Utilizing Social Media for Nonprofit Networking

Nonprofits, if I had to build a modern board in 2025, here’s what I’d do (and how LinkedIn would play a central role): 1. Don’t just recruit board members. Recruit digital connectors. If your board isn’t helping you expand your reach on LinkedIn, you’re leaving money (and momentum) on the table. Stop saying: “We need help with fundraising.” Start saying: “We’re building a digital-first board to open doors to new partners, funders, and allies.” Your next major donor might already be in your board member’s LinkedIn network. They just haven’t made the intro yet. 2. Give your board a LinkedIn playbook. Most board members want to help. They just don’t know how. So make it easy: • Provide a monthly post they can share • Ask them to tag 2–3 dream partners • Use Sales Navigator to identify warm intros through their connections Your board’s network is your fastest-growing asset. Start mining it. 3. Design board roles like a growth team, not a rubber stamp committee. Want your board to unlock real value? Treat them like co-founders: • Build 90-day sprints with specific KPIs (i.e. “Get 10 warm intros to CSR leaders”) • Match roles to strategic needs: capital, partnerships, policy, or tech • Replace “give/get” with “grow/guide/generate” Boards don’t scale nonprofits. Builders do. 4. Make LinkedIn your board’s secret weapon. Every board meeting should ask: “How many strategic intros have we generated this quarter?” “What corporate or philanthropic partner should we be nurturing next?” “Who in our networks needs to see our latest win?” Let your board activate their networks, not just attend meetings. 5. A good board gives. A great board multiplies. In 2025, board members shouldn’t just donate. They should: • Connect you to CSR teams • Vouch for your mission in private conversations • Share your content to audiences that matter Your board can 10x your visibility if you show them how. 6. Culture over comfort. The best boards don’t just agree, they build. They challenge your thinking. They bring fresh ideas. They push you to go bigger. In other words, they act like founding teams. This year, don’t just recruit board members. Empower digital champions. LinkedIn isn’t just a platform, it’s your nonprofit’s growth engine. Join us at our webinar this week and I’ll teach you how to do this effectively: https://lu.ma/apmlnmz4 With purpose and impact, Mario

As a Communications Officer in an NGO, targeting donors, funders, and partners on social media requires strategy — not just storytelling. Here’s how I would approach it: 1. Segment Before You Speak Not all audiences are the same. Donors want impact, transparency, and emotional connection. Funders want data, scalability, governance, and measurable outcomes. Partners want alignment, visibility, and shared value. A single generic post won’t convert all three. Content must be intentional. 2. Lead With Impact + Evidence Social media is crowded. Credibility wins attention. I would consistently publish: Before/after impact stories Clear outcome metrics (beneficiaries reached, % change, ROI of intervention) Visual dashboards and infographics Short case studies Numbers build trust. Stories build connection. Together, they build funding confidence. 3. Position the Organization as a Thought Leader Donors don’t just fund projects — they fund competence. I would create: LinkedIn articles on sector insights Commentary on policy trends Reflections on lessons learned from field implementation Data-driven threads on SDG alignment This attracts institutional funders looking for strategic partners — not just implementers. 4. Showcase Partnerships Publicly Tag existing partners. Celebrate collaboration. When organizations see their peers working with you, social proof increases credibility. Partnerships attract partnerships. 5. Clear Call-to-Action Every campaign should answer: Are we seeking grants? Corporate sponsorship? Strategic collaboration? Technical partners? The CTA must be visible and specific — website link, proposal deck, contact email, impact report. 6. Retarget & Nurture Social media is the first touchpoint, not the final conversion. Connect with decision-makers on LinkedIn Send tailored follow-up messages Share quarterly impact briefs via email Invite prospects to webinars or virtual field tours Campaigns convert when communication continues beyond the post. Key Takeaways Targeting donors, funders, and partners on social media is not about posting more. It’s about: Strategic messaging. Evidence-based storytelling. Consistent positioning. Relationship building. Because funding follows credibility. #NGOCommunications #FundraisingStrategy #DevelopmentSector #SocialImpact #CommunicationsOfficer #CommunicationsManager

Most charities aren’t failing at social media because they post too little. They’re failing because they post too much that doesn’t matter. Teams spread thin across six platforms because “we feel we should be there.” Content that ticks boxes but doesn’t tie to outcomes. Organisational updates instead of interesting or useful things hitting people's timelines. I've run close to 500 social media strategy workshops with charities over the years. Here’s what works time and time again 👇 ✅ Pick one or two outcomes. Not “raise awareness” but something you can measure in the real world - 25 people booked into your support group, £12k raised by December, 40 new volunteers signed up. ✅ Go where your people already are. If your service users are on Facebook Groups, show up there. If your partners live on LinkedIn, talk there. Don’t waste hours on platforms that don’t serve your outcomes. ✅ Human beats corporate every time. A short video filmed in your community centre will land harder than the slickest designed piece of content. People want stories with consent and dignity, not slogans. ✅ Protect your time. Two focused posts on the right channel every week, reviewed for what worked, will take you further than ten scattered efforts across every platform. Consistency builds trust. ✅ Measure the outcome, not the applause. Count bookings, donations, applications, referralls. Thousands of “likes” don’t mean much unless they change something offline. It’s not rocket science — it’s clarity, focus, and care. If you’re overwhelmed, start tiny: 🎯 one outcome, 📱 one channel, ✍️ two posts a week, 🔗 one clear landing page that does one job. Build from there. 👉 How do you decide what NOT to post? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

I love non-profits, but... for being community-based, a lot of them aren't the greatest at online community building. I've been in the nonprofit sector for a while, and from managing social media accounts, I've noticed a gap in how they connect with their followers (which sucks because their mission + impact deserve to be seen). I've seen some non-profits pay THOUSANDS for marketing support, only to remain stagnant online. No growth, little to no engagement, no storytelling. What I’ve noticed: ⤵️ Generic posts: “We got a $3K grant from XYZ!” or “We hosted an event!”, without connecting it to their mission or reason for followers to care. ⤵️ No engagement with comments!!! ⤵️ No storytelling: Just facts and flyers instead of stories of how their services helped the community. ⤵️ Inconsistent branding: Different fonts, colors, or logos on every post ⤵️ Clients + volunteers left out What I’ve done + would do: ✅ Turn events into videos (Reels, TikToks) + use trending audios. ✅ Feature client + volunteer stories/testimonials. ✅ Make annual reports digestible (aka turn long PDFs into carousels). ✅ Tell stories, not just updates (client success stories + quotes). ✅ Be consistent with visuals (text, color scheme, include logos). ✅ Create content related to the community served (stats, important info they should know, how to access services). ✅ Recycle event photos for “throwback” posts + connect to the mission. ✅ Respond to followers' messages + comments. Example post ideas: - “A day in the life” of a volunteer - “POV” at an event - Videos explaining the step-by-step process of accessing services - Community shoutouts (highlight local partners or supporters) And yes, you can still build a community, even with a low budget: 🎨 Batch-create posts in Canva 💬 Ask for community feedback with polls or stories 📝 Build a testimonial form to collect quotes and permissions (Google Forms, Asana, Survey Monkey) 🗓️ Create a content calendar (HubSpot + Notion offer FREE content calendars if you don't want to start from scratch) ♻️ Recycle and repurpose content For reference, check out these awesome non-profit's social media: 💚 CHIRLA 💚 Larkin Street Youth Services 💚 Immigrant Legal Resource Center 💚 Emboldly 💚 @mothersmilkbankca (IG) Nonprofits offer life changing services and deserve to be seen. If you work in the sector, let’s connect! I love brainstorming low-cost, high-impact, and organic ways to build authentic community online. 🌱

Your nonprofit's company page isn't broken. LinkedIn just changed the rules. If you've been wondering why your beautifully designed posts are getting 12 likes while someone's raw Monday morning reflection gets 200, here's what shifted. The old model looked like this: → Organization posts polished content → Leadership and staff reshare → Visibility grows from the nonprofit outward The new model flips it: → Leadership and staff share their own stories → Organization amplifies → Funders, community members, and partners connect with the HUMAN first That last part matters more than we realize. People don't fund logos. They fund people they trust. They don't share annual reports. They share stories that move them. They don't feel connected to a brand. They feel connected to a leader who shows up. Only 1% of LinkedIn users post regularly. Meanwhile, funders, potential board members, and community partners are increasingly using the platform to discover and vet organizations. The people you want to reach are here. The question is whether they're seeing you. The organizations getting real traction aren't the ones with the biggest marketing budgets. They're the ones where leadership is visible, staff feel empowered to share, and the company page exists to amplify, not originate. This isn't about abandoning your organization's presence. It's about rethinking the strategy. What if your ED's LinkedIn presence became your most powerful visibility tool? What if your program staff felt confident sharing impact stories in their own voice? What if your company page became the amplifier, not the megaphone? I've been thinking a lot about this shift and what it means for nonprofits trying to grow their reach without burning out their comms team. And I'm working on something to help. If this resonates, I'd love to grab a coffee and chat about what this could look like for your org. ☕️

The majority of nonprofits think social media is a place to talk about their organization and raise money. ❌ Social media is not a big bulletin board where you put up a help sign and walk away hoping someone calls. Social media is a place to be SOCIAL. First and foremost, it’s a place for conversation and dialogue. This isn’t just related to human behavior - it’s related to the algorithm. The companies who create social media platforms (META, LinkedIn, etc) have two main goals: 1. Make money from ads. 2. Keep users on their platforms for as long as possible. This requires keeping people engaged and interested in your content consistently. And in order to do this, it requires having a service mindset. And if I know anything about you as a nonprofit leader, I know you already have a service mindset. Right? Why else would you be working in the sector? 😂 This is going to be the easy part. This comes naturally to you. So when you think about success on social media, I want you to start thinking about it more like you think about your program. Instead of asking: How can social media work for us? OR How can we get our followers to donate more money? Approach it like this: How are we serving people? How are we providing value to the community? What can we do today to make their lives better? When you approach social media THIS way, you find the sweet spot. You’ll start attracting more followers, you’ll establish trust and credibility, you’ll stay top of mind, and YES! You will raise more money. #Nonprofit #Marketing #SocialMedia

If you’re not spending at least an hour a day on LinkedIn in this fundraising environment, you’re missing out. I don’t mean scrolling. I mean research. Here’s how to make LinkedIn part of your prospecting system: 1. Search for funders and program officers in your themes/regions. 2. Watch what they post: events they attend, trends they mention, partners they highlight. 3. Note the language they use. This can tell you how to frame your work when you engage with them. 4. Comment thoughtfully and consistently. Visibility matters. 5. When you send a connection request, always personalize it: “I saw your work on X. We’re working on Y in [region]. Would love to connect and learn more.” Fundraising isn’t only about proposals. It’s about reading the room and LinkedIn is often the room. Do you currently treat LinkedIn as a social feed… or as a live donor-intelligence platform?

Let's talk social impact strategy and execution. What lessons did we learn from B Local Georgia getting some flowers on CNN last week? 1️⃣ INTENTION: They partnered with a major local nonprofit brand, Chad 🌏 Livsey, to organize the cleanup and amplify its reach. That got it on CNN's radar. 2️⃣ SELFLESS PARTNERSHIPS: They didn't stop there. They invited other for- and nonprofit brands to join them. Orgs like BoldImpact ATL, Roots Down, Wood Wizards Child Skills Development Training LLC, andCo Hospitality, a Certified B Corp, Profitable Purpose Consulting, and Atlanta Influences Everything helped promote and create a true community vibe. 3️⃣ BRAND ALIGNMENT: Their impact aligned with their brand--creating community. Their organization is focused on being the community organizer & hub for mission driven businesses and B Corps in Georgia. There weren't any nametags or a panel of experts on stage, but they did some good while creating community--and that reminded people of the community they're known for building. 4️⃣ THE REFLECTIVE SPOTLIGHT: It wasn't about them--they weren't even back-linked in the article. But it doesn't have to be. The spotlight shined on the other orgs (and the many reposts on LinkedIn) reflects back on their org with tags, mentions, and grateful comments. 5️⃣ THERE'S NO ASK: Look at their original post. There is no fundraising link. The only call to action is to join their next cleanup in Athens on 12/6. Every post doesn't have to mention your best-in-class widgets. Some posts just remind people why they like you, which is why they buy your widgets in the first place. Most marketers struggle with this, but I would argue they used this media coverage perfectly. With intention, strategy, and brand alignment, social impact can be an incredible investment in your organization's growth.

How much funding has your nonprofit raised from LinkedIn? If your answer is “not much”… time to fix that. LinkedIn is one of my go-to places for prospect research, networking, connecting with funders, and building donor relationships. It’s honestly a goldmine if you know how to use it. A few tricks to try: - Start sharing impact stories, personal experiences, and your why. Let people connect with the heart behind your work. - Get Sales Navigator. Secret tip: nonprofits can get 75% off! - Don’t have a contact at a company? Try searching by job title + company (think: CSR, ESG, marketing, PR). - Grow your network: don’t be afraid to hit follow/connect, engage with posts, leave thought provoking comments. Most connections start in the comments. - Use tools like Apollo.io to find business emails for cold outreach. Show up and be engaging. It can help you grow your funding, partnerships, and visibility. How are you using LinkedIn for your mission?