Project Description:
International team of avatars coordinating fundraisers, virtual sales, educational events, 3D immersive builds and crisis campaigning using Second Life, Google tools and existing hidden networks ready to mobilize as needed.  This "hidden network" came together to coordinate Haiti relief efforts, working with Linden Lab and other companies along with government and the Nonprofit Commons to create a cross-sector coalition for inworld aid efforts.  The common desire to be activated is spinning off in a dozen directions as a new type of viral virtual campaign emerges. Tagging, aggregation, cooperative meetings, polls, 3D creation tools, existing web sources and stories from the source have come together thanks to people from more than a dozen countries sharing their creations.  This campaign will kick off officially this Saturday January 30th and will continue through February as we host dozens of events, auctions and mobilizing sessions to connect groups doing great work around the world.

Project Goal:
Fundraising: aggregate goal in the tens of thousands for gifts sold through XStreetSL, inSL and through virtual events and donations.  AGGREGATION is the greatest challenge of this project as efforts take place worldwide; converting currency is our current work as totals come in from all over. Donations for our coordinated Virtual Haiti Relief campaign through February 28, 2010 will benefit Help for Haiti Now, a foundation sending 100% of donations to key organizations on the ground.  

What Tools Did You Use?:
- Blogs
- Facebook
- Flickr
- LinkedIn
- Twitter
- Other

What Happened?:
Avatars from around the world started talking through Skype, Second Life and in blogs about how to work together to help Haiti.  Many ideas emerged and a collective formed to create structure for a wide variety of experiences to grow.  Events are happening most every day with virtual creators selling prized works to benefit this campaign.  In one of our last events we spoke with Ham Rambler, a well-known avatar who flies aid in from the UK to the Dominican Republic and sends video interviews with other aid workers via YouTube.

In two weeks roughly $30K has been raised through individual efforts and this team expects to double that impact in the coming one month campaign across virtual worlds.  Many early events designated funds to Partners in Health, the Red Cross and grassroots organizations and a coordinated campaign across the grid through 2/28/2010 will fund Help for Haiti Now.  On the Aloft Nonprofit Commons I built a makeshift distribution center with maps from many sources to show the flow of aid and the international collaboration required on the ground to get things moving to those who need it.  This Help Haiti Hub is one of a handful of information centers now helping people find out more while networking and sharing their resources with new peers.  Many extraordinary people have come out of the woodwork to grow this endeavor together and this has brought many people together to work that had not previously met.

BTW, I am not one of the core leaders of this collaborative but have watched it emerge from embryonic through the catalyzing process. Avatars Rhiannon Chatnoir, JoJa Dhara, Katydid Something, Brena B and a slew of others have been putting time in to think about virtual education, fundraising and outreach in new ways, utilizing existing tools (the Relay for Life kiosk scripts, existing venues & events) to leverage wider support and virally grow a campaign.  Kiosks are releasing today across the Second Life grid and may be picked up for other virtual spaces through the website.


Lessons Learned:
Coalition-building requires clear roles and definition early on, which is hard when any one body (organization or individual) is being forceful.  It helps to map things out quickly in the first collaborative meetings, especially when international cooperation and multiple languages are needed to sort through complex endeavors.


URLs:

www.virtualhaitirelief.org

Evonne Heyning

Amoration