NEW YORK, NEW YORK, April 12, 2007: A New York-based nonprofit is hoping to strike a philanthropic spark with Karma Tycoon, a new online game that aims to entertain teens while also giving them an appreciation for the business side of charitable works. The game is the creation of DoSomething.org, a not-for-profit that aims to inspire younger generations to embrace volunteerism, which worked with the JP Morgan Chase Foundation to develop it and get it to market. The idea behind Karma Tycoon was to put a twist on popular video and computer games in which players try to maximize profit in order to amass wealth. “Why not create a game that maximizes karma in order to make the world a better place?” Aria Finger, who is in charge of building corporate partnerships for Do Something, recalls of the brainstorming that led to the game. Teenager Nikki Mayer, an avid player, says that there is keen demand for entertainment with an optimistic message. “Not all teenagers are really interested in killing people or racing cars,” she says.
Karma Tycoon, which was officially launched with the ringing of the bell at the NSDAQ stock exchange on Dec. 21, empowers teens to get involved in philanthropic endeavors by giving them freedom to choose how they want to contribute, said Finger. Players who register at the site can pick the type of nonprofit they would like to administer, such as an animal shelter or a homeless shelter, and establish their virtual organization in one of 12 major U.S. cities. Kimberly Davis, president of the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, says that in addition to generating interest in charitable deeds, the game helps players become money-wise. “The game sort of sneaks up on you, and I think that’s the way it has to become intuitive for kids,” she says. “They don’t realize that by playing this game that they are doing math and setting up budgets.”