Giving Circles Network

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Got a Second Life?

• What is Second Life? (Definitions)

• GCN in Second Life (Our Virtual Office)

• Giving Circles in Second Life

• About Non Profit Commons in Second Life

• Press on Non Profits in Second Life

• U.S. Congressional Hearing on Second Life (April 1, 2008)

• Wave of the Future: Industry Projections

Are you on Second Life?  If so, you've made it into the digital age of virtual social networking!

Inside Second Life, you can:

• Find our Giving Circles Network (GCN) virtual office (picture featured below) there with resources and information, located in Non Profit Commons, which is a two-part area set up for non profits (aka non-governmental organizations or "NGOs") from around the world (we are in the second or NPC2 - Aloft).  See also the 2D internet Non Profit Commons Blog and Wiki for information on NPC without having to logon to Second Life. (If you want to explore the 3D NPC, you need to setup an account online). Our office is basically like a 3D website that you can explore inside (both levels).  We have Powerpoint presentations there, podcast links, notecards, URL links, our first published book inside Second Life about Giving Circles and much more.  However, it is also a place to meet others, talk, socialize, and exchange information live.  You can set up groups, promote causes, and hold events.  Our hope is that it can become a place where Giving Circles can engage in live networking, promote their causes, market their Circles, exchange information, fundraise, explore non profits and otherwise achieve impact not otherwise possible IRL (in real life) or at the minimum supplement IRL endeavors.
• Contact us through our office, and we'd be happy to help or meet with you "in world". "Leave a Message" by clicking the button next to the front door, and we'll be sure to get right back or IM Anika Pastorelli. 
• Explore, connect with, and learn about non profits their causes and issues from around the world:

    - See a list of non profit organizations that are..

  • 1) in Second Life as a whole
  • 2) Members of Non Profit Commons in NPC1 (Plush) and NPC2 (Aloft).

  - Listen to two Video Webcasts about Non Profits Commons and its residents:

  • blip.tv - Life4U weekly TV show "The Drax Files"(April 2008):  Non Profit Commons: the Second Coming of SL by Draxtor Despres.
  • SLCN.TV (Second Life CN on TV) That S'Life (April 24, 2008) Podcast about "Contact-a-Family", a U.K. based charitable organization.  The primary purpose of Contact-a-Family is to provide support and services to families with children who have some form of disability. Inside Second Life, there new office (located on Non Profit Commons Aloft), seeks to reach parents who are on Second Life so that they can access good information and get the additional support that they need.  Contact-a-Family receives 1.7 million visitors to their website per year at http://cafamily.org.uk

Tell us if you already have a Giving Circle setup inside SL, if you have a group engaged in shared giving there, or if you would like to find out how to do it.

What about Giving Circles in Second Life?  In pursuit of the answer to that question, GCN explored and set up an office at the Non Profit Commons (a "PG" island) where non profit organizations from around the real world are setting up their office "in world" (in Second Life) to network, learn, and engage in socially-oriented charitable activities and endeavors.  We have found numerous non profit organizations and groups engaged in philanthropy inside Second Life, many with the word "Circle" in their keyword search, but have found no groups to date that define themselves as a Giving Circle. There are, however, many Second Life "Groups" that engage in (or appear to engage in) shared giving. 

GCN has set up its own "Giving Circles Network" SL Group that is free to join if you do venture into Second Life and -- together with the virtual GCN office -- Giving Circles do now have a presence in Second Life.  GCN is continuing its research efforts there and will soon post a survey that anyone involved in SL can complete, so we can better identify who's there and what's happening in the area of shared giving and Giving Circles as well as charitable impact in SL and IRL (in real life).

If you haven't heard about Second Life, it is a "virtual world" which is not a game but simulated environment where people (via their avatars) can interact.  Here's a synopsis of What is Second Life: 

• Definition/Wikipedia: Second Life
• What is Second Life (Their Definition)

Press on Non Profits in Second Life:

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life® of Second Life® Saturday, July 19, 2008, which raised US $200,000 (which is up from the $117,000 in funds raised from the 2007 Relay for Life). 

The Metaverse Tribune Articles on Nonprofit Commons by Nazz Lane:

• Interview with Glitteractica Cookie on Nonprofits in Second Life, August 1, 2008.
• Nonprofits in the Metaverse, July 31, 2008.

FORA.tv:  Virtual Social Change: Nonprofit Commons in Second Life, Video and Transcript of the Netsquared Santa Clara, CA May 28th, 2008.

Marketer Makes a Difference Blog (May 28, 2008):  Get a (Second Life) by Karen Glover (about the May 28th Grand Opening of Non Profit Commons 2 (Aloft) community inside Second Life, featuring 44 non profits (including ours, Giving Circles Network, which is a member).    Read a another blog about the Mixed Reality Aloft Nonprofit Commons Launch at NetSquared Conference and see a clip of the Net Squared mixed reality portion of the event (Are we watching them or are they watching us?).  And the winners of the Netsquared.org’s Mash-up Challenge (a competition for the best use of web tools for social good):  Ushahidi.com, Knowmore.org, and SocialActions.org.  

Contribute (January 11, 2008): “Giving Circles: A new trend in philanthropy leverages the grass roots and small change into big influence” by Stacie Z. Berg.

OneWorld.net (April 3, 2008): “U.S. Congress Wades into Virtual Worlds” by Jeffrey Allen.  Non Profit Commons representatives participate in U.S. Congressional Hearing on Second Life.

U.S. Congressional Hearing on Second Life:  Online Virtual Worlds: Applications and Avatars in a User-Generated Medium Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, conducted Tuesday, April 1, 2008, 9:30 a.m. 2123 Rayburn House Office Building, simultaneously in real and Second Life.  Non Profit Commons participated in this event.   Also see the pictures from the virtual part of this hearing.

Listen/See also Second Life Video Webcasts (viewable in real life) listed above.

Wave of the Future: Industry Projections.  Gartner Says 80 Percent of Active Internet Users Will Have A "Second Life" in the Virtual World by the End of 2011”, Gartner Media Relations, 2007 Press Releases (May 2007).

There is also a recent article republished in NetWorld from Computerworld called "Have your avatar call my avatar: Doing business virtually by Mary K. Pratt , Computerworld, June 25, 2008."  This article notes that virtual worlds is a trend of the future and that businesses are already exploring and finding benefits in it.

It may or may not be the optimal social networking environment for everyone, as the world of virtual reality does bring its share of technical challenges, glitches and downsides, depending on your skills, preferences, and patience. 

However, if you are ready for the adventure, it does offer new and unique opportunities inside this age of virtual networking for promoting your organization and yes, even fundraising and giving inside SL and IRL.  As a result, it also offers new ways to network, leverage and impact.

Hope to see you in-world!

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Last modified: 04/13/09