A Note from Our President & CEO
Dear Friends,
During fiscal year 2018, Points of Light engaged in a robust and thoughtful process to build upon our foundation by developing a new strategic plan to advance our mission and impact global change.
Joining the organization just one month before the fiscal year began, I spent my time understanding the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead. As a new leader, and as an organization, we embraced this opportunity for honest introspection and change.
This process included understanding many facets of a complex organization and taking action, including streamlining organizational finances, clarifying the program portfolio and equipping staff with effective leadership and vision through the creation of a new strategic plan.
In conjunction with the Board of Directors, we worked to rectify budget deficits, reverse stagnating revenue growth and centralize contracts and processes. Acknowledging that an organization’s finances are key to the healthy functioning of every department, financial stability was a priority for 2018 and a cornerstone accomplishment for our fiscal year. Entering Fiscal Year 2019, Points of Light is well-positioned for success.
We also evaluated the full portfolio of our programs. While Points of Light’s entrepreneurial spirit allowed it to expand its global impact across many sectors, this also led to diluted focus, reduced effectiveness, and often competed with our Global Network. While all programs served a purpose, streamlining programs allows Points of Light to be more impactful in its mission-focused programming.
To equip and guide the organization into the future, Points of Light initiated the process of creating a new strategic plan. Partnering with Deloitte for a design thinking session, a cross-functional team produced a 2019-2021 Strategic Plan. The plan was adopted by the Board of Directors at the end of the 2018 Fiscal Year and will prove integral to future operations of Points of Light.
We are feeling reenergized and refreshed after a year of change and are proud of the result of our effort: a stable organization equipped to empower individuals ready to take on the world’s greatest challenges. Under the guidance of superb leadership and with the new strategic plan, Points of Light is now streamlined for efficiency to ensure exceptional impact in FY19 and beyond.
In service,
Natalye Paquin
2017-2018 Annual Report
Nearly 30 years ago, during his presidency, George H.W. Bush laid the groundwork for a volunteer movement that binds our nation together across divides and unleashes the vast potential of individuals to improve the lives of others. This idea drives the Points of Light to missions to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that changes the world. Today, a culture of volunteering and service exists in communities across the globe.
Points of Light’s fiscal year 2018 (Oct. 1, 2017 – Sept. 30 2018) was characterized by tremendous impact and intentional change management. Points of Light is proud to have empowered 5 million individuals to deliver 14 million hours of service, creating a net impact of $361 million. This important work was accomplished with The Points of Light Global Network of 208 affiliates in 37 countries and 262 business partners. In addition, we welcomed a new President and Chief Executive Officer, Natalye Paquin, and undertook a strategic planning process.
Program Areas and Updates
Points of Light identified four major program areas for which it determined revenue and expenses. Corporate Solutions, Capacity Building, Recognition, and Youth and Family programming. Points of Light is proud to devote more than 77 percent of expenses to programming, utilizing the rest for management and fundraising.
Providing best-in-class corporate social responsibility consultancy and employee volunteer engagement programs, our corporate solutions programs help elevate companies from supporters to true stewards of community resources. Leveraging our Global Network members, we are also able to provide locally relevant, hands-on volunteer projects for companies with global footprints.
Points of Light’s capacity building programming focuses on providing nonprofits with tools, resources and training to improve their capacity to leverage volunteers to further their missions. Programming includes the Service Enterprise certification program, The Starbucks Foundation Service Fellows program, the Volunteer Management Training Series, and the annual Points of Light Conference, which brings together more than a thousand nonprofit professionals.
Points of Light’s recognition programs to lift up the individuals and their work and to inspire others. By using Points of Light’s owned media channels and those of our partners, our recognition programs spotlight individuals who are making significant positive impact in their communities. These programs include the Daily Point of Light Award, the President’s Volunteer Service Award and the L’Oreal Women of Worth program.
Points of Light’s youth and family programming inspire and equip our future civic leaders with meaningful experiences and issue education to spark a lifetime of service. These programs include research, resources, content and microgrant partnerships, from our youth division, generationOn, our annual Youth Summit, the Prudential Spirit of Community Service Clubs After School Program, and our partnership of the Disney Family Volunteering Ticket Program.
During fiscal year 2018, Points of Light concluded contractual obligations for several government programs, reduced its portfolio of Days of Service, successfully transitioned the AmeriCorps Alums program to the Service Year Alliance, and initiated the process to transition the Civic Accelerator program to another entity. These programmatic transitions allow us to focus on delivering on other programs to further support our mission.