Blogs, wikis, and podcasts are just a few of the burgeoning tools nonprofits use to connect, engage constituents, and collaborate. All have revolutionized the way people interact online, but a new 3-D, virtual world called Second Life is taking things one step further.

Linden Lab's Second Life is an immersive online world where nearly 850,000 (and growing) residents - also called "avatars" - can purchase their own property on land allotments, interact with other avatars, build anything imaginable, and buy and sell products and services. But unlike reality, Second Life avatars can also fly, make copies of certain products (say, a t-shirt) without any new materials, or take on completely different form - a fox, a space alien, or a hybrid of the two. The options are limited only by your imagination.

Nonprofits are just beginning to use Second Life to promote their causes, network with one another, and creatively further their missions - paving the way for other organizations to do the same.

Three such nonprofit trailblazers are Dave Pentecost (also known as avatar "Usu Ventura"), Barry Joseph ("Globalkids Bixby"), and Evonne Heyning ("In Kenzo"), all of whom work with children's organizations in Second Life. These nonprofit professionals have all used basic technological know-how and some imagination to raise funds, generate awareness, and increase participation in their causes through Second Life.

We caught up with Pentecost, Joseph, and Heyning to find out how they created a presence in Second Life, what advice they would offer other organizations, and how this new virtual world has benefited their causes.

[All three interviews can be found in the related articles below].

Nonprofit organizations are beginning to explore the possibilities of a presence and offering programs in Second Life. With a few adventurous having organizations led the way, it is becoming easier for you to learn about Second Life and evaluate whether or not this virtual world is an appropriate tool for your organization. All you need is a very basic level of technical aptitude, an Internet connection, some basic equipment, and an imagination.

To learn more about Second Life and find out if it is right for your organization, join other nonprofits at one of TechSoup's weekly in-world meetings. (For more information on how to use Second Life and get involved, visit our Second Life FAQ.)

Copyright: CompuMentor 

Source: http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/internet/page5902.cfm?cg=searchterms&sg=second%20life