I Need Diverse Games has benefited quite a bit from community generosity in a year of stress for the world. Thanks to the generosity of the McElroy family, we’re in a position to offer a five bundles of a Yeti Blue Microphone & a copy of “Everybody has a Podcast (Except You) to Black and POC podcasters that are in need of equipment to either start recording, or upgrade their current set up.

Applications will be accepted beginning on March 4th, 2021. We will aim to notify funding awardees by the 21st of that month at the latest. Applications will be reviewed by a small committee consisting of Tanya DePass, Nick & Viktor of MEGAsheenPod &Travis McElroy . This review will be conducted in a manner in which we wish to avoid personal bias as much as possible.

Our qualifications for this one time award are outlined below, so please read carefully:

• You must be a newer podcaster, or someone who wanted to start podcasting but may need fiscal assistance to get started.
• You must be Black or a Person of Color (POC) 
• Experienced podcasters may apply, but we are seeking to boost the work of beginning, and yet to podcast folks with these funds. 

Preference will be given to marginalized members of the community, who usually don’t get access to funding opportunities outside of very limited offerings. Please keep in mind that we take this very seriously, as it aligns closely with the mission of our organization. If you are unable to articulate how awarding you these funds would help foster greater diversity in podcasting, this may not be the opportunity for you.

Please review your application carefully before submitting it to us. You will receive a confirmation message after successfully submitting your application. You may wish to take a screenshot of this message for your own records as it is the only confirmation you will receive. If you have issues with the form, please email us at indg@ineeddiversegames.org. We expect to get far more applications than available bundles so keep that in mind as you apply. 

APPLY HERE

Our selection committee:

• Tanya DePass – I Need Diverse Games, EIC Fresh out of Tokens
• Travis McElroy – Adventure Zone
• Nick – MEGASheenPod
• Viktor – MEGASheenPod
• Shareef Jackson – Rivals of Waterdeep, Math Looks Good

About our committee:

Nick is an avid gamer, drag/female impersonation enthusiast, and lover of cartoons and classic films. Currently living in Kentucky, you can follow all his madness on Twitter or on Twitch.

Viktor is a talented writer, creator, and activist. Now, he adds comic book creator to his stout list of accomplishments. He has completed a queer supernatural webcomic called “StrangeLore” and currently working on the sequel to the story.

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, Rivals of Waterdeep Producer & Cast Member on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster,  and RPG developer/writer/consultant

Travis is the cohost of MBMBaM, The Adventure Zone, and Shmanners, and has previously been a co-host of Trends Like These, Bake On!, Run: A Doctor Who Fancast, and more! With his brothers, he is also a co-author of the how-to book Everybody Has A Podcast (Except You)

Shareef Jackson started his own tutoring business, Math Looks Good LLC, in 2016 after a 15 year career as an engineer and data analyst. He holds electrical engineering degrees from Brown University and Case Western Reserve University. Shareef is also an adjunct professor in the University of Wisconsin school system. His views on science, technology and gaming have been featured on sources such as the New York Times, the Smithsonian, the Guardian, NPR, Scientific American, and MacLean’s.