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Becoming a Social Fundraiser: How to Build Donor Relationships on LinkedIn with Microsoft’s Carson Heady

When we think about fundraising in the nonprofit world, social media often brings to mind Instagram reels, Facebook groups, or maybe an occasional Tweet. But what if I told you that LinkedIn might just be the most powerful fundraising tool you’re not using yet?

In a recent conversation on the Missions to Movements podcast, Carson Heady, Managing Director at Microsoft Tech for Social Impact, shared how he’s helped nonprofits raise tens of thousands of dollars—just by using LinkedIn strategically. No complicated funnels. No big campaigns. Just relationship-building done right.

Whether you’re a founder, development director, or nonprofit marketer, this post will walk you through how to use LinkedIn to raise awareness, secure corporate partners, and even grow a reliable donor pipeline.

Let’s dive in.

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It Starts With a Conversation, Not a Campaign

One of the most striking takeaways from Carson was this: you don’t need to wait until your messaging is “perfect” to start sharing on LinkedIn. In fact, the best content often comes from simply being present and telling your story in real time.

Carson shared the story of a nonprofit executive who traveled frequently to different program sites and would post quick videos from the field. These simple, heartfelt videos caught Carson’s attention—not because they were polished, but because they were honest. That visibility later led to the executive being invited to speak at a summit with 2,000 other nonprofits.

“You get to choose where you invest your time and energy,” Carson said. “I strongly encourage you to start conversations on platforms where your audience is.”

This is the power of visibility. You never know who’s watching—or where one story might lead.

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Use LinkedIn to Capture Real-Time Moments

Dana Snyder shared a great example of her own. After appearing on a local CBS segment about monthly giving, she jumped on LinkedIn—not just to post the clip, but to talk about the moment that happened right before she went live.

The segment before hers featured a financial advisor talking about budget-conscious summer spending. Completely unplanned, it aligned perfectly with her message: how monthly giving can be a sustainable, wallet-friendly way to support causes.

Instead of just posting the news segment, Dana shared this story. She reflected on how being present allowed her to make a quick connection between the two messages—and used that moment to drive home the importance of being prepared to tell your story at any time.

That’s the kind of content that stops the scroll. That’s what builds trust.

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What About Corporate Partnerships? They Start With the Right Ask

Let’s face it: asking for money or sponsorship can feel awkward. But Carson emphasized that it doesn’t have to be if you approach it from a place of relationship-building rather than selling.

“Sometimes all it takes is a few sentences: why it matters to you, why it could be valuable to them, and an invitation to a conversation.”

Last year, Carson helped raise over $80,000 for a nonprofit using nothing more than well-crafted LinkedIn messages. They weren’t long-winded. They weren’t “salesy.” They were personal, timely, and clear.

And here’s a pro tip: Use AI tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot to help you write short, thoughtful messages if you get stuck. You don’t have to do this alone—and your words don’t need to be perfect. They just need to be you.

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Sales Navigator: The Best Tool You’re Probably Not Using

LinkedIn Sales Navigator was built for sales teams—but it’s now proving incredibly effective for nonprofits too.

In April, LinkedIn offered 6 months of free access to Sales Navigator for over 2,000 nonprofits. If you were one of them, don’t let that go to waste. If you weren’t, it’s still worth considering—especially if you’re focused on major gifts, sponsorships, or board recruitment.

Here’s how nonprofits are using it:

• Finding volunteers by filtering professionals by geography, role, and interests.

• Identifying potential board members based on keywords like “nonprofit” or “healthcare.”

• Building curated feeds of donor prospects or corporate contacts and engaging with their content directly.

• Using Smart Links to share proposals, newsletters, or podcast episodes—and tracking who clicks and views.

“It’s a much bigger pond to fish in,” Carson explained. “And now, you can target exactly who you want to reach.”

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Turn One Story Into 30 Days of Content

One of the biggest barriers nonprofits face when it comes to LinkedIn is time. How do you keep showing up consistently?

Carson has an answer: repurpose everything.

He uses a tool called Opus Clip, which can turn a 30-minute video or podcast into dozens of bite-sized clips optimized for LinkedIn. You can also take a transcript, drop it into ChatGPT, and generate blog posts, quote graphics, captions, or even email newsletters.

“I have no idea what I’ll post tomorrow,” he admitted. “But I show up. Because the stories always come.”

So start with what you already have. A podcast interview. A speech. A team meeting. A news segment. Then repurpose it into micro-content that stretches your reach—and saves you time.

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Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be Everywhere. Just Be Consistent.

It’s easy to feel like you have to show up on every platform—LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. Carson’s advice? Start small. Start somewhere. Then build from there.

Choose the platform where your audience already spends time, where you’re most comfortable, or where you want to grow—and stick with it.

“There’s no better story to tell than a nonprofit story,” he said. “And when you tell it with heart, people want to be part of it.”

So go ahead—send that message. Share that moment. Post that video.

You never know who’s watching.

Resources & Links

This show is presented by LinkedIn for Nonprofits. We’re so grateful for their partnership. Explore their incredible suite of resources and discounts for nonprofit teams here, including up to 50% off LinkedIn hiring tools.

Connect with Carson on LinkedIn and check out his podcast, Mastering Modern Selling. He also published a great article on LinkedIn, How I Became the #1 Social Seller in Tech – and How You Can Too.

Carson recommends Opus as his favorite AI video clipping tool.

My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.

Join The Sustainers, my Slack community for nonprofit professionals growing and scaling a recurring giving program.

Want to make Missions to Movements even better? Take a screenshot of this episode and share it on Instagram. Be sure to tag @positivequation so I can connect with you.