For those who don't know, we love to support geeks and Otaku of all kinds. Helping out disadvantaged Otaku has been a large priority of what we have tried to do for the past several years, with various programs and policies designed to try to make our events as inclusive as possible.
I, Ryan Kopf, came from a pretty disadvantaged family, and would have loved to have the opportunity to socialize, make friends, and find support in a world filled with bullies.
Disadvantaged Programs
Any recognized nonprofit organization can apply for an attendance admission grant for disadvantaged young people. Each request will be evaluated on an individual basis, and we will provide a grant covering the cost of admission for up to twenty individuals. Youth centers are a great place to organize something like this.
School Programs
Youth attending as part of a school group get certain automatic discounts, including 10% off registration. But it might not be known that they also can have adult chaperones attend with them at no charge. Those interested can email the individual convention directly to get all the details. Teachers can also make specific requests for youth who need additional support.
Charity Support
Our official charity partner is St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We donate 10% of all Date Auction proceeds to them, and if we ever have a future Charity Auction it will also go to support the cause. We really believe in St. Jude's mission, because research is just as important as providing direct care - breakthroughs from medical research provide daily improvements on a lot of people's lives.
Grants and Programs
Nonprofit organizations, conventions, and even individuals can apply for grants on a case-by-case basis for supporting worthy causes. We've helped provide funding for fun events and gatherings, and we're always interested in where we might be able to help the community.
People with Disabilities
We are committed to trying to make our events accessible to everyone, and we ask anyone with a disability to let us know early so that we can do our best to help. Those who require someone to attend with them to help can simply ask and we will let their assistant in free.
If you have ideas for more programs, please contact any of our conventions.