For the last several years on my birthday, I’ve asked friends and family to donate money to a classroom on DonorsChoose.org. This year, I’d like to do something a little different, so I’m looking for an organization that brings TTRPG to disadvantaged students/children.
My preliminary research hasn’t turned up much, so I’m curious if anyone here knows of such an organization? Or something similar that accepts donations from the public?
I’ve looked myself and haven’t really found much. There was apparently a library-oriented program like this called Terra Libris but it appears fairly defunct, if it ever really got off the ground.
Now, it’s not quite the same, but if you’re looking for something similar I’m particularly fond of two non-profits that use TTRPGs as therapeutic tools for kids, many of whom are also disadvantaged and wouldn’t necessarily play otherwise.
The Bodhana Group “advocates the use of tabletop gaming as a directed therapeutic and clinical practice that can benefit personal growth as well as enhance social and educational services to individuals and families.” In particular, they do significant work with children who’ve suffered various forms of trauma. (They also put on a game convention as their big annual fundraiser called Save Against Fear.) Game to Grow works with children to improve social skills using tabletop RPGs, including children on the autism spectrum, and advocate for the use of tabletop rpgs as a tool for therapeutic practice. (Full disclosure: I’ve had folks from both of these organizations on my podcast.)
There’s also the DOTS RPG Project, which translates RPGs into Braille and provides gaming aids for the visually impaired, but they’re apparently not registered as a 501©3 yet.
So unfortunately I don’t think there’s much out there that specifically brings tabletop games to disadvantaged children … yet.