How to Find Your Charity Network with CharityConnect
Do you sometimes feel a bit isolated in your role? The charity sector does amazing work, often with staff that go above and beyond and limited budgets. But because of this, there aren’t as many places to turn to when you need support with a project or crave connection with peers who you can learn from.
This is where having a strong network of other charity professionals across the sector can be invaluable.
CharityConnect is an online network of over 17,000 charity professionals where you can meet like-minded people in the sector and find support in your role. Here are just some of the ways you can use CharityConnect to find your charity network and boost your career.
Find your community
Speaking to people directly and starting a sincere conversation can be just as, if not more, beneficial as any video you watch or book you read. CharityConnect is here to open the door that might otherwise be closed.
CharityConnect contains various charity communities, from fundraising to admin and ops. You can drill down even further and focus on specific topics, such as individual giving fundraising, using subcommunities, which makes it easy to find people and conversations that are really within your specialism.
There’s a place for all types of charity discourse on CharityConnect. Discuss burning sector issues with other charity people or discover the hottest current discussions under ‘trending posts.’
Find support for your workplace challenges
Feeling stuck with a project at work? Even if you’re a seasoned charity sector veteran, there’ll come a time when you’ll have an important career question that needs answering. And what better way to learn than from others in the charity sector who’ve overcome the same issues you’re currently tackling?
Save yourself the time and stress of trying to face every problem alone by tapping into the charity sector’s hive mind. You can ask the community any question, no matter how niche. Or search through the archive of past posts to find the answers you’re looking for from people who’ve been there before. With the use of anonymous posting, you can even ask sensitive questions without naming yourself or the charity you work for.
Network and find a mentor
Looking to network and make contacts in the sector? CharityConnect run virtual ‘Connections’ events. Each event begins with a talk by an industry expert in fields ranging from fundraising to charity governance. After this, you’ll get a chance to meet in small groups with like-minded charity professionals in your field for around 20 minutes. This is an informal way to meet with others across the sector in a supportive environment. Bring a task with you that you’d like help with, or use the prompts provided to get conversations flowing. It’s never been easier to develop a charity network.
We want to ensure that everyone has access to the information that they need for a budding career. And a huge part of that is learning from others with experience. If you’re looking for some extra support in your charity career, why not ask in the community for a mentor in your specialism?
Share your expertise
Community and collaboration are at the heart of CharityConnect. Have you been working in the charity sector for several years? If so, your experience and expertise are invaluable to those just starting out and those working for small charities who often feel like a one-man band. Pool knowledge by sharing your advice with others on the community.
You could even offer to become a mentor for someone else. Not only will this give you management skills to put on your CV, but it’s a great opportunity to give back to the sector and support the running of other charities.
So, if you’re looking for a way to build your charity network and connect with other charity people, learn and create a future of collaboration, CharityConnect is the place for you. Join the community to start connecting today.
This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated to ensure relevance.
