Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: embargoed, HRL, Streams for Dreams, Twitch, Women's History Month

Twitch is Celebrating Women's History Month with Funding for Underserved Female Streamers

Published Fri, 23 Feb 2018 10:59:29 -0600

In celebration of Women's History Month this March, Twitch has teamed up with the 1,000 Dreams Fund to launch the Streams for Dreams program. 1,000 Dreams Fund is an American non-profit organization that provides micro-grants to young women in the United States. Their charity initiative with Twitch is designed to support women who are pursuing their dreams in content creation, while also raising awareness of the continued gender pay gap when it comes to financial funding for women in the gaming and broadcasting spaces.

As part of this event 1DF is introducing the Twitch BroadcastHER Grant, which will directly benefit female content creators.

The Stream for Dreams event will be featured on Twitch and kicks off March 1st. The event will end at midnight on April 1st, meaning it takes up the entire month of March, which is pretty fantastic.

The campaign's goal is to reach and impact 10 popular female Twitch broadcasters who will help encourage viewers to donate to the program. As an incentive, 1DF will provide t-shirts and other swag to those who pitch in to the fund. 1DF also hopes to fuel greater participation and foster a more diverse roster of women content creators.

The event's featured broadcasters include Friskk, Gillyweedtv, and theluckmusic.

"As an organization committed to all dreams, we are excited to partner with members of the Twitch community on this amazing new campaign," says 1,000 Dreams Fund founder and CEO Christie Garton. "The initiative will not only raise critical funds, but will also boost awareness around the shortage of support for these creative young women in the digital broadcasting space."

With that in mind, 1DF is also announcing the launch of 1,000 Dreams Fund's Twitch BroadcastHER Grant, which was designed to help female content creators transition their passion into a career. All funds raised during the Streams for Dreams event will go directly back to women broadcasters in need. Grants, ranging from $500 – $2,000, will be awarded to four or more female Twitch creators in 2018 for items that align with 1DF's funding mission. The grants will be used to pay for conference travel, equipment upgrades, and workshops.

"1DF's vision for their Streams for Dreams initiative is inspiring since it aligns perfectly with Twitch's mission to help creators make a living entertaining and educating their fans," said Andrew Schroeder, Director of Charity Partnerships, Twitch. "The event will elevate the importance of greater gender equity during Women's History Month and is a wonderful opportunity for members of the Twitch community to engage with this issue, while giving back through 1,000 Dreams Fund's Twitch BroadcastHER grant."

"Many of the problems women face are because of lack of respect," says Twitch broadcaster Tina "shadowfoxx086" Degenhart. "But gaming is just another platform that we shouldn't shy away from. The industry won't understand how to treat women if we don't show them how to treat women."

Since its launch in late 2015, 1,000 Dreams Fund has given more than $100,000 to more than 100 young women to help fund the "hidden costs" of their career and education goals, such as conference fees, unpaid internships and training.

To learn more about Streams for Dreams, you can check out the official campaign page here.

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