Real Philanthropy in a virtual world

2:50-3:45

[Jeska Dzwiggalski/ Randall Moss], Presenters

[Susan Tenby], Notetaker

 
Key issues, changes and trends

·        community is moving online

*Future is online

*More of our activity is web-based, mail is obsolete

*philanthrophy should follow suit

Must engage community slowly, research constituents that you want ot engage

They found volunteers that were existing supporters in cancer community and in SL community

He made the community their own

Cocsts= time, commitment, user-driven activity, connect with the residents, need to maintain the relationship

Redefine the volunteer

Be careful not to alienate the volunteers/ this is cutting edge. Not a common tech disruptive technology

  Successful tools and techniques·       

real commerce*SecondLife
 
 
Keys to success

·        anything is possible, limited to imagination

·          Virtual community has rules, scial structure, take time to understand the community that you want to engage

·          Treat it like the real world

·          Find supoporters and sponsors within the structure (my example, why SL)

·          20 hours walkathon

·          $5369 raised total

·          $4362 raised in world

·          452 unique donors, with credit card donation form

·          Pop of 160k at the time

·          Made a www.cancer.org/slrfl web page that was a donation pg for people not in sl

·          Cost of event - $0.00/ all volunteers

·          Long term sustainability= core group of volunteers, build a volunteer base, provide an engagn experience and keep connected with the volunteer base

·          Must spend time in SL, hanging out wth the people

CHALLENGES:

*CRM system synchronization (how to log the donations, with SL avatar name?)

*How to receipt someone for a virtual donation

*How to explain the virtual donations to the IRS

*currency conversion

*They tanked the market by 3.5% b/c they sold it all at once and they caused deflation, so they devalued their currency in one afternoon

*Seth: how many hours have you spent doing this?  A couple hours a week (Randall Moss)

 
 
Examples, websites cited:

·        mardi gras float parade

In world camp Darfur, to build awareness

Friends of the urban forest, tree that needs to be watered.  They sold 75 trees at $15.00 each, exp of an NPO building comm. and outeach

American Cancer society realy for life  (been engaged for last 2 years) fundraiser raised 2k, they were participating as observers waiting for philanthropy to happen

 
ACTIONS: Join the TechSoup group on SecondLife

Just go to <www.secondlife.com> to register and download the application.

When you have it up and running, you can go to "Find," click on "Places," and type in "TechSoup."  This will take you to the virtual TechSoup office.

To join the group, go to the tabbed find menu and go to Groups and Find TechSoup.org.  Then you can join this group.

Be sure to grab a free virtual TechSoup t-shirt when you are there!