I'm trying to create a master-list of charities that gamers, geeks and tech nerds are especially fond of.

Child's Play and Extra Life are obvious ones, but I'm interested in hearing about what else is out there. Anyone who could link me to some other efforts from within the gamer community would be much appreciated.

Thanks guys!

List in progress:

Child's Play: A game industry charity dedicated to improving the lives of children with toys and games in our network of over 60 hospitals worldwide.

http://childsplaycharity.org/

Extra Life: An annual 24-hour video game marathon that raises money to help kids at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

http://www.extra-life.org/

Hero Initiative: The Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.

http://www.heroinitiative.org/

Heroes 4 Heroes: Working directly with members of the United States Military, corporations, and the general public to provide portable media to active troops in order to boost morale and keep men and women in uniform culturally tuned-in.

http://www.heroes4heroes.org/

The Human Fund.

@Rattle618: lol, from the gift cards? Or the actual charity out of Cleveland who is smartly grabbing google searches like mine?

@Rattle618: K-uuuuuger. But that clip did remind me of the Children's Alliance.

I'm a walking chairty case, so me. Never really seen a charity that I felt that I could trust. There are too many of them that just take all the money they raise to pay themselves and to promote the next big charity to continue the cycle while little to nothing actually goes to the charities themselves for me to ever trust. 
 
From what I have seen of them, the Penny Arcade guys seem to be the only ones I would trust to give money to, but since I never have any I have never donated. So I guess Child's Play. Even though I don't really have affinity for their cause.

@crusader8463: Child's Play seems to be the best exposed "gamer" charity out there, but like you I've never had a ton of cash to give so my experience is similarly limited. I'm hoping somebody who has parted with a few dollars of their own can share more good causes with me.

Man, this is going to make me sound like an asshole, but I always thought the money given to Child's Play could be used for much better things.  Like instead of a bunch of games and toys, how about a MRI machine?  I don't know.  I don't criticize the charity at all.  It's just something I always felt. 

@Meowshi said:

Man, this is going to make me sound like an asshole, but I always thought the money given to Child's Play could be used for much better things. I don't criticize the charity at all. It's just something I always felt.

That's why there are other charities. It's great they focus on that one thing. Sure every charity could do more, but if they start doing that, then some non-profit charities might have to start making profits just so they can do everything.

I don't trust charities, don't like the look of 'em.

I never give to charities. I have too much trouble keeping myself alive, I'm not going to waste it.

Not a geek charity but one with low overhead high distribution that I like is called the Heifer Foundation. One of the things I tend to look for is how much money actually goes to charity and how much goes to overhead costs then find charities accordingly.

@Meowshi said:

Man, this is going to make me sound like an asshole, but I always thought the money given to Child's Play could be used for much better things. Like instead of a bunch of games and toys, how about a MRI machine? I don't know. I don't criticize the charity at all. It's just something I always felt.

I don't think it makes you an asshole. To echo @JJOR64, it's your money to give or not give. Everyone has different values, which is why I started this post: to see what organizations people think are doing good out there.

Regarding Child's Play, I always assumed that the toy donations were a way to affect change on an area of hospital budgets that has been lacking because all of their money already has to go to more expensive medical pursuits such as those MRI machines. There is also a lot of psychology involved in convincing people to donate to charity. I'm not a head shrinker, but I imagine it's easier to convince somebody to pay $10 for a toy that brings them joy (and will bring a child joy) than $10 for one extremely small fraction of a diagnostic machine that has no personal connection to them.

@Briguile: Thanks for the input! I'll give a good look at that one as well.