Are you looking to work toward a cause you believe in while gaining new skills? LinkedIn’s new Volunteer Marketplace might help you find your next volunteer opportunity!
LinkedIn’s New Volunteer Marketplace
After realizing that many of its users, including retired professionals, stay-at-home parents, students and even busy professionals, were not actively looking for jobs but rather for a way to use their skills for social good, LinkedIn decided to build a network where professionals can connect with nonprofits that matter to them. Now professionals can search for relevant volunteer opportunities and board positions at volunteer.linkedin.com and, in turn, nonprofits will be able to search LinkedIn for users who express interest in their field in the Volunteer Experience & Causes section of their profiles.
Such a service is fitting given that 82% of LinkedIn users want to volunteer their time and skills, and LinkedIn does a great job of connecting people to meaningful opportunities. “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,” wrote LinkedIn Executive Chairman and Cofounder Reid Hoffman.
LinkedIn has partnered with Catchafire, Taproot Foundation, BoardSource and VolunteerMatch to ensure that the Volunteer Marketplace lists high quality opportunities and that nonprofits have assistance posting opportunities.
A Valuable Opportunity for (Larger) Nonprofits
Just as many professionals seek to work with nonprofits, nonprofits also seek partnerships with professionals. Taproot Foundation recently found that 92% of nonprofits would like to use skilled volunteers to help them achieve their goals and, according to LinkedIn, about 2 million board seats need to be filled each year. LinkedIn’s new Volunteer Marketplace will help nonprofits connect with the over 3 million LinkedIn members who have added the Volunteer Experience and Causes section to their profile.
That being said, at “less than $50 per posting,” registered 501(c)(3) organizations can list open volunteer opportunities on LinkedIn. Although this is generally cheaper than the prices of competitor site Idealist, the prices will restrict smaller, more localized nonprofits from listing minor positions. This means if you live in a small town and you’re looking for a small volunteer position, you’re best bet is to ask around, not to search LinkedIn.
Will you use the Volunteer Marketplace to find your next volunteer opportunity?
