Digital Fundraising Activation in Esports - LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude

The LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude program is a first-of-a-kind partnership that unites an esports organization and a nonprofit. Immortals, and its Overwatch League® franchise team—the Los Angeles Valiant— teamed with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Pledge It to create a unique digital fundraising activation in esports. Through the program, fans can donate based on the outcomes and achievements of the LA Valiant team and players during the Overwatch League season. All proceeds will support the St. Jude mission: Finding cures. Saving children®. 

“It’s awesome to see the merging of gaming and giving communities come to life.  [We believe] this model will scale massively in the months and years to come.” -Ari Segal, CEO of Immortals

 

Program Overview

The LA Valiant is one of the top esports teams in the Overwatch League and, just like traditional sports, Valiant fans are rabid followers of their favorite team and players (gamers). The LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude program is designed to engage fans, inspire action, create intrigue and magnify the excitement of the game while giving back to a worthy cause. “It is part of our organizational DNA to give back to the communities that we serve and represent,”  says Noah Whinston, Executive Chairman of Immortals and Los Angeles Valiant. View the LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude Program.

Specific Highlights Include:

  • Performance-based Fundraising
  • Realtime Donor Leaderboards
  • Progressive Fundraising Incentives
  • Digital Community Activation
  • Authentic, Experience-based Rewards

Program Details

The LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude program kicked off February 15th and runs throughout the duration of the Overwatch League Season 2 this fall. LA Valiant Fans can support their team and St. Jude by pledging to one or all of the following in-game stats:

  • Pledge per Enemy Elimination
  • Pledge per Map Win
  • Per Pledge a Sweeps - when a team dominates their opponent

Fans earn badges for each pledge they make and receive recognition on the community leaderboard. Any fan who donates $100 or more earns an exclusive LA Valiant Plays for St. Jude T-shirt. And the community activation includes LA Valiant fans voting for the rewards they’d like to see when the program surpassess specific fundraising milestones. Popular rewards include smashing a pie in the face of their favorite Valiant player and exclusive online coaching sessions with the top Valiant players.  

“We appreciate the opportunity to create a new, dynamic way to engage with esports fans and introduce our mission to new potential supporters. Through this partnership, we look forward to working with the growing esports fan community who continues to generously support the patients, families and lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

-Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

 

Learn More About Digital Fundraising with Pledge It

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