Contribute’s Janet Rae-Dupree had a great story yesterday morning detailing the philanthropic endeavors of Second Life avatars, an important topic in the virtual and real worlds. Anyone familiar with the success of the virtual world (both from an advertising and public relations perspectives) knows that Second Life is a unique way to target an audience. Today, this audience of 9 million users is beginning to look toward the land of Linden Labs for greater meaning. “When it comes to matters of the heart, it turns out that Second Life isn’t that much different from first life,” writes Rae-Dupree. Care and thoughtfulness seem to have a profound effect on avatars, with a range of charities and activists supporting “pixelanthropy.” 32 non-profit organizations have already set-up shop on a virtual office park dubbed “Nonprofit Commons.” Rae-Dupree also points to an island where real world donors can contribute to the action. “It’s pretty empty, for now – mostly just a smattering of technology-prone activists (including real-life philanthropists Bill Gates and AOL founder Steve Case) waiting for the party,” explains the author.

So, what does this mean for visitors to Second Life, the business community or agencies? Potentially a lot.

As we see an explosion of networks that connect people from all walks of real and virtual life, Second Life and other emerging virtual worlds will become an environment of great discourse and thinking, inexplicably uniting individuals on the basis of shared intent, interests and ideas. More and more people are beginning to understand the power of community and collaboration in ways they hadn’t before. Social networks, microblogging services and virtual worlds provide a new medium for social activism. “This isn’t just some fad or something new and interesting that we’ve grabbed onto,” says Jonathan Fanton, president of the MacArthur Foundation (truly an awesome organization), Serious conversations take place in Second Life. People are deeply engaged…

My firm works with many non-profit and association clients, many of who are always looking for the next shiny toy. As interesting as this development is, and regardless of what the opportunity may hold, proceeding with caution is important. The Second Life user base is significant, but the amount of traffic at any one time is significantly less. Efforts need to be considered against a risk analysis, ROI, and the true ability to meet philanthropic goals. That said, any time there is a new tool in the toolbox it is good news for companies and consumers alike.

Thanks David for your work on this post.