Yeah, people mostly jump on Humble Bundles because they get a lot of great games for insanely cheap prices. But I like to think that the fact the bundles donate money to charity also plays a part in their success, giving gamers the chance to see their money go somewhere useful, instead of simply drifting down the river as returns for shareholders.
I can understand if the mere fact the bundles donate a percentage of profits to charity is enough for most folks. They can assume the money is being well spent, feel better about themselves and get on with their affairs. But if you’ve ever wanted to see where part of those proceeds actually end up, and get an idea of the difference the money is making to people’s lives, take a look at this.
The Humble Bundle Mojam, offered last year, “saw 81,457 Humble Bundle customers contribute a total of $US121,780”. That money was handed over to Water Aid in Ethiopia, who used it to build six “water points” in the country (three wells and three tap stands). It might not sound like much, but those points now provide 3000 people with clean drinking water every day.
Your money didn’t end up in some vast pipeline labelled “charity”, lost amongst administrative costs and political back-handers. It went straight to where it was needed, and it made a difference.
So yeah, enjoy the cheap video games. But know that even when you’re done with them, the awesome thing about the Humble Bundles is that they just keep on giving, long after the credits/Game Over screens have rolled.
Humble Bundles have helped bring fresh water to thousands through charity:water [Humble Bundle]
Comments
3 responses to “See Where Some Of Your Humble Bundle Money Actually Goes”
Hmm. Up to now, I’ve been pointing most of my humble bundle $ toward the developers, as they tend to get screwed by publishers. Think I’ll start making a 50/50 split here on in.
Excellent to see it goes directly to the source. I stopped donating to the Red Cross after a decade of doing so, because it turned out around 70-80% of donations ended up eaten up by red tape (Bali Bombing controversy brought this to light), but still give to Surf Life Savers and other charities regularly. Great to see this had a direct positive effect 🙂
i like to split it 45% dev, 45% charity and 10% humble tip (give or take, the sliders go weird on my phone). i feel that the humble tip is just as important as the charity portion as it helps keep the program alive.
Makes me feel guilty for always paying the default $25, I think I’ll pay more next time. Still better than the average cheap-o people.