‘A Really Fascinating, Kind of Insane Idea’

It’s already clear that the opportunities these virtual worlds hold for nonprofits are great. Organizations have held awareness and fundraising special events like walk-a-thons and auctions in Second Life; and Mensajeros de la Paz, a Spain-based nonprofit that creates homes for abandoned and foster children, uses a virtual homeless boy that sleeps in a cardboard box on Second Life city streets to get residents to visit the organization’s Web site, view its video on YouTube and donate money.