The Peter Mitchell Churchill Fellowship to investigate best practices for virtual reality storytelling as a tool for social impact

Virtual reality (VR) has opened a new frontier in not-for-profit (NFP) storytelling and fundraising by immersing potential donors in worlds and situations that are often difficult to empathise with or imagine. The emotional impact of VR has proven to increase awareness, evoke empathy and elicit action. With VR having such a positive impact with potential donors, Australian not-forprofits deserve to have a researched understanding of how to best approach the medium as a tool for social change. The Churchill Fellowship findings aim to benefit the Australian social sector at a national level by equipping not-for-profits and social causes with a comprehensive guide for approaching VR storytelling for social impact - from story structure, to production, to distribution, while considering return on investment. This information is to assist not-for-profits on using VR as a tool for their cause, and to encourage the creation of impactful and world-class immersive experiences. It is hoped that the Australian social sector will benefit greatly from these learnings, sourced from leading international organisations, to inspire innovative approaches to storytelling through VR. Topics covered within this comprehensive report speak to; defining the goals of why you’re doing VR; features of immersive environments; who is the target audience and how can you create the piece specifically to speak to them; techniques for approaching virtual worlds; case-studies; highlighting the importance of story; understanding the production requirements involved; insight into exhibition design and suitable VR headsets; potential means of distribution through a campaign and ways to measure success; supportive programs and grants to support NFPs in VR; a brief overview of technological advancements and insight into other emerging mediums; and closing acknowledgements to all those who contributed to this guide. Keywords: virtual reality, interactive media, storytelling, user interface, fundraising, headsets, not-for-profit