I was recently interviewed by Beth Kanter about how nonprofits can use social media as part of their social marketing strategies. As part of the interview, we got together in Second Life to “meet in person.” That’s me on the right, though I’ve since changed my hair.
I found out that Beth is involved with a group called TechSoup that is compiling a directory of nonprofits that have a presence in Second Life. This includes organizations like the Friends of the Urban Forest, Global Kids, Live2Give and others.
The American Cancer Society is another nonprofit making good use of Second Life with their upcoming Relay for Life on July 22-23. According to Wagner James Au, who reports on interesting trends and events in SL, they have already raised the equivalent of $11,000 in pledges with a month to go. This is the second year they are doing this event, and it promises to be a fun one, with entertainment, activities, contests, and more in addition to the walk-a-thon itself.
If you are not yet on Second Life, I urge you to get your free account and check out what I think will be the future of online interfaces. If you are already on Second Life, let me know and we can get together (my SL name is Sheva Weeks).
UPDATE: If you are new to SL and would like to learn some of the basics to help you get around more easily, Beth has just announced that she will be offering a newbie mentoring session on July 14th at 2:00 pm Eastern time. You’ll then be ready to attend TechSoup’s next event on July 18th at 6:00 pm Pacific time (simultaneously in San Francisco and SL) and learn more about how nonprofits can use Second Life to further their missions.
Nedra helps nonprofits and public agencies create positive change on health and social issues through social marketing and transmedia storytelling strategies at Weinreich Communications since founding the company in 1995. She helps organizations make a difference for the populations they serve by strategically designing programs that draw on state-of-the-art behavior change techniques, digital media approaches and the power of stories. 
