What Happened To Charity Livestreams This Year?

Back in March 2020, as offices were shutting down and people were shuttering up, the charity livestream rose like the phoenix from our collective isolation and grief.

While they’d existed before in piecemeal form and without much fanfare, a shinier version of charitable streams came rushing in with the likes of the One World: Together At Home concert featuring A-listers including Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Lizzo and the Rolling Stones that delivered a striking $128 million for the World Health Organization and local groups working to combat Covid.

As the pandemic swelled, so did the number of streamed events tied to gathering donations for organizations and causes. Heartstrings and tech were activated, and a bevy of companies—from Bulldog DM to First Tube Media to Mandolin—rushed both to amplify the experience for consumers on the front end, and provide tools for creation, distribution and data capture on the backend. When there was no option to gather in person for fund-raising events, gathering in front of screens did the trick and then some.

The return of in-person concerts and other events this year, then, might lead one to logically conclude charity livestreams must be fizzling. One would be incorrect.

In fact, streamers across Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and other platforms are funneling millions of dollars to charities per event. While the market this year shifted away from those larger tentpole livestreams of 2020, creators who were aligned with causes drove significant audience support and drew attention to important charities.

Charity livestreams are not only here to stay, they’re getting better. Here’s why:

Follow the Demographics: The days of fund-raising events solely relegated to well-heeled patrons in stuffy rooms are over. Livestreams opens the charitable universe to just about anyone passionate about supporting a cause they care about. “If you really want to capture donations from people living on TikTok or Instagram, you’d better do some livestreaming—because they won’t come to your gala and they aren’t opening your donation letters,” says Fabrice Sergent, co-founder and managing partner of artist services platform Bandsintown.

Bandsintown launched a premium livestreaming service in early 2021 followed by Bandsintown for Good, in conjunction with digital fundraising platform Fandiem. During its first year fans donated more than $1 million to dozens of music-focused nonprofits including The Tyler Robinson Foundation and Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. “People now understand that a livestream is an easier way to be part of something important,” he adds. “They are a great way to convey emotions and therefore trigger donations.”

Community Build: Just last week on December 10, YouTube sensation Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin raised more than $10 million for World Central Kitchen during the latest iteration of his annual “Thankmas” livestream. McLoughin’s fund-raising trajectory has been notable—beginning with $4 million raised in 2020 and $7.5 million last year—and it’s thanks in large part to his ability to whip up a force like none other: creator engagement with their communities. This year the marathon included an even bigger pool of smaller creators as guests, proving you don’t have to be a marquee name to bring in audience, and dollars.

Evolving Ecosystem: Platforms continue to ratchet up the ways by which creators wishing to raise money and attention for causes can do so. Dominant gaming platform Twitch, where a streamer who goes by the alias DrLupo on the platform has raised more than $11 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, this summer began testing a new suite of fundraising tools. By fall the suite became available to all partners and affiliates, via a designated Charity section on the creator dashboard.

“The hassles of running a charity stream—tracking donations, converting subs and Bits, managing multiple programs and apps at once—are what we’re hoping to make as minimally hassle-y as possible,” the company shared via a blog post.

Shoppable Streams Open New Doors: The U.S. shoppable livestream market is poised to take off, and ripples will no doubt buoy the charity sector. While in the west the market is nowhere near the estimated $400 billion market in China, in 2022 livestream ecommerce sales were estimated at $17 billion in the U.S., according to Statista, which forecast a tripling to $55 billion in 2026.

“Ecommerce livestreaming’s efficacy is largely going to be determined by the storytelling, and that creates a significant opportunity to highlight a cause that a brand or creator is aligned with,” says John Petrocelli, CEO and founder of Bulldog DM.