Virtual realities might soon be a place to raise real money.

By Melissa Busch

Tenby, also known as her Second Life avatar Glitteractica Cookie, says SL can be an extremely valuable tool for nonprofits in terms of collaboration and learning.

Launched by the San Francisco-based software company Linden Lab, SL is a place where nonprofits can raise awareness and dollars and reach new audiences while having a good time. There are more than 10 million members and 55,000 concurrent users online in SL at any given time, Tenby says, adding that about 400 nonprofit organizations are registered there.