MacArthur Foundation Gives $550,000 for Exploring Virtual Worlds

Last week the MacArthur Foundation announced a $550,000 grant for the University of Southern California's Center on Public Diplomacy  to stage events in virtual worlds. In the first Second Life event, MacArthur President Jonathan Fanton spoke on the role of philanthropy in virtual worlds along with Linden Lab Founder Philip Rosedale. Rosedale told the New York Times that an advantage of fundraising in Second Life is that "You can start things very cheaply in Second Life, play with them and let them germinate, and then put more behind them if and when they take off."

The MacArthur Foundation, though, isn't limiting itself to Second Life, as the announcement discusses virtual worlds generally as well as There.com. The June 22nd event is being hailed as the first entrance of a major philanthropic foundation into the virtual world, but it's fair to note that in Second Life alone, more than 30 nonprofits have opened spaces in the Nonprofit Commons, a virtual business incubator operated by TechSoup.

Joey Seiler
www.VirtualWorldsNews.com
joey (at) showinitiative.com
(512) 535-8650
skype: joey.seiler.vwnews