FAQs

What is Girls Make Games?

Girls Make Games (GMG) is a series of educational workshops, summer camps, and game jams designed to inspire the next generation of designers, creators, and engineers. GMG aims to diversify the video game industry by providing educational opportunities to girls and non-binary students at an early age.

Launched in 2014, the program has reached over 23,000 students through its workshops, summer camps, tutorials, and games. GMG was created by Laila Shabir, founder of LearnDistrict Inc, an educational media company committed to creating educational access through video games and development programs.

Who is behind the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund?

The Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund has been established by Laila Shabir, founder of Girls Make Games. We are steered by a board of directors that will ensure a sustainable future for the nonprofit organization.

What types of programs do you have available?

We offer a variety of educational opportunities to girls and non binary students aged 8 to 24:

  • Ages 8-18: Gamedev Workshops and Summer Camps 

  • Ages 16-18: Teen Mentorship Program 

  • Ages 18-24: College Scholarships, Industry Mentorship and Internship Placement programs

How do I contact you with regards to media enquiries?

Please email press@gmgsf.org for all press and media enquiries.

What is the Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund?

Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization registered in North Carolina, US. GMGSF provides financial assistance to qualifying students - girls, women, and non-binary students aged 8 to 24 - so they can access educational opportunities such as game development summer camps, workshops, and higher education degrees.

In addition to financial scholarships, GMGSF will offer mentorship and internship placement programs to help students launch their careers in the games industry.

Who is on your board?

The Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund Board of Directors members are:

  • Pamela Blizzard (Board Chair), Experienced Board Member. Formerly, Founder & Managing Director Research Triangle High School

  • Shawn Layden, Former Chairman of PlayStation Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment

  • Jennifer Clark, Senior Vice President, Corp Communications & PR, PlayStation

  • Laila Shabir, Founder & CEO Girls Make Games

  • Francine Katz, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Intealth

When can I start applying? And how?

Learn all about our programs here:

Do you have any job openings?

We have no job openings at this time. Please sign up to our newsletter where we’ll share details on potential careers and other opportunities.

Donation FAQs

How do I make a donation?

  • You are welcome to make a donation online with a payment method that suits you, either as a one-off donation or recurring gift. 

  • You can make a bank transfer through our online payment portal. If you would like to make a bank transfer directly with us, please email donorsupport@gmgsf.org and we can assist you further. 

  • You can mail a check to our address:

    Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund

    8041 Brier Creek Parkway #1175
    Raleigh NC 27617

At this moment we unfortunately are not able to accept donations by phone.

Is my donation tax deductible?

The Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization registered in the US. As such, financial contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law. 


Upon making a donation online, you will be emailed a tax receipt. If you experience any issues with this, please email donorsupport@gmgsf.org and we will be happy to assist you.

For donors outside of the US, you will need to consult with a financial advisor and/or the relevant tax authority to identify whether your donation is tax deductible.

Can my studio donate merch or products to you?

We are always on the lookout for cool swag for our campers and to run charity auctions to raise funds! Email donorsupport@gmgsf.org if you’d like to explore this further with our team. Please note that we are unable to accept all offers of donated goods and our needs for donated products will vary depending on our activities and demand.

Can I volunteer? 

Our volunteering opportunities are part of our mentorship program. At the moment applications for volunteering are closed. We will have further news on this in 2024. To keep up to date please sign up to our newsletter.

Can I pay with crypto? 

We are not able to accept donations in cryptocurrency or donations of NFTs at this time.

How else can I help out?

There are many other ways you can support us! This could be by hosting a charity stream, getting your workplace involved or organizing a fundraising event. See our Support Us page for more info.

How do I manage my recurring donation? 

Please email donorsupport@gmgsf.org and we can help you further if you have questions or wish to cancel your donation.

What currencies do you accept donations in?

For online payments, you can pay in the currency of your choice and this will be converted into US dollars. For any other form of donation (e.g. international wire transfer) we currently only accept payment in US dollars.

Do you accept international donations?

For our non-US donors, we can accept donations via credit card, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay. There are limited options for bank transfers - please visit our donate page to see if your bank is listed.