The Peace Train Charitable TrustBorn virtual, live virtual?

S. Mahaley, January, 2011

HISTORY

• How did I come up with this idea?

WHY VW over other tech or RL?

– Immersive quality, multimedia experience– Volunteers with a multitude of talents with no

travel– Create the space that evokes the physical spaces

that others experience

CHALLENGES

– Trust; within group and with externals for donations• Rapid and deep, but narrow (fragile)• Show up, care in communication, follow up outside of SL• Presence outside of SL; transparency with financials, EIN /

501c 3 status; PayPal account

– Communication; how it’s different, and emphasis on quality of communication• Can’t assume avatar appearance communicates anything in

particular; implicitly liberating• Some choose not to use voice, or to mask voice

– Aren’t we all just screen zombies?? (risk of too much virtual, not enough ‘real’)

STRATEGY

– Think of Don Hambrick’s Diamond; http://www.provenmodels.com/598• Arenas – educational community, music and arts community,

technologies• Vehicles – volunteerism, swift and complementary partnerships,

multi-channel technologies, legitimacy, local RL groups• Staging and Pacing – per volunteer commitment, driven by

events, mapped to external calendars (e.g. academic)• Differentiators – legitimacy, VW / RL connection, small non-

profits, 100% pass through• Economic Logic – none whatsoever!? Help!

– Current strategy being formed at– http://peacetrain.pbworks.com/w/page/34254928/Strateg

y-2011

MARKETING• Inside SL

– Group: 90 + members, related groups– Secondlife.com website for event announcements

• Outside SL– Blog for events; http://slpeacefest.wordpress.com– CNN iReports– List servs (e.g. SLED)– Charity website; http://slpeacetrain.org – University groups / articles

• Target:– 20 – 70 yr olds– Want to feel a more direct connection to causes and have more impact

FINANCIALS and LEGAL

– Somewhere from US $4000 - $5000 / year in donations.

– Transparency (use wiki)– Challenge – bank transfers– Legal: 501 c 3 status / subject to audit

IMPACTEdith Benson Babies Home – Durban, SAShelterBox USA – HaitiUthango Social Investments, Cape Town, SAASERELA, Southern SudanSafePassage, GuatemalaPeace Direct, ColombiaSelf-Employed Women’s Association, Mumbai, INICCHRA, Ghana

8-10K visitors over 4 day event

PLANNING, ORGANIZATION and DELIVERY

– Skills required: Patience, Clear Communication, Process for meetings

– Multiple technologies: Phone, Skype, Wiki, Web conference, Google Docs, SL, Google calendar

– Delivery: Tight communication, multiple channels, tools within SL (givers, subscribe-o-matic, group IMs and notices, Shoutcast / Nicecast, Justice League, stream control, Skype, Wordpress, iTunes)

ENTREPRENEURIAL PROFILE

• Think big, and laterally• Believe in the cause• Accept (some) failure• Be persistent• Let go, ego : ) – lots of empathy• Technology do-it-yourself

THE FUTURE

• Smart technology platform selection / migration

• Blending more RL and VW experiences• Strategic partnerships for mutual benefit• Publishing and exposure