Video Game Moderators and Streamer Support: Stream for a Cause

Nothing compares to the community you feel when being a part of the video game industry.

There are numerous development studios, publishers, streamers, moderators, you name it! Everywhere you look there is a new video game store on every corner, an upcoming convention, or even a new friend that “only plays a little video games”, until they feel comfortable enough with you to share how much they really play. There are also a wide range of incredible nonprofits in the industry that are solely focused on giving back and making the world a better place.

As part of our small way of giving back, we created a blog series highlighting companies and how they are helping gamers through mental health, streaming, hospital visits, and more! We interviewed an inspiring group of companies about who they are, what they do, their impact on the gaming industry, and how others can get involved. We hope you enjoy reading them and are inspired to go help your community, no matter how small the task.

This week, we continue our series with Stream for a Cause, where we had the honor of interviewing Executive Director, Robert (Robbie) Miller. Stream for a Cause is a nonprofit that works with streamers to help raise money for underserved communities. Robbie walked us through the details of Stream for a Cause, a new program to help moderators, and some events you can attend to get involved. Let’s get to it!

What is Stream for a Cause

“Stream for a Cause’s mission is to provide financial and organizational support to thoughtfully selected community-based organizations that uplift under-served communities around the world. [They] invite creators of all different sizes to join in by becoming a volunteer, or by dropping into one of [their] campaigns [they] host through the year.”

One of the benefits of working with Stream for a Cause is that you not only help their nonprofit, but also their entire network of nonprofits. “From additional funding to support in overcoming organizational barriers, [they] are here to make sure [their] nonprofit community can thrive.” Plus, they welcome content creators of all sizes and make sure to provide the support needed to do so, that way you are never alone or confused about where to begin.

At Stream for a Cause, there are so many programs making a difference for nonprofits, starting with their “Community Fund which provides financial support to direct service work” and their “Sustainable Futures Program which is a one-on-one consultation to help overcome barriers to success for the nonprofits [they] work with”. They also have Pixel Care, Streamer Support, and events like Paint the World Rainbow.

Pixel Care for Gamers and Moderators

As a moderator, you are tasked with being the focal point of a community, allowing your viewers to feel comfortable and safe, which is not always easy. What started as a meeting with the Center of Suicide Awareness about the needs of the content creator community, stemmed into an organized workshop to help moderators deal with the needs of their channels, without the pressure of knowing where to get started.

“Twitch Streamers and Moderators have told [them] so many stories about feeling helpless or unsure what to do when people come to them for help or express feelings, and [their] answer to that was to create a program that met the needs they had. Moderators are a key part of a content-creating team and are so often an afterthought. Pixel Care was designed to help give them the tools to do so in a safe and informed way, protecting both themselves and their community.”

Mental health is a big topic in the gaming industry. We are lucky enough to be in an industry where people truly care about one another and want to make a difference. “Pixel Care is so important because mental health is a part of our everyday life. Whether we want it to be or not, we will go through difficult times, and people in our communities will go through difficult times, so by taking the time now to give ourselves the tools to navigate those complex feelings, we are all the better for it.” Stream for a Cause even encourages moderators and content creators to enroll in Pixel Care together, to ensure that safe space for their community.

Streamer Support

If you are looking to stand out in the streaming world, Robbie gives some inspiring advice:

“Honestly, and this sounds cheesy, but be yourself and be inspired by what you love doing. We see so many streamers living a double life between their true self and their on-screen persona, and eventually, it is hard for them to keep up. Be you, and you will bring in people who relate to the real you.”

At Stream for a Cause, Streamer Support is one of their main ways to get involved. It is made to help take some of the competition off creators. They “make room for everyone at the table, and that means making the table work for all. Many marginalized creators do not receive the same sponsorships and support as straight, cis, white creators, and our program is designed to help make charity streaming accessible.”

To do this, they “have staff to help every step of the way in setting up a charity stream, and we also make sure to help offset the cost of the charity incentives. When signing up as a creator, everyone is enrolled in this program so [they] never expect people to prove they need help. Besides, when you volunteer in person, nonprofits aren’t asking you to bring your own supplies. Charities that work with creators have relied for so long on the generosity of the individual to pay for all the fun things in a charity stream, and [they] don’t want [their] volunteers to have to handle all those costs because it is a barrier that prevents people from taking part.” They want everyone who wants to get involved to be able to have the opportunity to, to they are doing their best to break that barrier.

Paint the World Rainbow Streaming Event

Stream for a Cause is always hosting new events, panels at video game conferences, or many other “opportunities to be connected with people who know love is love”, but they are excited to talk about their upcoming event, Paint the World Rainbow, that is coming up soon. “Paint the World Rainbow is a digital pride festival, celebrating Queer identities”. With this, they can get their support out to different organizations not just in the United States, but all around the world that are working with Queer people. Just like everything else that Stream for a Cause does, the Paint the World Rainbow festival is inclusive to everyone, “regardless of if you are out or not, to be yourself, come together in queer safe places, and celebrate together.”

At Page to Pixel Publishing, we have a game launching in June called Interwoven Emotions. It is a narrative puzzle platformer where you follow the character along their journey of defeating emotions and finding their purpose, filling up the color bar that represents their happiness. The theme of the game is that you never truly know what someone is going through, so it is great to see organizations like Stream for a Cause really shining a light on this subject, highlighting that “all people deserve a seat at the table.”

Upcoming Events

In addition to all their amazing streaming work, Pixel Care, and Paint the World Rainbow, there are also a few other spaces you can check out this year! For starters, they will hopefully be repeating their Pixel Care panel at PAX West, and hosting a special event in San Diego outside of Twitch Con in a safe space for everyone.” Keep an eye out for their X (FKA Twitter) “for more details on that one event when the secret is finally revealed!”

If you are interested in providing other forms of support, [they] are always down to find a way to work with everyone. So, “go show some of [their] creators some love, maybe make a donation if you would like, and when you think of giving back, please think local.”

Thank You

Special thank you to Robert Miller for partnering with Page to Pixel Publishing on this interview to further spread awareness about this incredible mission. Have an idea for a company that could use a highlight? Reach out!

To learn more, please visit https://www.streamforacause.org/.