Leverage LinkedIn to Boost Your Charitable Events & a Father’s Day Gift Idea

Did you know you can optimize using LinkedIn for your charitable events in various ways? As Elizabeth Barrett Browning eloquently said, “Let me count the ways.”

Set Up Your Event on LinkedIn

Kick-start your initiative and set up your charitable events on LinkedIn. For nonprofits, this setup is best done on your nonprofit company page, although personal profiles or business pages are also viable options. 

Remember to choose an image with a 16×9 ratio, ideal for visibility. Your event can be hosted virtually or in person and in a LinkedIn format (Live or Audio) or have an external link. 

Enhance your event’s appeal by incorporating descriptive details and engaging content, complete with emojis, for a touch of fun. I recommend using emojipedia for easy emoji integration. 

At the end of your post content, don’t forget to add a “LinkedIn signature” before your hashtags.

Here’s a practical example: I promoted an annual charity golf outing scheduled for July 15, 2024, on behalf of the Paoli Business & Professional Association via LinkedIn. Note this post may require you to be logged into LinkedIn to access it.

Maximize engagement by inviting up to 1000 people weekly through the Share, Invite, and Search by Name.

Promote Your Event

Get the word out! Utilize the blue ‘Share’ button on your charitable events page to:

• Repost on LinkedIn
• Send direct messages
• Copy the link for broader distribution, such as LinkedIn group posts or external platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Increase Event Visibility with Boolean Search

Familiarize yourself with Boolean Search Tips to understand how they can amplify your event’s reach. I used keywords like ‘golf‘ and ‘golfer‘ within Paoli, Malvern, and the Greater Philadelphia Area to target potential attendees through direct messages. 

Although ‘pickleball’ yielded fewer results, it was also part of my targeted search strategy for the Pickleball Tournament held on the same day. 

I also sent some direct messages to contacts with those keywords in their profiles.

Recognize Your Sponsors

If your sponsors have LinkedIn company pages, tagging them is a fantastic way to give recognition. Encourage active engagement from your board members and volunteers through their own LinkedIn profiles. Not all of ours do.

Visit the Paoli Business & Professional Association’s new LinkedIn page for insights into how we honor our sponsors for the golf tournament.

Our silent auction donors will also receive recognition, though some may come after the event. If you have run a silent auction before, you might know how hectic it is to scramble to assemble baskets together in the 11th hour.

Capture the Moment

Take pictures at the event and create a carousel. Carousels are dynamic ways to display multiple images. Platforms like Canva offer easy tools for creating carousels. For example, check out the carousel from a Phillies Game group event to see how it enhances viewer interaction. Click in the middle on the right side of the image to advance to the next photo. The carousels are saved in the Documents folder instead of being pushed down in the feed, so they are most likely viewable longer.

A carousel will provide a different look than if you upload up to nine (9) photos from an event. 

A Father’s Day Reminder & Gift Idea

On a personal note, Father’s Day holds a significant lesson from my life. In 2005, I experienced a devastating loss due to a fire, which took everything, including pets. Here’s my story and my three tips.

• This incident highlighted the importance of adequate insurance coverage, something everyone should verify. I had depreciated value insurance instead of replacement value, so I recommend that you review your insurance policy, as my situation was financially devastating.
• If you have not yet bought a Father’s Day gift, consider buying Dad a day of golf if you are local to Chester County, PA, or support another charitable golf or sporting event in your area.
• If  you are like me and my daughters, and Dad is no longer with us, consider making a donation in his memory to a charity that was important to him or to your local fire company. They are there for you and the community 24/7/365 and NEVER have enough funding.

NEXT STEPS

• Subscribe to my newsletter on LinkedIn™ for bright ideas on how to manage your career.
• If you need a resume or LinkedIn™ profile to get you to your next step, book a call to chat!
• Join as a member at https://greatcareers.org/membership of the #1 business networking association on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Book of Lists four years in a row! 
• To support our charity at KeepOnSharing.com and use the referral code Career
• Follow #GreatCareersPHL 

AUTHOR BIO

Lynne M. Williams is the Executive Director of the Great Careers Network, a volunteer-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides career development and networking connections for 1) job seekers in career transition, including veterans, and 2) employed and self-employed for career management.

Aside from writing keyword-focused content for ATS resumes and LinkedIn profiles, Lynne is writing her doctoral dissertation on LinkedIn for Job Seekers. She is a contributing author on “Applying to Positions” in Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love, along with the late Dick Bolles, the author of What Color is Your Parachute?, and is also a speaker on career topics.