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4 Perks In Using VR And AR For Nonprofit Fundraising
by Christina Lee
Nonprofit organizations are often looking for new and improved ways to make fundraising more effective. In fact, times have changed since the usual handouts and the “bell-and-bucket” tactics.
Nowadays, technology is being used in fundraising efforts. While websites, mobile apps, et cetera are just as effective as ever before, why not spice things up with more advanced technology? That’s where VR and AR come in.
You heard right…these technologies, often associated with video games and entertainment, can be used when running a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations. Here are four standout benefits of doing so.
1. Transmiting Transparency
Nowadays, people want more relevancy in whatever they see and do. This is where transparency comes in. When a nonprofit isn’t transparent about their cause, how can donors know that their contributions are being put to good use?
The good news is that VR and AR have made transparency easier to come by. How? By helping inform people (including donors) about the latest news and events in real-time. This is especially true for AR apps, since they now have the capability to notify users on the most current data, no matter where they are.
2. Amplifying Awareness
Next, when people know about your cause, they might want to do something about it. VR and AR help bring your cause into the foreground by showing users the problem and the possible solution(s).
Rather than just telling prospective donors about your cause, you can show them in either a virtual world (VR), or in the real world with virtual aspects overlaying (AR). This helps to not only raise awareness to the cause, but also have a better understanding of the problem that your organization is trying to resolve.
3. Evoking Empathy
People want to sympathize with a cause. However, if you just tell them about your cause without showing it, then people might not be fully invested in helping you.
With VR and AR, you can literally take people into the cause. By either showing the cause as a virtual setting, or by overlaying the virtual aspects of it in their real world (on their mobile devices), people can step into the shoes of others that might be suffering from the problem at hand. With empathy, people are more likely to donate.
4. Producing Positivity
Finally, why be totally serious with a cause when you can bring positivity into your fundraising efforts?
Depending on the cause, you can incorporate fun stuff using VR and AR. You can even make campaigns into interactive educational games that users can play in order to better understand a problem. Being creative is at the forefront of VR and AR, as people not only get to experience a cause, but also have people interact with it — despite the virtual and augmented barrier. In short, people can get a better idea of how to contribute to a given cause and, perhaps, donate.
Conclusion
As you can see, VR and AR are for more than just entertainment. In fact, they’re already being used for nonprofit fundraising. So, if you need a boost in your fundraising efforts, look to these empathy-evoking technologies. People will not only see you as relevant, but might show it with their wallets.
Christina Lee is a writer and editor at Academic writing service and PhD Writers. She is also a contributing writer for Oxessays.
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