I have more games than I will ever play and while I've gone down the trading/selling route, I'm wanting to just share what I have with other gamers (or would be gamers) in need. Does anyone here know where to donate games? I've contacted the local library and they are not taking donations at this time due to a renovation being done over the next 18 months.
An odd suggestion, but I wonder if Prisons would take RPGs as a donation.
Heck, it would be a captive audience for a Prospective GM! ;)
Prisons are touchy, a lot depends on the wardens. Some allow game stuff, some don't, and some only allow certain kinds of gaming stuff.
I'd consider starting a thread, after all there might be people here and there who could use something you have. (I pass on my game books to friends and family for example, and anyone who I meet who might need a game books.)
Libraries might, but they're one of the most stolen items from what I understand.
Universities with gaming clubs is a good place to try as well.
Quote from: RunningLaser;710656I have more games than I will ever play and while I've gone down the trading/selling route, I'm wanting to just share what I have with other gamers (or would be gamers) in need. Does anyone here know where to donate games? I've contacted the local library and they are not taking donations at this time due to a renovation being done over the next 18 months.
See if there are any local orphanages...
Quote from: Silverlion;710664Prisons are touchy, a lot depends on the wardens. Some allow game stuff, some don't, and some only allow certain kinds of gaming stuff.
Perhaps as RPGs tend to focus around violence?
Quote from: Silverlion;710664I'd consider starting a thread, after all there might be people here and there who could use something you have. (I pass on my game books to friends and family for example, and anyone who I meet who might need a game books.)
Or an RPG swap thread, I have some RPGs I'll never run again, but be willing to swap out.
Quote from: Silverlion;710664I'd consider starting a thread, after all there might be people here and there who could use something you have. (I pass on my game books to friends and family for example, and anyone who I meet who might need a game books.)
I'll see if there's folks here who would like first dibs. I'll start a thread with what I have.
Quote from: Arduin;710666See if there are any local orphanages...
Foster Care group homes are the modern orphanages. Most are gender and age segmented, so you can give to a Male Teen house who might be the best audience.
Whatever gaming stuff you have, troops overseas would be very happy to have it donated to them. If you're not sure the best way, the folks over at Kenzerco can help you out.
http://www.kenzerco.com/
Quote from: deadDMwalking;710687Whatever gaming stuff you have, troops overseas would be very happy to have it donated to them. If you're not sure the best way, the folks over at Kenzerco can help you out.
http://www.kenzerco.com/
Thank you very much for the lead there. I am going to set aside several books for that.
Quote from: deadDMwalking;710687Whatever gaming stuff you have, troops overseas would be very happy to have it donated to them. If you're not sure the best way, the folks over at Kenzerco can help you out.
http://www.kenzerco.com/
Cool suggestion. Kudos.
Quote from: danskmacabre;710670Perhaps as RPGs tend to focus around violence?
Gang activity actually. Any sort of activity that results in inmates gathering in groups for long periods of unstructured time WILL be abused by gangs and is thus viewed as very suspicious by prison officials.
Quote from: Piestrio;710707Gang activity actually. Any sort of activity that results in inmates gathering in groups for long periods of unstructured time WILL be abused by gangs and is thus viewed as very suspicious by prison officials.
Oh that's a shame.. oh well.
Are dice considered "contraband" in prisons?
Quote from: ggroy;710731Are dice considered "contraband" in prisons?
Depends on the security level of the facility and the warden (who have pretty wide discretion in declaring stuff contraband).
Quote from: deadDMwalking;710687Whatever gaming stuff you have, troops overseas would be very happy to have it donated to them. If you're not sure the best way, the folks over at Kenzerco can help you out.
http://www.kenzerco.com/
I agree with this; Sanc sent a couple sets of Compact Heroes to me while I was in Afghanistan and I passed them out to gamers in infantry units as I found them. Not sure if any of them ever said the direct "Thank you", but I still think it was a cool gesture.
If you're going to go this route, you could check with MWR (http://giftstoarmy.army.mil/) (morale, welfare, and recreation) for where to send books via that link. If you're sending anything like dice it might be a good idea to bag them up, if you're sending books and you have any of the main books it would be helpful to bundle them in sets by system so some poor guys don't wind up with a serious mixmash.
MWR liberty programs are always looking for games for their rec rooms.
Quote from: Shawn Driscoll;710784MWR liberty programs are always looking for games for their rec rooms.
But in this case, it is best to know which unit to specifically send the game books to or else they will end up in a facility in Washington DC. If you know anything at all about the US Navy, you would know that most ships have their own Ship's Library where you should be able to send the games. You just have to have in mind the specific ship.
I still have a couple buddies in the USAF who game. I could always whip up a gaming care package and send it out to them. We've done it in the past with other service members, and it was very well-received.
I find the odd gaming book at thrift shops such as Goodwill or Savers. So you might just donate them there. they will eventually end up in the hands of a gamer and you help a charity as well.
Yeah, as I understand it the U.S. military is still into RPGs at a level seriously disproportionate to its general popularity; and troops overseas tend to have it harder to get gaming materials.
Quote from: RPGPundit;711361Yeah, as I understand it the U.S. military is still into RPGs at a level seriously disproportionate to its general popularity; and troops overseas tend to have it harder to get gaming materials.
Thing is, a lot of that depends on which country the troops are deployed in. The more restrictive Muslim countries consider the pics in several RPGs to be pornography and are thus forbidden from getting by the mail censors. Best bet for them is a website with access to a PDF or SRD of the rules.
Quote from: jeff37923;711362Thing is, a lot of that depends on which country the troops are deployed in. The more restrictive Muslim countries consider the pics in several RPGs to be pornography and are thus forbidden from getting by the mail censors. Best bet for them is a website with access to a PDF or SRD of the rules.
Mail sent to troops doesn't go through the normal channels, it's addressed via APO AE (Army Post Office, Army Europe) and flown in via military aircraft and distributed through the military channels. If you're sending it via APO, you don't have to worry about censors getting ahold of it.
Now, that's not to say that contraband doesn't get looked for and caught, but they're looking for Hustlers and Whiskey, not Dungeons and Dragons and Jolt.
Quote from: Panzerkraken;711376Mail sent to troops doesn't go through the normal channels, it's addressed via APO AE (Army Post Office, Army Europe) and flown in via military aircraft and distributed through the military channels. If you're sending it via APO, you don't have to worry about censors getting ahold of it.
Now, that's not to say that contraband doesn't get looked for and caught, but they're looking for Hustlers and Whiskey, not Dungeons and Dragons and Jolt.
I understand this, but I've had a few problems along with some other locals when sending stuff through civilian channels to military bases. Mostly in Iraq.
Quote from: RPGPundit;711361Yeah, as I understand it the U.S. military is still into RPGs at a level seriously disproportionate to its general popularity; and troops overseas tend to have it harder to get gaming materials.
This is true. The best gaming of my life was on remote assignments in the USAF.
Quote from: Panzerkraken;710780I agree with this; Sanc sent a couple sets of Compact Heroes to me while I was in Afghanistan and I passed them out to gamers in infantry units as I found them. Not sure if any of them ever said the direct "Thank you", but I still think it was a cool gesture.
.
Thank you for doing that, by the way.
I figured I'd share this story here, because I love telling it. Back when I was in the service, we organized a massive "Games for GIs" care package drive to send out games to our military gaming circle and all other military gamers that were deployed overseas. A lot of companies gave some RPGs or dice, but Kenzer and Palladium sent a ridiculous amount of stuff. Kenzer sent a massive box of Hackmaster PHBs, and one of their Game Master's Guide. Palladium sent no less than 14 full-packed boxes of games, from the Rifts RPG to Palladium Fantasy to Beyond the Supernatural. They even sent minis! It was multiple copies of about half their catalog. I'll never forget those gestures and kindnesses for as long as I live, and I know the GIs who received them didn't, either.
Quote from: Silverlion;710664Prisons are touchy, a lot depends on the wardens. Some allow game stuff, some don't, and some only allow certain kinds of gaming stuff.
I'd consider starting a thread, after all there might be people here and there who could use something you have. (I pass on my game books to friends and family for example, and anyone who I meet who might need a game books.)
Libraries might, but they're one of the most stolen items from what I understand.
Universities with gaming clubs is a good place to try as well.
I just had a great idea!
Jailbreak the rpg.
Market it to the prisoners who would be most entertained by it.....
Profit!!!!
We have donated to the USO and Goodwill. (Goodwill takes just about anything.)
USO has some strange rules and is not tax-deductible.
Depending on what you have I take donations.:D
Quote from: Zachary The First;711451I figured I'd share this story here, because I love telling it. Back when I was in the service, we organized a massive "Games for GIs" care package drive to send out games to our military gaming circle and all other military gamers that were deployed overseas. A lot of companies gave some RPGs or dice, but Kenzer and Palladium sent a ridiculous amount of stuff. Kenzer sent a massive box of Hackmaster PHBs, and one of their Game Master's Guide. Palladium sent no less than 14 full-packed boxes of games, from the Rifts RPG to Palladium Fantasy to Beyond the Supernatural. They even sent minis! It was multiple copies of about half their catalog. I'll never forget those gestures and kindnesses for as long as I live, and I know the GIs who received them didn't, either.
I believe Palladium would call that a good investment; Palladium's RPGs are disproportionately popular among military gamers, now we know why.
Shit, that's expanded to entire regions. The Edmonton area of Alberta is a hotspot for Palladium's games, and I'm betting part of that is due to the military base there.
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