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LinkedIn’s Volunteer Marketplace Connects Talent With Nonprofits

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On January 15th LinkedIn CEO Reid Hoffman announced the company’s new Volunteer Marketplace, in a blog post. The goal of the Volunteer Marketplace is to help nonprofits who need talent with professionals who want to lend their expertise. LinkedIn’s Volunteer Marketplace will help nonprofits and professionals find each other.

By providing opportunities for all these different kinds of LinkedIn members, we aim to help the social sector by doing what we do best as a company: connecting talent with opportunity at massive scale.

LinkedIn partnered with business talent matching services such as Catchafire, Taproot Foundation, BoardSource and VolunteerMatch to help users find volunteer and board opportunities.

For the overwhelming 82% of surveyed LinkedIn members that indicated they wanted to volunteer their time and skills, the Volunteer Marketplace will help them enhance their life. Recently I updated my LinkedIn profile by adding the Volunteer and Causes section to it.

LinkedIn Volunteer Marketplace

Gmail update lets anyone email you

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Everyone who uses Gmail has received an email within the last week with the following subject line:

Gmail update: Reach more people you know

Gmail implemented an update that allows any Google+ user to send you en email without knowing your Gmail address. This means any Google+ user can email you even if they are not in your circles! Gmail users were outraged and took their complaints to other social media outlets like Twitter

It’s outrageous that Gmail would make such a sweeping change for all users but you can change this! You can choose to receive emails from only

  • Anyone on Google+
  • Those in your Circles
  • Those in your Extended Circles
  • No one from Google+

Your extended circles include people in your circles’ circles. To choose your own setting go to your account setting page at this URL

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#settings/general

Go to the section labeled ‘Email via Google+:” and make your changes there.

Gmail update lets anyone email you

Google-Plus-Gmail update lets anyone email you

Get an EIN for your business

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Get an EIN for your business

Applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a FREE service offered by the Internal Revenue Service. Getting an EIN is one of the first steps in setting up your business or nonprofit as a legal entity. It takes only a few minutes to apply online and you will get your EIN immediately. Beware of services and internet sites that charge for this free service.

There is a page on the IRS website that tells you how to get an EIN,

Anyone can get an EIN one of four ways:
Apply Online
Apply by FAX
Apply by Mail
Apply by Telephone

You will need to know the address of and Social Security Number for a responsible person or representative, the address of the entity needing an EIN. You will also have to list what your business or organization does as well as know the structure of the entity.

Types of entities that may need to get an EIN include:
Sole Proprietor
Partnerships
Includes partnerships and joint ventures
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
An estate is a legal entity created as a result of a person’s death.
All types of trusts including conservatorships, custodianships, guardianships, irrevocable trusts, revocable trusts, and receiverships.

Get-an-EIN-for-your-business

Financial documents for your nonprofit’s website

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Financial documentation is an important part of any nonprofit’s existence. Your nonprofit is of course incorporated in it’s home state, has an Employee Identification Number (EIN) and your Letter of Determination from the IRS, plus tax filings for each year of existence. Making sure your tax and other paperwork is filed on time and correctly is essential to staying in good graces with the IRS but also for attracting and retaining donors.

Financial-documents-for-your-nonprofits-website

Financial material should be conveyed clearly on your website, in brochures and in a grant package that is sent out to potential donors. Materials should clearly communicate the comprehensive information relevant to an informed funder or stakeholder.

Donors may want to know:

  • where does your money come from? Nonprofits can generate revenue from a variety of sources
  • What percent of monies collected goes toward covering administrative expenses and other overhead
  • What other major donors are giving to your organization? a bust donor may not have the time to thoroughly read through your information

Financial information any nonprofit should have easily available:

  • Sources of donations broken down by type: grants from foundations, donations from individuals, fees, income from an endowment, interest etc…
  • IRS Letter of Determination
  • Last 2 or 3 IRS Form 990
  • A chart of annual revenue and expenses
  • Annual Revenue and Expense data reported
  • EIN
  • Links to your reports on GuideStar, Charity Navigator and the Foundation Center

Other documentation you should have:

  • Mission Statement
  • Board of Directors’ Bios

Donors want to know if you are effectively reaching your intended target. All of this data demonstrates a high degree of worthiness of funders’ support. In a busy world, a donor could be dicing between you and another organization. If they ahave to ask a lot of questions and wait for answers, it may be easier to write a check to someone else!

Volunteering for you

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Volunteering can be a one time thing or an ongoing commitment, either way it can be a rewarding experience. Giving the gift of your time to a cause is good for the recipient and it is good for you. Many volunteers gain a sense satisfaction from helping others. There are other reasons to volunteer that are not all about altruism, but still serve a good purpose.

Here are reasons how volunteering can help YOU while you help someone else!

  • Improve existing or learn new job skills. Volunteering can introduce you to a new role, sector, or industry
  • Find purpose. Sometimes we lose our way or maybe never had a path of our own choosing. Volunteering for a cause or establishing your own cause is a way to reinvent yourself and give your life direction.
  • Gain leadership skills. Are you looking to advance your career? Step up and take charge of the jobs nobody wants, sometimes these may be the organizational or coordinator positions. You will learn some leadership skills, to work under pressure and how it feels when you are not so appreciated for lending a hand.
  • Networking. Meet new business contacts.
  • Learn. Working with a nonprofit can teach you new skills that you can use in your personal life. e.g. Habitat for Humanity can teach you home repair.
  • Socialize and meet new people. Volunteering causes you to mingle with new friends who care about the same things you do. Opportunities to cross paths, create, and maintain friendships are everywhere.
  • Promotes personal growth & self-esteem. Learn to feel good about yourself!