Nonprofit Networking: Your Guide to Fostering Connection and Building Your Organization
The day you decide to share your purpose and passion with the world is a day worth celebrating. And whether you’re putting together your board of directors or filing for licensing, building a nonprofit is one of the greatest feats any one person could achieve.
Why is nonprofit networking essential to social entrepreneurship?
On your path to social entrepreneurship, you’ll encounter so many people fighting the good fight and working hard to change the world. Knowing how to facilitate and foster networking opportunities and sharing that location pin with your inner circle can kickstart your growth quicker than you’d think.
You become an advocate in your community and build trust with community partners with the same goals
One of the most inspiring aspects of building a nonprofit is sharing your passion for advocacy in your community and the betterment of your own neighborhood. When you connect with community partners who are also serving your district in meaningful ways, you create space to collaborate, inviting brilliant and innovative minds to the table.
As your community partners grow to know you, you’ll become part of a network of business and purpose-oriented individuals who come together to build something larger than themselves. It’s about more than becoming a nonprofit professional. It’s about sustainability.
You can redefine your nonprofit's capacity and learn more about operations in other organizations
It’s hard to picture how the heck you’re going to pull this off. And as you set up meetings and conference calls with representatives of other nonprofits in your community, you get a bird's eye view of the inner workings; the secret sauce that’s made them successful thus far.
Your role here is to observe, absorb, and pick their brains about their startup experiences, capacity, issues, staffing, funding, and more. This meeting of the minds is the lifeblood of networking and building rapport with the people who are responsible for making big changes.
This is your chance to advance your core vision and mission
Everything you have worked for up until this point has brought you to the precipice of expanding your mission. You might not be surprised to notice that other people in the nonprofit sector are just as passionate and good at what they do as you are. And seeing those people succeed within the confines of economic strife and political barriers is motivating all on its own.
Promote your project in its early stages to gain traction and exposure from the get-go. The more exposure you have, the farther your business can expand. Maybe you create nonprofit remote jobs for interns across the country, or maybe you start a local affinity group.
Where can you begin when you’re looking for nonprofit networking opportunities?
When you’re making yourself available for networking opportunities, it’s hard to know where to start. Is it an email campaign? Passing out flyers in front of your building? Is it a Facebook group or a Barnes and Noble meet-up?
Networking on social media with groups in the nonprofit LinkedIn realm
Of all the social media spheres, LinkedIn is one of the most impressive networking tools to ever exist. It’s a gathering of like-minded individuals who are forming, storming, and norming. If you get strategic about your LinkedIn presence, you can utilize it as a high-capacity networking tool.
This is going to involve research about local organizations that inspire you and the low down on who you’d like to connect with. Find the CEOs, befriend the office staff, connect with the social media team, and don’t hesitate to put yourself out there.
Start engaging your current or future board of directors for pop-up events and mixers
Don’t shuffle your feet at pop-ups and mixers, or any event for that matter. Every chance you have to get a little face time with the successful entrepreneurs and nonprofit gurus in your community should be taken. Ask them questions, bounce ideas off of one another, and don’t be afraid to share your values and the mission of your program. Be direct and while you’re hyping their business up, offer to collaborate with them in the future.
Conferences related to the impact your nonprofit will have are essential
LinkedIn is a great place to find conferences related to the work you’re doing. If you’re aiming to bridge a gap to help people access more affordable medication, talk to your community and master the algorithm. Find the people who spearhead social services in your area and wring them out for resources. Conferences are the perfect place to partake in break-out sessions and create space to exchange information that may be an integral part of this journey.
Check out Mark Goldsmith’s latest book as a guide to rely on as you navigate through this exciting era of your life
Going through the process of building out a nonprofit can be absolute chaos and disorganization. And if you’re struggling with where to begin, we have just the thing to help you get started.
Learn about the makings of a social entrepreneur and enterprise
Immerse yourself in the experience of the social entrepreneur and business professional who’s been at it for the better part of four decades. If there’s anyone you want to learn from, it’s the people on the front lines, in the trenches, who have a dynamic enough experience in the world of business to pull it all together.
Mark Goldsmith does exactly that, discussing the nature of connecting with nonprofit work, the impact that this ripple effect had on the rest of his life, and the people he helped along the way.
Brainstorm as you walk through chapters about starting your agency from the ground up from a nonprofit and business expert
Whether you’re listening to an audiobook or reading a hard copy, pull up your iPad, or grab a pen and jot down key concepts from each chapter to help you put a timeline together and determine what moves are most important and when.
Having a guide makes brainstorming an easier and more exciting experience, you’ll receive some much-needed feedback on what this process really looks like and the sacrifices you’ll have to make along the way.
Identify your purpose and establish your mission
One of the easiest ways to determine your own purpose is to learn about others. It is in your best interest at this juncture to be gathering as much data as possible. The more information you have about the adventure you’re about to embark on, the smoother the landing.
Mark Goldsmiths, “From Madison Avenue to Rikers Island: The Making of a Social Entrepreneur” is your diamond in the rough
Pick up a physical or digital copy of Mark Goldsmith’s latest book. Take what you can and leave the rest. While there’s no blueprint for following your dreams, there’s a path that prioritizes the steps you need to take to get there. Head on over to our website to learn more about this essential work and to sharpen your social entrepreneurial skills.