Funraisin welcomes you to the metaverse and the future of digital giving
Howard Lake | 25 October 2021 | Sponsored posts
Sponsored post
Funraisin has partnered with virtual worldbuilders Virbela and the American Cancer Society to create a “metaverse fundraising event” to inspire nonprofits to think about virtual event fundraising.
On Thursday 28 October 5pm UK / 9am Pacific US, Funraisin and Virbella will be hosting The Future of Giving – an in-world conference in Virbela’s virtual Open Campus with an incredible roster of speakers from SickKids Foundation, American Cancer Society and Human Race.
The Future of Giving is a discussion around how the sector is evolving and why integrating new platforms will create integral new experiences. Through Virbela’s Open Campus the event will showcase three alternative forms of fundraising: An auditorium based panel discussion, a speakeasy experience featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff, and a scavenger hunt across the whole campus, including beaches, lighthouses, expo halls and more.
“We are rapidly defining a new world for our children, family, friends, neighbours and communities. We have key priorities to face and tackle from the environment, mental and physical healthcare, surging fuel demands/shortages, and travel restrictions. The world has never been so open from a technology perspective. With enhanced live-streaming, live digital experiences; we are connecting people in a world that is still so closed in a geographical demographic sense. Brands and organisations are embracing these ‘second life’ virtual consumer experiences, which could mean huge things for events, festivals, giving, learning and working. We’re looking at a new type of connection driven, emotive digital experience. So if you want to be part of a live experiment of how we can potentially evolve virtual events, join us on Thursday”.
Keith Williams, CMO/COO Funraisin
Register today and download Virbela from: futureofgiving.funraisin.co
What is the Metaverse?
Simply put, the metaverse is the next stage of consumer internet – an expansive network of 3D communal cyber spaces that can be experienced by an unlimited number of users from an individual perspective. By linking both augmented reality and virtual reality together the idea is that – through the medium of avatars – people will be able to be ‘present’ with others in digital spaces and push the boundaries of interactivity.
This new type of connected online world is more than just a tech fad – it’s the future of the internet as we know it. The tech giants of the world are all gearing towards Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality tools, and Facebook recently announced that the company will be undergoing a rebrand to reflect its focus on building the metaverse. Worldwide industry leaders are hailing this breakthrough as the next stage of digital innovation.
What does this mean for fundraising?
Creating an emotional reaction and personal connection with a cause that will encourage some to donate is one the biggest blockers for any charity campaign. Videos and pictures are useful of course, but people’s capacity to sift through and remember anything from the overwhelming amount of visual stimulation they experience everyday is becoming more difficult. Imagine having the ability to walk someone through a natural disaster zone or experience the world through the eyes of someone with degenerative sight loss. Would people be convinced to donate if they walked in the shoes of those in need, using the power of VR & AR?
The metaverse seeks to generate innovative co-experiences that allow social interaction, economic consumption and the transfer of knowledge without being physically present. Digital natives are becoming wise to the algorithmic predictability and transparent curation of their online experience. People want to feel a connection with their content – they want to live it, they want to feel it but above all they want to engage in something that is authentic and spontaneous.
About Funraisin
Funraisin provide world-class tools to create amazing supporter experiences, grow your supporter base, be confident in the security of their data and give charities unparalleled freedom to customize fundraising sites as they need – so nonprofits can grow their revenue and spend time tackling our world’s greatest challenges. Clients include: Pancreatic Cancer UK, Macmillan Cancer Support, Ashtma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership, SickKids Foundation, American Cancer Society, and Royal Bank of Canada and many more.
You can learn more about Funraisin here: https://www.funraisin.co/
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.