LoL fans raise $6 million for charity through Riot Social Impact Fund

Olivia Richman Published 10/04/2020

Riot Games announced today that its latest in-game charity fundraiser collected $6 million for the Riot Games Social Impact Fund.

Partnered with ImpactAssets, Riot Games formed the Social Impact Fund in 2019, a “unique philanthropic venture” that allows the League of Legends developer to make direct investments into a variety of global organizations “aimed at solving some of the world’s most pressing issues.”

Riot Games head of karma (Social Impact) Jeffrey Burrell said they are “incredibly humbled” by players’ generosity.

“They have shown us time and time again that they care deeply about making the world, and their communities, a better place. We are committed to finding new ways to make meaningful impact at the global and local levels, and are excited to see the hard work we put into Social Impact Fund begin to benefit people around the world,” he said.

The Dark Star Cho’gath campaign raised over $6.1 million for over 20 nonprofits around the world. Players donated towards the cause by purcashing a skin made by Bryan, a Make-A-Wish recipient and “avid League of Legends player.”

After such a success, Riot Games is looking to utilize this same model for their Dawnbringer Karma fundraiser this year.

Riot Games lets LoL players choose where donations will go

The Dawnbringer Karma fundraiser is one of the first initiatives that will utilize Riot’s player voting platform. Riot Games Social Impact Fund guarantees a minimum of $10,000 to each nonprofit organization up for nomination.

From April 10 through April 23, League of Legends players can vote for one of three local nonprofits in their region when they log into the game client. When voting closes, the local nonprofit that received the most votes will receive 50% of their regional charity pool. The other two nonprofits will get 25% of the regional charity pool.

According to Riot Games president Dylan Jadeja, Riot is a global organization that has a responsibility to “operate at a hyper-local level,” meaning their players’ local communities all over the world will benefit from Riot Games’ efforts.

“We believe that leveraging our platform to give players agency in choosing the causes that matter most to their local communities is incredibly meaningful, and hope to continue finding opportunities to empower our players to give back in ways that resonate with them,” Jadeja said.

There are currently 46 nonprofits in the vote that Riot Games Social Impact Fund has deemed effective, impactful, and meaningful. They were selected by conducting player surveys, as well as discussions with local Riot offices and GlobalGiving. According to Riot’s official press release, they will be allocating a charity pool to each region based on the proportional sales of the Dawnbringer Karma fundraiser.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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