• http://slurl.com/secondlife/Plush%20Nonprofit%20Commons/133/232/76
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/aloft%20nonprofit%20commons/100/68/25
• http://slurl.com/secondlife/ECO%20Commons/26/34/2 (build in progress)
• http://www.nonprofitcommons.org
• http://npsl.wikispaces.com
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/npsl
• http://www.slideshare.net/tag/npsl

It is often said that the nonprofit sector runs several years behind the ever-evolving technology curve. But through the Nonprofit Commons (NPC), many nonprofits have vaulted ahead. This interactive digital community increases the real-world impact of nonprofits by building on the potential of Second Life to develop ideas and foster connections.

A Learning Community for Nonprofits

The NPC builds community and provides services for a wide range of nonprofit organizations in SL, residents and non-residents alike. Comprised of three sims, it provides free virtual office space for up to 100 nonprofits, allowing them to create their own presence in SL and lowering the barriers to entry for organizations that operate on limited budgets.

However, the NPC provides a supportive learning environment that helps any nonprofit use SL to enhance their organizational capacity. Weekly in-world meetings and networking events help organizations augment their existing communications efforts; create virtual action and awareness campaigns; and build their real-world volunteer base. Recent meeting topics include:

* how to import video into your organization’s SL office space

* fundraising lessons from the American Cancer Society’s SL Relay for Life

* using virtual worlds for people with disabilities

In 2009, we will be expanding our services to further enhance the ability of nonprofits to benefit from opportunities in the virtual sphere. Planned activities include:

* the launch, in partnership with OneWorld.net, of Eco-Commons, our new sim for environmental organizations

* participation in the Community Gateway project to help orient new nonprofit users to SL

* the creation of a database-driven, Web-based directory of organizations in SL that will facilitate volunteer matching in the real world

We are also collaborating with one of our member organizations, Giving Circles Network, on a report measuring the impact of Second Life activities on nonprofits’ real world causes. We have already received ample evidence that our work provides the key to help nonprofits unlock SL’s potential in support of their communities, missions, and their visions:

“Second Life has given America's Second Harvest the opportunity to increase the awareness of the organization and hunger in America…The Nonprofit Commons provides a community to discover how to utilize the virtual world to forward our individual organization's missions.”

--Dan Michel, America’s Second Harvest (10/12/07)

“SL contacts have resulted in RW (real world) donations of surplus equipment from individuals, which along with corporate donations, totaled almost a semi truck load of monitors and computers. We are working with SHAREwi.org in Wisconsin to technology equip and train folks at more than 200 food distribution sites throughout Wisconsin.”

-- John Grozik, Digital Campfires Foundation Inc.

“While CRY (Child Rights and You) is a household name for people in India and of Indian origin, NPC gave us a platform to showcase the cause and raise awareness about child rights to a global audience.”

--KosmiK Guru, Child Rights and You

Project History

The NPC was developed by TechSoup Global, a recognized leader in bringing technological empowerment and philanthropy to social benefit organizations across the world. In 2006, Susan Tenby, TechSoup Global’s Senior Manager of Community Development, noticed the lack of an organized nonprofit presence in SL and launched a TechSoup Global group inworld. The NPC now averages 2,365 unique monthly visitors from 71 countries, making it a global destination for nonprofit organizations that want to explore the use of a virtual environment to increase their real-world impact.

The NPC has garnered widespread attention. In April 2008, Susan testified alongside Philip Rosedale before the U.S. Congress on the use of SL by nonprofits. The NPC has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Chronicle of Philanthropy, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. Press highlights are available here.