How do you stay on top of what’s happening in the nonprofit sector?
Maybe you read nonprofit trade publications. Maybe you hang out on nonprofit marketing or leadership blogs.
There’s another option too — LinkedIn groups aimed at nonprofit professionals.
You may already use LinkedIn to promote your nonprofit but you’re missing a trick if you don’t get involved in LinkedIn groups too.
Hanging out in the right LinkedIn groups can be a smart move. You just need to know which ones are likely to be a good use of your time.
In no particular order, we’ve rounded up some of the best LinkedIn groups for nonprofit professionals.
The Benefits of Using LinkedIn Groups As a Nonprofit Professional
LinkedIn groups can help you stay on top of nonprofit trends.
You can stay up-to-date on best practices for marketing, fundraising, donor management software, and volunteer management, for example.
You can also share insights with other professionals and ask questions to get advice on the challenges being faced by your organization. Keeping track of discussions gives you inspiration for growing your nonprofit.
Participating in discussions in LinkedIn groups also helps position your nonprofit as an industry thought leader.
LinkedIn Groups for Nonprofit Professionals
Take a look at these LinkedIn groups:
1. Circle of Philanthropy
The Circle of Philanthropy group encourages discussion around nonprofit trends.
Looking for tips on how to get more from your role or want to bounce ideas around with other nonprofit professionals? This is a great place to start!
2. Social Media for Nonprofit Organizations
Social media is a very effective marketing tool for nonprofits — if it’s used in the right way.
This LinkedIn group helps nonprofit professionals get the most out of social media. Interested to see how other nonprofits are using social media for their mission?
Jump on this group to get inspiration and advice.
3. Non-Profit Marketing
The Non-Profit Marketing LinkedIn group covers every aspect of nonprofit marketing.
From PR and fundraising to grant writing and donor relations, it’s the perfect place to get marketing advice and learn best practices.
4. Development and Fundraising Professionals
The Development and Fundraising Professionals LinkedIn group is run by the people behind the Circle of Philanthropy LinkedIn group.
It’s solely focused on fundraising. Group admins regularly share news and resources on fundraising and encourage discussions around best practices.
5. Digital Marketing: Social Media, Search, Mobile & More
Although this LinkedIn group isn’t specifically for nonprofit professionals, it can be a goldmine of resources to boost your digital marketing.
Discussion topics include digital marketing, search marketing, mobile marketing, and advertising. You can network with marketing professionals to improve your nonprofit’s digital marketing strategy.
Because it’s not just for nonprofits, you may get some ideas you hadn’t thought of before!
6. Finding Grants, Fundraising, and Writing Grant Proposals
Need a helping hand with writing successful grant applications? The Finding Grants, Fundraising, and Writing Grant Proposals LinkedIn group discuss how to do this and more.
Discussions are based on how to find grants, how to write grant applications and other fundraising tactics.
Get involved in this LinkedIn group if you want to improve your success with grants and fundraising in general.
7. The Nonprofit Times
Do you read the Nonprofit Times to get information on nonprofit trends? Here’s their LinkedIn group!
Discussions are based around the challenges faced by the nonprofit sector. From finances to fundraising, you can get advice from nonprofit professionals who are facing the same issues in their organizations.
8. Online Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations
The Online Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations LinkedIn group is focused on all aspects of online fundraising.
It’s another good option for getting advice on how to raise more funds. Whether you want to use social media more effectively or get involved in peer-to-peer fundraising, you can get support from other nonprofit professionals.
9. LinkedIn Nonprofit Solutions
The LinkedIn Nonprofit Solutions group encourages discussions around LinkedIn and its role in supporting nonprofits.
If you’re looking for tips on how to get more from LinkedIn, this is a great place to hang out.
10. Nonprofit Accounting and Grant Management
The Nonprofit Accounting and Grant Management LinkedIn group is a great place for accounting and finance professionals to connect.
11. Non-Profit Management Professionals
The Non-Profit Management Professionals LinkedIn group is a professional networking group.
If your nonprofit is looking to hire new staff, you can network with potential candidates within the group.
Or, if you just want to network with like-minded professionals, you can get involved in the discussions.
12. Nonprofit Governance
This LinkedIn group is hosted by BoardSource — a national organization aiming to transform nonprofit board leadership.
It’s a great place for nonprofit leaders to get advice and resources on managing their organization.
Creative leadership is a big focus for the group so it’s a smart choice for nonprofit leaders who want to think outside the box.
13. Volunteer Coordinators
If your role involves managing volunteers, you can network with other coordinators in this LinkedIn group. Discussions around best practices are encouraged here. You can also get ideas for getting the most from your volunteers.
14. Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN)
Have you entered the nonprofit sector at an early stage in your career? The YNPN LinkedIn group connects you to other young nonprofit professionals. There’s a strong focus on local chapter leadership and capacity for the future.
The group supports the activities of YNPN chapters — currently located in 44 cities across the country.
How to Get the Most From LinkedIn Groups
Hopefully, you’ve found a few LinkedIn groups to participate in.
Once your requests to join these groups is approved, here are a few tips for maximizing your time:
- Ask questions, particularly in the subject line of your posts. These are likely to get more engagement.
- Talk about your nonprofit’s experiences and challenges. This can spark interesting discussions, particularly from people who have overcome the same hurdles.
- Post articles and other resources that nonprofit professionals will find interesting and helpful. You’ll be offering value to the LinkedIn groups.
Over to You
LinkedIn groups can be a great way to connect with other nonprofit professionals. This helps you to stay on top of nonprofit trends and discuss ideas with like-minded people.
From marketing to management, there are groups to help your nonprofit improve every aspect of running your organization and delivering on your mission.
Hopefully, these LinkedIn groups have given you some food for thought. If we’ve missed any good ones, let us know!
For more tips on how to grow your nonprofit, take a look at our nonprofit blog.