For over a decade, the IGDN’s Diversity Sponsorship program has provided support and resources to emerging developers from marginalized backgrounds. After a pause in 2025 to revitalize the program, we are excited to re-launch in 2026 under new leadership. And that effort begins right here, with your help!

What is the Diversity Sponsorship?

The Diversity Sponsorship provides personalized support to emerging from historically marginalized backgrounds. Recipients will receive support tailored to their specific objectives, whether that’s building their skills, getting a project across the finish line, or something else entirely.

The Diversity Sponsorship will consist of two main elements: access to mentorship and a grant.

Mentorship

Mentorship is the heart of the Diversity Sponsorship program, probably the most important part of the program. Recipients will share their mentorship needs when applying, and our ability to match recipients to great mentors will be a huge part of the selection process for recipients. We want every single recipient to get a mentor who’s right for them. Every recipient will work with a mentor for a period of four months, at a pace and manner that works for them.

Grant

In addition to mentorship, every recipient will receive a grant of $1,000 USD, no strings attached or questions asked. It’s not enough money to quit your day job, but it is enough to hire an artist or editor, to fund a print run, or maybe just to make life a little less hectic so you have more space for your work. The grant portion of the Diversity Sponsorship is the recipient’s to use however they see fit.

Additional Opportunities

In addition to the mentorship and grant, recipients will receive additional support in the form of social events with their cohort, access to industry speakers and experts, and for folks able to travel, support attending a convention.

Your donation

Our primary objective is that every recipient has an excellent experience that fosters their enthusiasm for tabletop games and helps advance their art and career. Meeting that goal will require energy, skill, and of course, money.

We have a plan to reach that amount, and it starts right here! Your gift will help us provide better opportunities for more recipients. And when you donate to our GoFundMe, your impact is doubled; the leadership of the IGDN will match the first $3,000 in donations we raise on this campaign.

The Tabletop Diversity Foundation!

In the past, the Diversity Sponsorship has been administered directly by the IGDN. Going forward, the sponsorship will be administered by the IGDN Tabletop Diversity Foundation (iTDF), a separate non-profit with the mission to support emerging tabletop game developers from historically marginalized backgrounds.

Why a new non-profit?

You can visit our website to meet the iTDF’s inaugural board !