There are multiple ways non-profit organizations can get creative while using VR or AR technologies. They can choose to focus on projects and campaigns that transform the experiences of their partners and sponsors, volunteers or even staff members in dynamic and vivid ones. Either we speak of Virtual Reality, where the user is immersed within a specific virtual environment or of Augmented Reality, where the virtual aspects are overlayed onto real-world places, these technologies can be part of multiple projects that can improve the activities of non-profit organizations and make them reach their goals with an innovative touch.

Making the story real

One of the most used strategies by the non-profit organizations that implies VR technologies is visual storytelling. By making the story real and providing the chance to see and realize the actual situation that usually gives the purpose the organization is fighting for within a project, the partners, sponsors or volunteers can become more aware of its gravity and their efforts and support can considerably grow.

VR is, therefore, helping the members of the organization to make their story real and to pack it in a way that is going to reach the audience and the larger public easier, in order to produce the desired impact.

Educating through technology

VR technologies are already used in various industries to optimise the teaching processes given to the employees, while introducing interactivity and openness for digitalization within the companies. Therefore, non-profit organizations can follow them and use VR within their learning activities, to teach their members and volunteer multiple things, so they can develop easier practical skills. As examples, VR can be used in simulations, such as medical emergencies and first courses or some other simulations that prepare people to deal with accidents or other types of crises.

The individuals can participate in solving these scenarios by following simple guides prepared by the organizations and gain, with practice, valuable abilities.

Organizing events for a larger public

The third and maybe the most important dimension where VR can bring multiple benefits in this field is strongly connected with the financial part of the organizations. VR can be used to organize big international events focused on fund raising, since it can facilitate conferences, meetings and summits. By doing so, participants located everywhere on the planet can interact, visualise the same story and contribute actively, being a part of the solutions.

Bigger organizations, such as UNICEF, are already using VR for its events to engage online with their beneficiaries and smaller organizations could follow their example to better stabilize themselves financially in this digital era.