Join us for the first episode of The Fundraising Elevator, where we’re all headed up. We’re excited to bring you a fundraising podcast where we talk with experts, visionaries and great idea people about how to impact the nonprofit sector for good. Your hosts Samantha Swaim and Kristin Steele talk to each other about what inspires them about gatherings and how we can make them impactful for organizations and engaging for donors. They talk about the art of hosting for any gathering and how it can actually help close the distance between your fundraising event program and your audience in order to take donors into the heart of your mission. Loving The Fundraising Elevator? Please subscribe, rate and review the podcast. It really helps other people find the show. 

A production of elevatenonprofit.com sponsored by The AV Department.

| RESOURCES |
Book Consulting Time with Sam and Kristin: 
https://elevatenonprofit.com/consulting/

Learn More About Elevate and the Elevate Conference: 
https://elevatenonprofit.com/the-conference/

Meet Swaim Strategies: 
https://swaimstrategies.com/

Connect with The AV Department: 
https://theavdept.com/

Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: 
https://elevatenonprofit.com/product/planning-a-successful-major-donor-event/

The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: 
https://www.priyaparker.com/book-art-of-gathering

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara: 
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/674289/unreasonable-hospitality-by-will-guidara/

“The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality” TED Talk by Will Guidara: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwcyXcOpWVs

Episode  #1: Introducing The Fundraising Elevator

This week on The Fundraising Elevator Rachel Bracker joins our hosts to discuss the transformative potential of VR storytelling for nonprofits. She explores the ways in which VR can be used to enhance donor engagement, overcome geographic barriers and evoke empathy and emotional resonance through immersive experiences.

The Power of VR Storytelling: Rachel highlights the ability of VR to transport viewers to distant locations, fostering empathy and understanding, and overcoming geographical barriers to provide donors with immersive experiences. She suggests using 360-degree cameras to capture real-world environments and create virtual tours for donors.

Overcoming Cost Barriers: Rachel addresses concerns about the cost and complexity of VR technology. She explains how nonprofits can start small with VR projects and gradually expand their use of the technology. Leveraging existing resources, such as university equipment or local VR rental companies, can help overcome financial barriers.

Empathy Through Perspective-Taking: Research by Jeremy Bailenson from Stanford University underscores the psychological impact of VR on empathy. Perspective-taking, a key concept, involves placing oneself in another's shoes, fostering empathy and understanding. VR simulations of experiences like colorblindness or deforestation have shown to increase empathy and influence behaviors.

Enhancing Donor Connection: VR offers a unique opportunity for nonprofits to immerse donors in their work, fostering deeper emotional connections and understanding. Incorporating VR into fundraising events or donor tours can provide a memorable and impactful experience for supporters.

This podcast is a production of elevatenonprofit.com sponsored by The AV Department.

| RESOURCES |
Book Consulting Time with Sam and Kristin: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#consulting
Learn More About Elevate and the Elevate Conference for Your Fundraising Events: http://elevatenonprofit.com/
Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/
Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com
Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book
Elevate Conference: https://elevatenonprofit.com/the-conference/
Hungry Mantis: www.hungrymantis.com
Oxfam VR Film “Evelyn’s Story”: https://youtu.be/jZUnUCWqwFw?si=FRFntGn0qCicz2i0
Forager Immersive Multi-sensory Experience: https://www.forager.earth/
Showtime VR: https://showtimevr.eu/
Worlds Beyond VR: https://worldsbeyondvr.com/
Meta Quest 3: https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/
Hugh Hou on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@hughhou
ZP Productions: https://www.zpproductions.com/
Book recommendation for more info about the psychology of VR: 
Experience on Demand by Jeremy Bailenson – https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Demand-Virtual-Reality-Works/dp/0393253694
Podcast recommendations to learn more about VR:
Voices of VR Podcast – https://voicesofvr.com/
Alex Makes VR Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/alex-makes-vr/id1517046550
Great news site about all things XR storytelling:
XRMust.com – http://xrmust.com/
How to get in touch with Rachel:
Email hungrymantisvr@gmail.com
Visit www.hungrymantis.com
Follow on instagram @hungry_mantis

Episode #33: VR Storytelling with Rachel Bracker

The Fundraising Elevator: where we’re all headed up. Samantha Swaim and Kristin Steele are using their decades of fundraising, event strategy and storytelling experience to help you change the world at your next event. Listen to conversations with industry leaders for insights and tools you can use to connect more people to your mission. New episodes drop every Wednesday.

Episode #33: VR Storytelling with Rachel Bracker

The Fundraising Elevator Podcast

Related tracks