those that need the help. Also without any push of opinion.
Promoting awareness is good, but most importantly committing to positive representation in games
Reflecting our ideal society by proudly supporting inclusivity and vocalizing our values
Remind that the table can bring people together for more than a game.
What motivates you to participate in or support charitable activities within the gaming community?
I like giving, I've been blessed in my life and want to share that, and I love gaming
Incentives
Rewards in video games and knowing that my donations are for a good cause.
Giving back to a community that supported me, using my privilege to uplift others
The thought of helping those who need it, even when they’re not in a time of immediate crisis.
The community of the game, making a difference and sharing their own stories.
What suggestions do you have for increasing engagement in philanthropy and volunteerism within the gaming community?
Incentives
Raffles always work
Not sure, just don’t like how some game companies want to support causes but also exploit players $$
While one should do good for the sake of good, thematic in-game drops will entice more donations
More visibility and partnering with gaming-adjacent organizations
Get more involved with content creators to spread the message.
Larger/well-known companies hosting philanthropic projects.
Are there any additional comments or thoughts on philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofits in the gaming community?
Collaborate across gaming communities
I hope to have the opportunity to participate in such organization activities in the future.
Hope to organize more charity activities to unite the gaming community
Would love to see more opportunities both local and remote
I would like to see more involvement from the gaming community, even if it isn't strictly monetary
Conclusion
The 2024 survey results reveal a promising outlook for philanthropy within the gaming community. Gamers not only recognize the importance of giving back but also actively engage in charitable activities. With a majority of respondents expressing a desire for more opportunities to support nonprofits, it’s clear that the potential for increasing philanthropic involvement is significant.
Our survey highlights several key insights: gamers are eager for more chances to volunteer, not just donate; they value authentic philanthropic efforts from gaming companies; and they support a wide range of causes, from education and mental health to diversity and inclusion. Additionally, the popularity of events like the Bungie Foundation’s Game2Give and the high rate of donations to gaming-focused nonprofits demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating charitable opportunities within gaming experiences.
Moving forward, the challenge lies in bridging the gap between the desire to volunteer and the availability of volunteer opportunities. Enhancing partnerships between gaming companies, nonprofits, and content creators could amplify visibility and engagement. By aligning philanthropic initiatives with the passions and values of the gaming community, there is an opportunity to build a powerful movement of generosity that continues to grow.
Gamers Engaged is committed to exploring these opportunities and empowering gamers to make a difference. Thank you to everyone who participated in the survey and helped shed light on how we can build a more generous gaming community together.
