Game to Grow is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the use of games of all kinds for therapeutic, educational, and community growth. Our therapeutic social skills groups help youth become more confident, creative, and socially capable through the intentional facilitation of customized, collaborative gaming experiences. We're most well known for our use of tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. Many of the kids and teens in our groups struggle with social challenges related to autism, ADHD, anxiety, or depression, and the groups help them build social skills, reduce isolation, and develop friendships. We also provide training, consultation, and support to other therapeutic and gaming professionals, educators, parents, and advocates, so that even more individuals can benefit from the life-enriching power of games.

“Thank you for this amazing opportunity! My son left the group radiant and smiling, more relaxed and talkative than I have seen him in a year. This is just exactly what he needs. …He lives in his head a lot of the time, and this is giving him a perfect venue to connect with others about what’s going on in there. So great!!”
- Game to Grow Parent

2019 has been a year of tremendous growth!

Thanks to support from donors like you, Game to Grow nearly doubled the reach of its services in 2019 and expanded in other exciting ways:

Provided game-based therapeutic services to 70 youth each week, 60% more than in 2018
Offered 11 weekly social skills groups across the greater Seattle area, 6 more than in 2018
Hired and trained four new professional facilitators
Expanded our service area to include Tacoma
Added new programs that utilize new gaming experiences like Magic: The Gathering and Minecraft
Hosted 2 game-based summer camps for that incorporated crafting and other activities
Led workshops in game mastering and improvisation skills to help aspiring young game masters run their own games
Spoke to over 1500 people at 8 conferences and conventions around the country about the benefits of games of all kinds for personal and community growth
Provided continuing education credits in the use of games for therapeutic growth to medical and therapy professionals
Consulted one-on-one with professionals around the world hoping to learn more about and implement our methods

Thanks to generous support from individuals who believe in our mission, we launched a successful Kickstarter for Critical Core: A therapeutic role-playing game starter set to help youth on the autism spectrum build social skills. We reached 509% of our funding goal, raising a total of $244,162 from our generous community to support the creation of more than 3000 game kits to be distributed around the world.

This is just the beginning!

In 2020, we plan to expand programs even further to other cities nationwide, and to provide additional resources, materials, and training to support other professionals worldwide. But that’s not all. Game to Grow’s services are currently focused on therapeutic social skills groups for youth, but our mission is broad and our aim is high. We have been coordinating with educators to provide school-based services using games to improve educational outcomes, build valuable 21st century skills, and reduce the impact of bullying. We are developing programs focusing on the use of games to help veterans and first-responders with PTSD, and to provide support services to incarcerated youth and adults.

Help us make this possible.

Your support is critical. With your donations even more individuals can receive the support they need, either in our direct services, or through our training and outreach programs.

Please make a donation today!

“I’m not sure what I would have done had we not found you. The counseling that has come from it, the connection and a place for [my son] to find some direction. When a parent is trying everything under the sun for their kid, with little success, finding a place that feels like “home” is life changing. I know [my son] still has a long way to go, but I’ve let go of the daily worry.”
-A Game to Grow Parent