Ars Technica's Charity Drive: Win Big with a Little Help from Your Friends
This holiday season, Ars Technica is once again throwing its hat into the ring to support two worthy causes: Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Every year since 2007, we've been running this charity drive, encouraging readers to give back while also offering some amazing prizes for those who do.
This year's swag pile is loaded with high-value geek goodies, including gaming hardware, collectibles, apparel, and more. Don't believe us? Take a look at the list of prizes below:
- ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet/Laptop
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold + Case
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Collector's Edition (PC)
- Analogue 3D Retro Gaming Hardware
- Analogue Duo Retro Gaming Hardware
These prizes are worth nearly $5,000 in total. Last year, our readers helped us raise nearly $40,000 for charity, contributing to a grand total of more than $542,000 since the drive started back in 2007.
How it Works
Donating is easy. Simply visit either the Penny Arcade's Child’s Play campaign page or the EFF's donation page and make your contribution. You can also use PayPal, credit card, or cryptocurrency for your donations. And don't worry - you won’t be locked into making a larger donation if you're feeling uncomfortable.
Once that's done, it's time to register your entry in our sweepstakes. Just grab a digital copy of your receipt (a forwarded email, a screenshot, or simply a copy-and-paste of the text) and send it to [email protected] with your name, postal address, daytime telephone number, and email address by 11:59 pm ET Friday, January 2, 2026. Don't worry - US residents only need apply.
Rules for winning include:
- No purchase necessary
- One entry per person, and each person can win up to one prize
By entering this sweepstakes, you're not just contributing to a great cause; you also have the chance to take home some awesome prizes.
When will we announce the winners? We'll be in touch with our lucky winners by January 31st, 2026.
This holiday season, Ars Technica is once again throwing its hat into the ring to support two worthy causes: Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Every year since 2007, we've been running this charity drive, encouraging readers to give back while also offering some amazing prizes for those who do.
This year's swag pile is loaded with high-value geek goodies, including gaming hardware, collectibles, apparel, and more. Don't believe us? Take a look at the list of prizes below:
- ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet/Laptop
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold + Case
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Collector's Edition (PC)
- Analogue 3D Retro Gaming Hardware
- Analogue Duo Retro Gaming Hardware
These prizes are worth nearly $5,000 in total. Last year, our readers helped us raise nearly $40,000 for charity, contributing to a grand total of more than $542,000 since the drive started back in 2007.
How it Works
Donating is easy. Simply visit either the Penny Arcade's Child’s Play campaign page or the EFF's donation page and make your contribution. You can also use PayPal, credit card, or cryptocurrency for your donations. And don't worry - you won’t be locked into making a larger donation if you're feeling uncomfortable.
Once that's done, it's time to register your entry in our sweepstakes. Just grab a digital copy of your receipt (a forwarded email, a screenshot, or simply a copy-and-paste of the text) and send it to [email protected] with your name, postal address, daytime telephone number, and email address by 11:59 pm ET Friday, January 2, 2026. Don't worry - US residents only need apply.
Rules for winning include:
- No purchase necessary
- One entry per person, and each person can win up to one prize
By entering this sweepstakes, you're not just contributing to a great cause; you also have the chance to take home some awesome prizes.
When will we announce the winners? We'll be in touch with our lucky winners by January 31st, 2026.
Anyway, if you're a gamer or just love swag, this might be the perfect holiday season present for yourself. The prizes are pretty sweet, but like, who doesn't already have enough gaming gear? I mean, if you're feeling generous and want to contribute to a good cause, more power to you! Just don't expect me to give up my Netflix subscription 
... i guess it's nice that they're supporting those causes... I mean, Penny Arcade's Child's Play and EFF, right? 
But, umm... why do they need prizes worth like $5000 for a contest? Can't they just give the money to the charities or something? 
And what's with the rules for winning? "No purchase necessary" but you have to send in your receipt? That sounds kinda weird 
... I mean, I guess it's good that US residents can enter, but what about people who aren't from there? 
those prizes are insane!!! $5k worth of gaming goodies and collectibles?! And they're helping out two amazing charities too 
interesting how a little bit of generosity can go a long way... maybe it's the perfect time for everyone to get their game on and do some good at the same time! 
. im all about supporting great causes and i love that they're including some sick gaming prizes too 
. $5k in swag is a pretty awesome incentive to donate, but honestly the real prize is knowing we're helping out two amazing orgs: Child's Play and EFF 
. let's all do our part and support these incredible causes! 
! $5k worth of gaming goodies is pretty cool, but what's even cooler is knowing that most of it will go to good causes 
. don't worry about making a big donation if you're feeling skint, even a little bit counts 
. i'm def entering, hope i win something sweet 
! I love that Ars Technica is giving back to these amazing causes - Penny Arcade's Child's Play and EFF are doing such important work 
The ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet/Laptop and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold + Case sound AMAZING 
like i burnt the skin on the whole thing and it was all dry... anyway back to this charity drive yeah so its cool that ars technica is doing this but idk if anyone else has ever tried to send gifts to someone who lives in another country for christmas 
... I mean, I love a good charity drive as much as the next person, but come on, guys! We should be doing more than just giving out swag to our favorite geeky friends. What about actual support for these charities? Like, real change-making stuff? 
this is literally the best charity drive EVER! $542k raised so far and it's not even over yet 
️! it's so cool that Ars Technica is giving back to these awesome causes 
like Penny Arcade's Child's Play and EFF 
i mean, it's like getting a piece of gaming history! 
anywayz, pls do consider donating and entering the sweepstakes 
it'd make me super happy 
. penny arcade's child's play is literally saving kids' lives through gaming consoles and stuff, and the eff is fighting for digital rights lol. it's not too much to ask, right?
. but i still think we can do better. like, imagine if everyone gave just a lil bit 
.