The term “Causeplay” isn’t a new one. For a while now, some cosplayers have used the term to describe using the hobby as a way to give back to their communities or those in need.
Now, the platform Fotition is using the term for an online initiative, calling in cosplayers to help raise money and increase awareness for charities simply by sharing photos of their cosplays.
This initiative lives on causeplayer.com, but also interacts with Fotition. The concept is a bit hard to explain, but it basically blends the ideas of an Instagram feed and fundraising through a Facebook post.
On the CausePlayer site, cosplayers can visit to the “Do Good” page and select from a list of charities. At the moment, all of the available organizations — Team Rubicon, World Central Kitchen, Save the Children, and Direct Relief — all serve to help those on the frontlines of and impacted by COVID-19. However, anyone is able to submit a different charity for a campaign by filling out a form.
So, once a cosplayer selects a charity, they upload a photo of themselves in cosplay, using one of the provided CausePlayer frames. Then, the cosplayer can share that photo with their followers across other social media platforms, encouraging others to “boost” the post by donating money, which will go to the selected charity.
But it doesn’t stop there! For every $1 someone donates to boost a post, they get 10 chances to win a prize. The cosplayer gets 50 entries towards the prize drawing just by sharing their photo, and they get an additional 10 entries for every $1 their photo raises.
The prizes available are high-quality, too, and are all perfectly nerdy. Some of the prizes available now include:
- $125 worth of Star Wars Funko Pop! figures
- A 1:1-scale replica of Lara Croft’s bow and arrow from Weta Workshop
- A Captain America prize pack that includes the Marvel Legends shield and a SideShow figure
- The choice between an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 console
Without many fan conventions opportunities for cosplayers this year, CausePlayer provides an opportunity to share the amazing cosplays they had planned, while also giving back.
Interested cosplayers can learn more at this FAQ page.
