Fundraising tournaments

Many of our tournament directors are involved in fundraising efforts for their favorite charities. While most fundraising tournaments are unrated events designed to appeal to non-competitive donor players; some are sanctioned, rated events on our tournament calendar.

Sanctioned fundraisers

If a sanctioned tournament is a fundraiser, the beneficiary of the event must be approved by the Tournament Committee. The Committee will not unreasonably withhold its approval, and will primarily consider in its decision any possible harm that might come to NASPA, Hasbro or the SCRABBLE brand through its association with the proposed charitable cause.

Funds donated through NASPA

If a fund-raiser is approved as a sanctioned tournament, the tournament organizer may apply to the Executive Committee for some portion of the event’s participation fees to be donated by NASPA to the charitable cause. Such applications will be accepted only when the cause is a charitable organization: a 501(c)(3) in the United States, or registered as such with the CRA in Canada.

Applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine the proportion of participation fees that will be passed on to the charity. Preference will be given to charities whose missions are closely aligned with ours, and to those who have not recently received donations from NASPA.

For the director, the NASPA event will run as normal. NASPA will still collect its normal participation fees, then make its agreed upon donation directly to the approved charity.

List of fundraising tournaments

To add your event to this list, please contact us.

Michael Wise Memorial Scrabble Tournament (Toronto, ON, CAN)

Annual rated event held in support of the Michael Wise Memorial Fund at Princess Margaret Hospital. Local directors organize the event.

Northampton NASPA Club #667 Charity SCRABBLE Event (Northampton, MA)

Annual unrated event held to support local charities.

PBMT (Pediatric Bone and Marrow Transplantation) SCRABBLE Tournament (Durham, NC)

Annual rated event held in support of families in the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. The 2020 event raised over $10,000 to support the program.

Scrabble Corporate Challenge (Toronto, ON, CAN)

Annual unrated event held in support of Frontier College, a “national charitable literacy organization”. Local club members volunteer to help run the event.

Scrabble for Literacy (Danville, IL)

Annual rated event held in support of Literacy Volunteers of Illinois, “a statewide organization committed to developing and supporting volunteer literacy programs that help families, adults and out-of-school teens increase their literary skill.” Tournament directed by Marty Gabriel.

Scrabble With The Stars (Toronto, ON, CAN)

Annual unrated event held in support of the PAL Canada Foundation, which “works to alleviate the consequences of poverty, isolation and housing challenges among senior and disadvantaged members of Canada's professional artists’ community.”. Local club members volunteer to help run the event.

(un)Scrabble Challenge (Long Island, NY)

Annual unrated event held in support of Literacy Nassau, “a Long Island-based not-for profit organization that makes literacy services accessible to disadvantaged populations of all ages by providing donation-based language-building programs”.