CMP_ShaungLynch

** Member Profile: ** ** ShaunG Lynch of SGL Philanthropic Services **



566 Rue de la Cigale St. Lazare, QC J7T 2B3 Canada
 * Real Name/SL Name: ** **Shaun G. Lynch, CFRE/ShaunG Lynch (yes, SL and RL name is the same)**
 * Organization: **[|SGL Philanthropic Services]

**Position:** President

**Is your work here in Second Life as an individual or are you representing a foundation?** I am here on my own.

**Brief Summary of your organization:** SGL Philanthropic Services is a fundraising and marketing consultancy that provides services to not-for-profit organizations from a base in St. Lazare, Québec, just west of Montréal, in Canada. Established in 2006, SGL Philanthropic Services is particularly focused on providing training and support in fundraising and marketing to smaller or emerging not-for-profits that lack the financial or human resources to develop effective fundraising and promotion programmes. In Second Life, I have been making myself available to provide advice and guidance to residents who may be looking to establish or refine their fundraising and promotion activities. I'm also planning to offer workshops on fundraising and not-for-profit marketing in Nonprofit Commons.

**How did you find out about NPC and why did you get involved?** I was involved with the SL Library 2.0 in its earliest stages in 2006, and TechSoup was among the first organizations on the original Info Island. Through my work with the Library I became aware of NPC, whch is a closer fit for my interests than the Library was. I made the move to NPC when the secod island (Aloft) came online.

**Some say the professional networking opportunities in SL have been extraordinary. Have you found this to be true? If so, what advice would you give someone for effective networking in SL?** I've found SL to be a great platform for connecting with people from all over the world. Through SL I've met and worked with individuals and organizations that I would never even have known about otherwise. My best advice (which I don't always follow) is to get out and meet people; don't wait for them to come to you. Social events provide particularly good opportunities to get to know who people are and what they do, and that can lead to more fully developed rlationships.

**Why do you think virtual worlds such as Second Life are valuable for nonprofits?** I think the jury is still out on this. As a promotional mechanism, SL is only effective if it is being used to reach out to other SL residents; I haven't seen evidence of people joining SL in order to connect with or participate in the work of a nonprofit organization. But I see a lot of simlilarities with the earliest days of the Worldwide Web, when early adopters were establishing fairly static websites that couldn't be accessed by most of the people to whom their messages were targeted. As it becomes easier for people to join SL, we are likely to see a considerable expansion of the work that can be done here. For the moment, I think the single greatest benefit of SL is the opportunity to interact in real time with many people from all over the world. The principal benefit of SL for nonprofits right now is the opportunity it affords people working for such organizations to rapidly gain access to one aother to share information and ideas.

**Do you think every nonprofit should have a presence within SL or is it only appropriate for particular types of organizations?** Certainly any organization can benefit from the networking opportunities.

**More than likely you are fairly new to SL. Since there is a learning curve, what advice would you give to make being in SL easier?** I've been in SL since April 2006, which makes me an extreme old-timer in SL years. My best advice to newcomers is to explore, explore, explore. Take chances, go to new places, try new things and, most importantly, talk to other people. Add people you like to your Friends list so you'll know when they are online and you can reconnect with them. It won't be long before you find yourself with a regular group of virtual friends, whih will make the SL experience much more pleasant and meaningful for you.

**Upcoming projects/events?**

**Current/On-going needs (RL or SL)?**

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