I know that for a lot of us, Second Life is going to be about giving back, finding some way to have a lasting impact on the world. I've found some interesting resources to get you started if doing good is your road to happiness in your Second Life.
If you're considering good works as a career change, then 2NonProfits is working on linking "experienced" (meaning "older") business people with non-profit organizations. If you've had it with the for-profit world, there can be opportunity here for you. Or you can check out the Idealist's Non-Profit Career Fairs offered in locations around the country, including in my home city of Philadelphia. They also have a page of tips for non-profit job seekers and a searchable job and volunteer bank.
If your good works will be more of a hobby right now, then check out Care 2, a social networking site that lets you search for people and groups who support the same causes that you do. It's a way to meet new people who are as passionate as you are about making a difference. And the Idealist (same place with the job fairs above) has both a Volunteer Center and a Community Area.
You might also want to check out VolunteerMatch which . . . does what the name says. (I love when things are self-explanatory).
Let me know if you have other resources you want to recommend.
Michele
Michele and Jann:
Thanks for the mention. If your readers happen to be in New York City, and are interested in exploring work in the nonprofit sector, they can attend one of the introductory sessions we are hosting this fall. They run 90 minutes and are scheduled for 19 October, 30 November, and 13 December. See http://2nonprofits.org/introduction_to_nonprofits for more information and to register.
Posted by: Rob Johnston | October 06, 2006 at 08:40 AM