Validation- Nonprofits in SL #impact #report #realworld #purpose #importance #worthwhile #congressionaltestimony #causes #cause

Purpose & Rationale for Non Profits in Second Life

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New! Nonprofits in Second Life: Promoting Causes Inside Second Life for Real World Impact

A one page informational summary of the Nonprofit Commons: NPC 1-pager final 06.10.pdf

external image pdf.png Non Profits and Second Life Report 1008.pdf (October 2008 Report)


Read the above report to get up-to-date information on the benefits and impact of nonprofits in Second Life as well as the challenges and opportunities for nonprofits in this new virtual medium. The report was written by Sandra Bettger (Anika Pastorelli), Executive Director of the Giving Circles Network, Member/Resident of Nonprofit Commons. Special thanks go to the twelve (12) NPC nonprofits that participated in the interviews*, which formed the basis of this study, to the reviewers (Susan Tenby, Megan Keane, Dick Dillon of Preferred Family Healthcare and Brad Lewis of Great Strides), and volunteers who provided additional technical insight and feedback (Ronnie Rhode, Skeeboo Tammas, Parhelion Palou, and Mercedes Ochs).

* Bridges for Women, Community Voicemail, Contact a Family, Giving Circles Network, Great Strides, Kiva.org, Ophoenix, Preferred Family Healthcare, Project Jason & Garden for the Missing, Sustainable Harvest International, Uptown Shelter, and Virtual Ability, Inc.

Below are links to:


About the importance of our purpose in Second Life:
As representatives of nonprofit organizations in Second Life, we often get asked to justify the expense and time spent building and maintaining a presence in a virtual world. Sometimes we just KNOW it's a good idea to be here, but we need to articulate why it is worthwhile and demonstrate to our donors and the public who need more explanation what kind of results or impact that we are having both inside SL and from SL in the real world (IRL). This page is a collection of our best reasons and support for building a virtual world presence in general, and Second Life in particular. Along with the report and congressional testimony above, everyone is invited to share their stories, ideas, thoughts, etc. or to ask questions and get feedback.

Also, we welcome you to participate in ongoing research about the impact of Non Profits (in NPC and elsewhere in SL) and of SL Groups and shared givers via 1) **//**survey**//** and/or direct interview. Email GCN or IM: Anika Pastorelli.

Please jump right in.....why do YOU think it's a good idea for a nonprofit organization to have a presence in Second Life/Virtual Worlds? Why are you here?

Purpose or Goals: Why Are You In SL?


Benefits


Results or Impact Achieved: Examples (Note qualitative, quantitative and/or anecdoctal impact)


1. Fundraising



2. Non Profit Event Results


4. Promoting Causes

Many Non Profits are finding success promoting their causes, connecting with and serving beneficiaries, and creating community for education and other purposes inside Second Life. Here is but one example with Project Jason:


Project Jason Announces Presence in Virtual World « on: May 27, 2008, 08:57:27 PM »

5. Other Impact/Results


General Feedback on Positive Experience


Future Events that Seek Impact and/or Fundraise (Add info on your event here!):


Resources:

Non Profits and Second Life Report, Oct. 2008, Prepared by Sandra Bettger Non Profits and Second Life Report 1008.pdf

The American Cancers Society continues to innovate in Second Life, by Zeina Zehetbauer, November 07, 2007

Best Practices for Non-profits in Second Life, Fall 2007, Prepared by Rik Panganiban. The second in Global Kids series on Virtual Worlds, Fall 2007, Supported by the John D. and Catherin T. MacArthur Foundation.

Study on the User Acceptance of Virtual Worlds , in Second Life Research, June 4, 2007.

Discussions

support

Unfocused stare into space

support 23 August 2007 20:07:41

In my organization, I'm still working on the case for a virtual world presence. For the most part, since I am spending my own free time to establish our NPC office and do in-world networking, my fellow board members tolerate it, with a blank stare into space and some hmmms and ooohhs. No interest, no understanding. One is 'afraid' of Second Life?!

How do I turn these people around - or do I just keep on keeping on, and figure they'll get it one day?

support

Honestly... no idea

support 24 August 2007 20:08:13

It seems like it has some "huge" potential, but it's so clunky, and with hardly any real traffic time is much better spent trying to figure out facebook, myspace and other, more accessible platforms. That said, the depth of experience a well done SL sim would be is hard to beat. The way Sundance channel uses it, and my short experience in testing Virtual Laguna Beach proved to me that the tangible experiential potential is huge.

We've thought of using it for internal meetings, but the tech requirements (and bandwidth), combined with a touch of fear/uncertainty has made it a non-starter so far for us.

We'll continue to experiment.

I don't however get the same feeling I did way back in '94/95 about the web in general - this is more of an extension or evolution to the Internet platform while that seemed to me to be a radical, revolutionary turning point (ie - one day there was no Internet, and the next there was)