We hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your family and loved ones. In this first edition of the Shine A Light Gaming newsletter, read on to see what we accomplished and what is in store for 2026.
Microgrant Program Update
Thank you so much to everyone who applied for the first round of the Shine A Light Gaming Microgrant Program. Due to the high volume of impressive applications received, our team is taking additional time to give each submission the thorough review it deserves.
The program prioritizes projects that advance meaningful social impact in gaming, particularly those that promote empathy, improve safety, counter hate and extremism, and strengthen inclusive representation. Strong proposals demonstrate both creative originality and executional readiness, align with one of our core impact categories, and show potential for broader influence or learning beyond the initial grant.
We will announce awardees at the end of January 2026. We appreciate your patience as we work through this process.
Research Published
Gaming communities need leaders who can keep people safe, but most community managers and moderators get no training before they start. In partnership with Dr. Rachel Kowert, Shine A Light Gaming published two whitepapers addressing the needs of community managers and the expectations of players toward their community leaders.
- Train Them Or Lose Them (Both): A Needs Assessment for Digital Leadership in Games
- Don't Tell Us What to Do (But Do Keep Us Safe): Player Expectations for Gaming Community Leadership
These two studies reveal the gap between what players need and what leaders can deliver. Real change starts by giving leaders the tools they actually need.
Read Our Research
