Link Roundup 1/3

In 2013, issues of economic instability and abridgements of freedom both in the United States and overseas vied with small but substantial gains in the progressive sphere. For a look at the past year and the one to come from the perspective of the Nonprofit Quarterly, read on.

When we attempt to scale social enterprise, we usually try one of two paths: growing small organizations or spreading ideas across a range of organizations to scale impact. A path less traveled is to leapfrog by converting a large business into a nonprofit social enterprise that can more easily and effectively thrive and grow at a larger scale.

Two new studies provide insights on good financial returns from a range of impact investments. At the Case Foundation, we believe good data on both financial and social returns is critical to scaling impact investing. So we were encouraged to see two reports released this fall that provide new insights on promising financial returns from a range of impact investments.

Young, new social entrepreneurs around the world face a similar problem: building an audience and sustaining virtual communities. With social media playing an important role in audience building, early-stage entrepreneurs have begun to focus on popular networking sites to leverage engagement and maximise reach.

With all eyes on its government finances and rate of unemployment, the dominant view of Spain is that it will be in dire economic straits for a long time to come. Few people know that there is also a flip side: new forms of social innovation and a range of social approaches to business are to taking root in Spain's economic and political fissures.

About two years ago, while on vacation from my job prior to HubSpot, a friend sent me an Instagrammed photo captioned, "Meet Content Bot 3000!" The picture showed a cardboard box upside down in my desk chair back at the office, a face drawn crudely on one side with duct tape and marker.

For nonprofit admins that do not have the time to regularly research social media trends, it can be a battle to stay ahead of the learning curve. In addition to the time required to create content for social media and manage social networks, new media managers need at least two hours weekly to research social media trends and best practices.

Launching online fundraising campaigns around cause awareness days is good strategy. Social network communities are highly responsive to giving and promoting your nonprofit's cause on cause awarene...

Just as I was feeling overwhelmed by social media after a fast and furious year on the social networks, Julia Campbell sent me her guest post on that very topic. Julia is a social media expert who helps nonprofits get a handle on it all at J Campbell Social Marketing.

I find LinkedIn an extremely useful resource and would like more people to see why it is so helpful. Here are 5 tips for charities and those who work at/volunteer for them, for using this amazing, free site: 1- Like other forms of social media, LinkedIn is both a great way to learn new information...

Amazon introduced a new program today called AmazonSmile, which will automatically donate 0.5% of your purchases to the charity you select. It costs you (and the charitable organizations) nothing, and it's just like shopping on Amazon normally, but you get to do a world of good.

"The job of the #SocialEntrepreneur is to..." -Bill Drayton #socent pic.twitter.com/4aJ6EIPvEl

"My dream is to..." -Jaqueline Novogratz #socent #SocialEnterpise pic.twitter.com/YmpAftgDRA

Earlier this year, email marketers around the globe went into panic mode when the Gmail team introduced the new tabbed inbox. Email marketers worried that open rates would go down in Gmail. Once the dust settled, marketers realized that these tabs are not that bad.

Don't think in terms of immediate value, but in potential value. Some brands might be able to ignore social media, go on about their business as they always have, leave those new channels to others. Some brands can do this and suffer little negative impact, but you are missing out on massive opportunities that are waiting to be taken up.

A study by The Bridgespan Group, a philanthropy adviser, found that more people are retiring from finance careers at younger ages to pursue giving and social goals. "We're seeing a powerful trend toward investors who want to do more than just write checks to causes they care about.

During the past several years, I have had the privilege of working with a number of nonprofit boards that are leading and supporting fast growing nonprofit organizations. In some cases the fast growth had created tension. It is typical that the board feels like their established operating agreements are not responsive enough to accommodate the rapid decision-making required by the growth.

In 2013, Giving Tuesday planned for an even more successful national day of giving than 2012 with a redesigned website, materials for nonprofit partners, idea resources, promotional incentives, and awareness-raising activities on social media. For all that 2012 offered, GivingTuesday 2013 was even more successful, raising 90% more in 2013 than in 201 2 .

Thu, December 26 2013 Marketing Content Associate, Network for Good Filed under: Fundraising essentials * Image credit: flickr member nateOne After the busy nonprofit year-end giving season comes the often overlooked nonprofit thank you season. Remember to give thanks for donations early and often.

A holiday gift from Facebook just landed on the doorsteps of some of America's biggest charities to help boost their year-end fundraising. Nineteen nonprofits, including the American Red Cross, Livestrong Foundation, and Unicef, now have the ability to receive donations through their Facebook page with a donation feature that Facebook made available to them on Monday.

NGOs are leveraging the Vine platform in a variety of ways, including inspiring people with positive messages, promoting events and spreading awareness. Our picks: Using Creativity to Raise Awareness Around an Event: UNICEF UNICEF made a Vine for World Malaria Day showing a mosquito protesting bed nets outside its offices.

The survey found that 45 percent of U.S. seniors who use the Internet are on Facebook, up from 35 percent the previous year. The site saw usage grow for all adults over 30, and it is used by 71 percent of Americans, an increase from 67 percent last year.