Monday, November 28, 2011

CharityVillage� Research: Game On: Charities Toy with New Ideas for Online Engagement

CharityVillage� Research: Game On: Charities Toy with New Ideas for Online Engagement: You’ve may have noticed that the concept of "Gamification” is a hot topic in the technology community. What is it really, and what does it mean for charities and nonprofits?

Gamified experiences use game-playing techniques to engage users and encourage specific activities. A typical example of gamification might involve gathering reward points, achieving increasingly higher levels, or solving puzzles to unlock new challenges. One well-known example is the geo-location application Foursquare, where users earn badges and virtual rewards for "check-ins” online. Some charities have joined the trend by partnering with a corporate sponsor to co-brand a web or mobile game, or by building their own. Advocacy, raising awareness, and membership-building are only a few of the possible social good objectives for games like these.

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