“As the world becomes accustomed to live streaming, Tango is becoming one of the best platforms to have a charity stream.”
#StayStrongIndia.
This hashtag can be found all throughout the country, from the Burj Khalifa tower to the hundreds of thousands of individuals posting it across social media. But there has been one special place where this hashtag has done the most good
– live streaming – and specifically, on the Tango app, where users who had regularly made thousands of dollars thanks to “gifts” from their fans are now taking that money and instead donating it to families in India who are suffering from the coronavirus.
Tango was quick to notice the trend and began a #StayStrongIndia gift that allowed users to celebrate India’s strength and unity in the face of the disease, while also giving their money to a great cause! All of this with just one click on a totally unique gift. Simple, easy, and a refreshing reminder of technology’s ability to unite us as we fight for the common good.
This is a beautiful display of how effective stream-based charity on the Tango app can be; and it has only inspired streamers to use their large platforms, intimate connections with followers, and their passion to raise money for friends, fellow streamers, and important causes. Fundraising has been one of the many things tying communities together on streaming apps, for Tango and for other platforms, and it’s not a stretch to say that it will likely become the future of mainstream fundraising very soon.
Tango is Leading the Change:
This past year, a surprising and inspiring number of people have changed from streaming for fun, to streaming for a grander purpose – to help others less fortunate than themselves. As coronavirus devastated (and continues, in many places to devastate) communities around the world, Tango streamers began working together to raise money to donate to those affected by this terrible virus.
While using a streaming platform to solicit donations isn’t something new, coronavirus has accelerated its popularity. Today livestream philanthropy can be seen for a wide variety of issues, from stopping global warming and soliciting funds to donate for cancer research, to something smaller and more personal, like helping a friend or neighbor in need.
Stream for Charity
One example was a popular Tango streamer (whose real name cannot be used) who told her fans that all money given to her during her streams would not end up in her bank account but would rather be donated to those people whose jobs have been affected by the global pandemic.
Another time streamers found out that one of their members had been diagnosed with bone cancer, and turned to their followers asking for help. In both cases, streamers making heartfelt pleas to their fans resulted in thousands of dollars being raised.
Tango Fundraising Today
Currently this type of Tango fundraising has been seen more regularly in India, where coronavirus is still in full steam. In one instance, a grandmother decided to use this next-gen technology as a way to raise money for her daughter and two grandchildren. In her own words, “It all started when my daughter had two babies, born deaf and mute. It inspired me to help mothers with special needs children, since I understand their struggles. Everything I earn goes to the parents.”
More than just A Trend
Streamers are discovering they can make a huge difference via a live virtual fundraiser In an era where bad news seems to be around every corner it was heartwarming for the community managers on Tango to see just how much this trend was accelerating. Every week it seems that a new streamer is on the app asking for donations. What is even more impressive is that people are responding. Many are much more willing to give money if they believe that their money is going to a good purpose. Even if it is for something more individualistic – like the host whose father has bone cancer – users feel more intimately attached to the host and are more likely to feel these hardships more personally. This personal connection translates to dollars and cents from dozens, if not hundreds, of concerned users.
Working Better Together
Streamers don’t just work alone either. Many Tango streamers will find each other so that they can do battles and group streams to get a larger audience and bigger donations. It’s a pretty brilliant idea, and when asked about this one of the streamers simply said, “We just thought we can use the platform in the best way ever. We choose a member of the community that needs our help, go on one stream all together and help the streamer’s exposure. This way they are seen in the “popular” tab, getting hundreds of entries, and many gifts from the community and outside of it.” Even Tango CEO Uri Raz decided to weight in on the situation. In a recent interview Raz stated, “Live-streaming has become the next digital economy and we are grateful to be able to support people globally in more ways than we could have imagined. Our unique gifting experience via mobile micro-transactions helped facilitate this special campaign.” Even though these monetary donations are taking off, it may still be just the beginning.
No doubt, as more people begin understanding just how effective hosting a streaming fundraiser can be, we will be seeing many more of these. Fundraising used to only be done via word of mouth, television, and then social media. Now these things have all come together to create a type of charity run that is able to cast a wide net while still managing to be incredibly personal.
History of Streaming Fundraising
Back in the 1970s, 1980s, and beyond, having a telethon was the most popular and well-known way of raising money from a large audience. People would tune in at all hours of the night to watch celebrities and other entertainers perform and speak as they encouraged people to call in and pledge donations for important causes. Today, the internet has streamlined that process. While pages like gofundme.com were sometimes effective, they often felt impersonal, and relied on others sharing the page in order to reach a large enough audience to generate a significant amount of donations.
Back to Present
Who Is Raising The Most Money?
One of the many streamers who have donated is Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo. Together with his 3.6 million fans, he managed to raise over $2.3 million for St. Jude during his 24-hour live stream. “As soon as the charity [streams] became a prominent feature – something that people wanted to see more of from me – I jumped on board,” Lupo said in an interview with The Washington Post. “The goal of it is to help people that can’t help themselves.” While this is an impressive and noble feat on its own, DrLupo is not even close to earning the most amount of money from live streaming. According to Guinness World Records, the most amount of money ever made from live streaming was done not by a single individual, but during an event known as Z Event in Montpellier, France. Z Event normally attracts thousands who come together to play video games, stream, and raise money for important issues. During the week of October 16 – 19, 2020 rather than come together physically to raise money, these gamers remained at home – just like the rest of the world.
Simply by playing as a group, 30 of France’s most popular gamers managed to raise an astounding €5.7 million (or $6,757, 240) over the course of those days. It was a historic moment for streaming-based philanthropy, and the money was donated to Amnesty International.
How to do a Charity Livestream
The world is racing towards virtual fundraising and it doesn’t seem like it’s turning around anytime soon. As a result, anyone looking to raise money for important causes might want to consider hosting an online streaming event. Creating one should not be an overwhelming challenge, and can be accomplished in 3 easy steps.
Step 1: Find the Right Platform
The right platform is going to very much depend on what the streamer’s talent is. For video games, a Twitch charity stream is the obvious platform to use. It is a massive hub of gamers, attracting over 140 million people each month who follow the most popular gamers and listen to their comments, jokes, and inputs, all while being able to watch their favorite video game.
Even though Twitch is still the undisputed king of video game streaming, YouTube Live, the streaming arm of YouTube, is reportedly trying to peel viewers away from them by signing exclusive contracts with esports broadcasters. Not to mention that YouTube Live and Facebook Live are two of the biggest streaming platforms. Although saturation is high for both (these 2 platforms regularly see over 2 billion visitors a month) their large audience is perfect for the most creative of streaming philanthropists, or those who already have a large following or big name.
For artists and musicians, Tango is the biggest up and comer and the ideal platform. Currently it has the title as one of the fastest growing streaming apps in the world, seeing a record 30-50 thousand new users every day. This internationally beloved app is the prime choice for many people, offering streamers the chance to connect with international users on global issues that affect all of humanity. A perfect opportunity to connect users from every corner of the globe.
Step 2: Promote the Event
It’s never a good idea for streamers to just wait until the day of the event and then expect users to show up, it’s better to use the power of the internet and social media to make sure that as many people as possible know about the charity livestream event beforehand. Even first-time streamers have a much larger network than they usually realize, and as a result they would benefit from getting the world out to this group of people – particularly if it’s for a charity that would significantly benefit.
The best practices for promotion include posting on social media, making sure the time and date is clear, including the link to the stream, and asking people to share. Often, the more people that know about it ahead of time, the better the chances that they’ll be present for the livestream event.
Step 3: Have a Goal for the Event
Having a goal might sound trivial to many streamers, but it’s one of the most important things for any platform user to do for several reasons. The first is that it helps audiences feel more engaged if they know they are working towards something. From a more practical perspective, this also lets the host know how long the stream should be, and what amount of donation they should ask for from each person. It’s also a good way to measure other relevant metrics and improve for the next charity stream.
Q&A – Charity Live Stream
Are Stream Donations Tax Deductible?
The jury is still out on this one a little, under certain circumstances they can be, but it would be best to ask an accountant or tax attorney to verify that the stream being donated to is one that can be written off.
What Do You Talk About in a Charity Livestream?
Always talk about why you created the fundraiser and how much it means to you. But feel free to talk about yourself, who this charity is for, and how much the charity will help. Feel free to have pre recorded material as well and don’t feel nervous about getting the people viewing your stream to talk rather than just putting all the pressure on yourself.
What Equipment Do You Need for a Charity Fundraiser?
Studies show that viewers will tolerate no more than 90 seconds of a bad stream before leaving. As a result, it’s a good idea to invest in even some basic camera and audio equipment, along with lights, a mixer, and an encoder.
Is Streaming for More Than Just Video Games?
Absolutely. This industry has already grown to be worth over $70 billion in 2021 all due to a variety of creators. By 2027 some predict that worldwide streaming might be worth as much as $184 billion!
Do Streamers Get Paid for Doing Live Streams?
Some live streamers get paid a flat fee for doing a livestream, but only if a charity is willing to pay them. For the most part, live streamers do charity streams in order to support a cause that they believe in.