Twitch is launching a new charity fundraising tool

Broadcasting to raise money for a good cause is a big deal on Twitch, but the platform has always managed the logistics to attract creators, raise money and get it where it needs to go. Now, the company is simplifying that process with Twitch Charity, a new set of fundraising tool built into the platform. Twitch promises that the new features will allow you to start a charity stream with just a few clicks. The beta is currently rolling out to a subset of streamers and a limited selection of pre-randomly selected charities, but Twitch promises to add “many more” soon. All beta users will receive an email from Twitch asking them to try out the new tools. By the end of the year, these features will be available to most Twitch partners and affiliates worldwide. A new charity tool linked to PayPal’s donation system, the PayPal Giving Fund.

Charities can register with PayPal and the platform will receive payments directly from the fundraising tool, issue receipts to donors, and deposit money into their PayPal accounts. Previously, streamers made voluntary donations by converting Twitch subscriptions and Bits, the platform’s virtual currency, into donations, a multi-step manual process. Without a dedicated gift feature, Twitch directed creators to third-party gift sites like Tiltify, or encouraged them to direct viewers directly to their own gift page.“This makes it easier and more transparent for streamers to raise money for important reasons,” Twitch wrote on his blog. “It has to be simple, clear, and effective for the public to support these causes.”Creators will find new fundraising options in the new “Donate” section of the creator’s panel.

Through the dashboard, creators can choose a charity, choose the amount they want, and go into a “charity model,” which activates a button prompting viewers to donate. When creators use a charity mode, Twitch does not keep any part of the donated money, and the entire amount goes to the chosen cause, minus the payment processing fee. Big channels and smaller creators regularly participate in running marathons as telethons to raise money for the reasons they love. The multifaceted charity event organized by Zerator and Dach broke records last year, raising $ 11.5 million for Action Against Hunger, a global organization dedicated to treating and preventing malnutrition.