Often considered the perfect medium for finding new professional connections, LinkedIn’s power is somewhat underestimated by charities. However, the social platform can prove quite useful for NFPs as well, especially through one of its most precious features – the interest groups. In this post, we will try to explain why participating in groups in LinkedIn can be beneficial for charities and will give some examples of groups worth subscribing for.

The Proven Power of LinkedIn Groups

Have you ever wondered why there are so many groups on LinkedIn and why they are so popular? LinkedIn users with a lot of experience on the social platform have found that groups can be of great help in a number of ways. To start with, being a member of such a group will keep you updated with the news from the field and with different trends, practices and strategies. In addition to that, it will be easier to discover useful resources for charities, as this is one of the main reasons why these groups exist – to share what you have found with the rest. Another important benefit is that these groups have a lot of members, some of them from other parts from the world, who are eager to communicate with like-minded people and exchange experience, ideas and knowledge. As you can imagine, having access to all this NFP know-how can really make a difference for you and your charity.

Group 1: NFP Strategy Australia

Started in March 2012 by Russ Wood, Director of Eating Disorder Victoria, the group aims to discuss matters of strategy and strategic planning for non-for-profits. A great forum for sharing theories, news, ideas and thoughts and to form discussions on various strategy-related NFP topics. SPAM is not tolerated, so you can expect that the posts you see there will be of good quality and will help you learn something new.

Group 2: NFP People: Not For Profit HR & Volunteer Management Forum – Australia

This group, started in November 2012 by Michael Cebon and co-managed by Peter Callender, aims to provide a sui generis forum for non-for-profit professionals from Australia where they can find various resources related to volunteer management, recruitment, human resources and leadership. The group is part of NFP People’s network and is a great place to share (and find!) new ideas, valuable advice and field-related insights.

Group 3: NFP Professionals Australia

Started by Rob Knowles in April 2012, the group has over 300 members, including NFP CEOs, Board Members, Marketing and Fundraising Managers and other individuals interested and experienced in the field of NFP work. Joining it will provide you with access to various interesting discussions dealing with current trends in the fundraising landscape, engagement strategies, donor behaviours and other topics related to NFP and charity work in Australia.

As you can see, articipating and being active in a few relevant groups on LinkedIn can be quite useful for your charity. You can learn news from the field, catch up with good practices and innovative strategies, expand your network and make new connections. And, of course, have fun and communicate with like-minded people – something which will certainly give you new ideas for your charity. The best way to make sure that is true is to enter a few groups yourself and to actively contribute to them by participating in the existing discussions and starting new ones that interest you. Good luck!