The Power of Coalitions :

Sep 1

1 min read

Introducing the Alliance for Refugees

By Mark Young

President, Rational Games Foundation September 1, 2026

Dear Friends,

Please allow me to share a little of the strategic thinking going on at the Rational Games Foundation.

To borrow from Simon Sinek, we need to have:

A What: Teaching play-based negotiation in order to fund nonprofit game projects

A How: Through the creative use of games and play

But we struggled with the Why. Who are we doing all this for? What is the urgent problem that drives us to action?

Our answer: the plight of refugees. This is a growing problem also in Germany, affecting millions of lives. As the political wind here blows colder, it is likely to get worse. Can we help make a difference?

We think we can. To follow the traditional precepts of philanthropy:

Problem Identification. How to raise money for refugee support and coordinate the inefficient and fragmented delivery of services to them? These people need money, but also employment, capacity building and mentoring. A very big job indeed.

Activities. We are great believers in the power of coalitions, especially with complementary competencies. Our Alliance for Refugees (AFG) aims to bring six very different service organizations together in an effort to introduce pool funding, reduce bureaucracy and standardize grant requirement and due diligence.

Impact Measurement. Always a challenge for donor organizations, but the AFR structure allows for easy comparison. How many people are reached and what are the results? What is the lead time on grant approvals and disbursements?

Lots of work to do. Wish us luck!

Comments welcome!