LinkedIn is launching a new set of tools aimed at nonprofits. Earlier this year, the company launched LinkedIn Nonprofit Solutions under the LinkedIn for Good brand.

Google+ is the latest social network offering from the search-engine giant. While it remains to be seen whether it will gain the popularity with individuals to rival Facebook or Twitter, organizations are considering whether to invest in setting up an institutional presence.

Will Google+ be another tool for nonprofits to leverage the power of the internet to achieve their missions? Several important voices in the nonprofit community have offered their advice for social change organizations that are thinking about taking the plunge.

Late in June 2011, Google reattempted to go social. Even though the Google Plus launch was only announced with a simple blog post by Vic Gundotra, we all heard about it, and — dare I say it — we are all there. The well-known power of “exclusive” made us want to join the club. It might still be early to call it a hit. Nevertheless, the initial wave of interest has pushed Google stock up 13%.

Ning has gone a long way since they were featured on the Netsquared blog back in March 2007. Besides offering many more features than they had back then, there are now more than 500,000 social networks on Ning.

We recently got interviewed by the folks at Ning along with the folks from the ASPCA Online Community about our use of their platform in TuDiabetes.com and EsTuDiabetes.com to run our social networks for people touched by diabetes.

Google has apparently applied for a series of patents that will enable it to a put a value on how connected you are, within your social network. Akin to the "pagerank" system used by the search giant for valuing the popularity of websites, "friendrank" would help identify individuals who are particularly influential within circles of friends.

The next Net Tuesday San Francisco on September 9th will feature Nikki Serapio, the Director of Community Marketing for Involver. Involver facilitates companies and organizations building, launching, promoting, managing and monitoring video campaigns on social networks.

Chirag Shah, Special Projects Manager at Kiva.org, will also be on hand to talk about Kiva's experience using Involver.

If you don't live in the Bay Area, an audio recording of the speakers will be available on the NetSquared Podcast (thanks to David Collin) and a video will be posted on the NetSquared Blip TV Channel (thanks to Ross Chapman) after the event.

If you do live in the Bay Area, RSVP on Meetup, Facebook or Upcoming!

Via Kristen Nicole's post, YourCause: Connect with Others to Make a Difference on Mashable:

There are many people out there trying to create social networks around social change. I applaud this effort, but if you are one of them, I'd like to suggest that you do the following if you haven't already:

1. Write down what your project will provide that the "Facebook Causes" app doesn't.

2. Email Project Agape (which created the app) and ask whether they have any short-term plans to add the functionality under #1.

3. If you aren't going to provide something really, really, really big that Facebook Causes doesn't, consider moving on to another project.

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