Golden Gate Gamemakers achieves non-profit status!

For the better part of the last decade, a large number of community leaders have been running events for board game and tabletop designers in locations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Mostly these events focus on playtesting games, as well as information sharing and building a sense of community.

In 2023 John Velgus and John Brieger (Brieger Creative) led an initiative to bring together over a dozen of these community leaders to form one group, The Golden Gate Gamemakers. Founded on the principle that we are stronger when we work together, we have achieved so much in the past two years. Attendance for regular events has skyrocketed, we have onboarded new organizers and now have events on almost every single day of the month. We have even expanded our reach to places as far flung as Petaluma and Santa Cruz - to the point where we must regularly debate what counts as the Bay Area. This March, Games Market West had over 380 attendees in San Jose, and that is not including game designers or special guests. It was the single largest one day event this community has ever run outside of a convention.

Now the Golden Gate Gamemakers have taken the next step, and have finalized the paperwork to form a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

Our founding Board of Directors are as follows:

• President, John Velgus (He/Him)
• Treasurer & Finance Director, Ronald Melencio (He/Him)
• Outreach & Partnerships Director, Glenn Cotter (He/Him)
• Director of Marketing and Community, Eliot Miller (He/They)
• Technology Director, John Brieger (He/Him)
• Game Market West Director, Johnny Chin (He/Him)

It is our hope that we do our best to serve this community, and expand upon what the Golden Gate Gamemakers can do, while laying a firm foundation for Directors to come.

Why are we doing this now?

It had always been our intention to become a non-profit when we first discussed forming the Golden Gate Gamemakers and so this is us completing the vision we had when we started this journey. One of the biggest benefits this provides is the ability to receive donations and sponsorships that have already been offered to us, which will allow us to run bigger and better events in the Bay Area.

Will there be membership fees?

We have no plans or intentions for a membership fee at this time.

Will there be elections for the Board of Directors?

The founding Board of Directors will all serve a 12 month term. The format of elections will be determined before our collective term is up. The end of this 12 month term will coincide with when the Golden Gate Gamemakers legally became a 501(3)(c) non-profit, which was prior to this announcement.

How do I become an event organizer?

If you wish to have your event listed on our calendar and use our branding at your events, send an email to: contact@goldengategamemakers.com. After agreeing to our Code of Conduct and a brief onboarding, you will be able to list your events with us. You can also volunteer to help support events!

Can I donate to the Golden Gate Gamemakers?

Yes! Visit our Donate Page for how you can donate!