As part of CAR-PGA’s mission to help gamers in the community, we have gathered a list of resources for gamers and causes. These pages were chosen based on individual need and projects that further education and development of tabletop role-playing games.
Please note: This page is not for fundraising games or game development. We do not thoroughly vet these causes and assume all are posted in good faith — they can also be removed by the board or Chair if at any time we deem a funding effort in conflict with CAR-PGA’s values and mission. Priority is given to members of the CAR-PGA. Individuals and organizations are listed by last name in alphabetical order.
Mental Health Resources
American Psychological Association’s Crisis Hotlines & Resources
Need to talk to someone? Specialists are available for confidential telephone counseling. Please note: These are U.S. phone numbers, but there are some online chat options as well.
Good Mental Health and Creative Freelancers
The AOI, in partnership with Society of Authors and Association of Photographers has released an updated version of a resource around mental health and creative freelancers. It includes resilience tips for Money, Impostor Syndrome, Rejection, Social Media, Working Alone, Work/Life Balance, Feeling Overwhelmed, Creativity & Emotion, Performance Anxiety, and Creative Block.
Leapers
Leapers supports the mental health of freelancers and the self-employed. They’re a free and inclusive community project for anyone who works differently.
Individuals
Baker, Meg
Meguey Baker, one of the authors of Apocalypse World 2nd Edition among many other games, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Fortunately, it appears to be stage one, grade one (caught early and slow-growing).
RPG Creators Relief Fund
The CAR-PGA recommends any gamer in need connect with the RPG Creators Relief Fund (RCRF), Inc. before launching a crowdfunding effort. The RCRF is a charitable organization founded to provide financial assistance to tabletop roleplaying game creators suffering hardship due to medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other catastrophic situations. To apply for assistance, please fill out this form. You can also support the RCRF by Paying What You Want for 5E Nightmares Before Christmas and 5E Armies of the Christmas War.
Rea, Nicky
Nicky Rea and Jackie Cassada have been longtime luminaries of the RPG scene. As authors and designers, they worked on hundreds of titles among over a dozen lines, most notably Changeling: The Dreaming, Mage: The Ascension, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, Dungeons & Dragons, and Ravenloft. As a couple, they had been together 57 years, defying many obstacles of gender, race, ageism, industry sexism, and social queerphobia. Despite those impediments, their accomplishments as artists, mentors, and friends have been astonishing. In December 2020, both Nicky and Jackie contracted Covid-19. Nicky survived, with lasting complications; Jackie passed away on December 29. Between the medical bills, ongoing health concerns, funeral expenses, and the ongoing cost of housing, Nicky Rea could use all the help she can get.
Schonenberg, Doug
Doug Schonenberg is one of the writers and editors of a visionary card game/role-playing game hybrid, Quest for Power. Originally published by Infinite Imaginations, the game is long out of print. But now the secrets of the game are yours to play in your Fifth Edition D&D campaign. This color-illustrated campaign supplement includes a map of Zikkaria, 6 new deities, 6 new magic items, 10 new monsters, 14 new sidekicks, 10 new PC species, and 8 new spells. All proceeds of the sale of this product go directly to Doug, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2006.
Organizations
DriveThruRPG
Help DriveThruRPG.com and our publishers support great causes while shopping! Check out the donation and fundraiser items on this page!
Extra Life
Extra Life unites gamers around the world to play games in support of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised over $50 million USD for sick and injured kids. In that regard Extra Life works a lot like walk-a-thons and other fundraising activities in that the fundraiser commits to play games of their choosing on a particular day (a 24 hour span), and then they select which hospital they would like to support. Wizards of the Coast regularly supports Extra Life by releasing products on DMs Guild with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Extra Life.
Humble Bundle
Since Humble’s first bundle in 2010, raising money for charity has been at their core. Everything Humble Bundle sells, from bundles to Store games to our Humble Choice subscription, gives a share to charity. They feature a different charity site-wide every month. By focusing community efforts on one cause at a time, we can work together to make an even bigger impact for each one.
Jasper’s Game Day
Jasper’s Game a is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and aim to raise donations for suicide prevention and awareness. Through this, they strive to reduce the stigma around talking about mental health so the world can start to treat it just like physical health. The goal is to prevent suicide before it happens and not just respond to the aftermath.
The Play Generated Map & Document Archive (PlaGMaDA)
The Play Generated Map and Document Archive collects, preserves and interprets documents related to game play – especially tabletop role playing games and computer games. You can support PlaGMaDA by purchasing a conversion of an adventure that was saved by the archive from the trash: Habitation of the Stone Giant Lord (5E). You can also help out with tax-deductible credit card donations.
RPG Museum
The goal of the non-profit RPG Museum, created by the 501(c)3 non-profit RPG Research, is to provide an online and in-person historical and research museum that also provides experiential learning on the history of all role-playing game formats: tabletop (TRPG), live-action (LRPG & LARP), electronic (ERPG), and hybrids (HRPG).