LinkedIn announces new resources for nonprofits

The networking site LinkedIn has launched a free online “Resource Hub” to help nonprofits make the best use of its platform. Its research indicates that only 19% of nonprofits feel confident that they’re using LinkedIn to its full potential.

The hub includes guidance on how to use LinkedIn Live, Events and Groups, as well as newsletters, articles and other features. It also offers custom support through live webinars and “Ask-Me-Anything” sessions to answer individual questions from nonprofit professionals in real time. The content will be tailored to address nonprofit concerns, such as attracting talent, volunteers and donors.

A 2023 LinkedIn survey of nonprofit professionals found that 63% had used the platform to connect with a potential donor. And 64% asserted that the people they want to connect with to raise money are on LinkedIn.

Foundation assets fell in 2022

FoundationMark, a nonprofit that tracks the investment performance of more than 40,000 foundations with assets of at least $1 million, reports that U.S. foundations saw a 18.9% decline in total asset value last year compared with the previous year. The drop — from $1.30 trillion in 2021 to $1.06 trillion in 2022 — could signal a similar decline in grantmaking to nonprofits going forward. Currently, many nonprofits rely more heavily on foundation funding than they ever have.

The CEO of FoundationMark, which follows more than 97% of all foundation assets by aggregating data from IRS filings, told The NonProfit Times that the falloff was the largest year-over-year dollar decline ever. Notably, it was the second largest percentage decline since the nearly 25% drop after the 2008 stock market crash. It can largely be traced to the dramatic reductions in the value of both equity and fixed-income investments.

Why AmazonSmile program ended

The AmazonSmile program came to an end on Feb. 20, 2023. Since 2013, the program had donated 0.5% of the sale price of certain merchandise to designated charities. According to Amazon, the program hadn’t “grown to create the impact” the company had originally hoped. With over one million organizations eligible globally, Amazon said its ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.

As part of the transition, Amazon will provide charities that participated in the program with a one-time donation equal to 25% of the total donations they earned in 2022. It also has pledged to continue to invest in other areas where it “can make meaningful change,” including building affordable housing, providing students in underserved communities access to computer science education, and assisting communities struck by natural disasters.

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