Change Notes: Vice President Biden Joins Points of Light on Day of Service
Dear Friends,
Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden and a dozen of their kids and grandkids joined Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and nearly 10,000 volunteers at the D.C. Armory yesterday to put together 100,000 care kits for U.S. military personnel, disabled veterans and civilian first responders. In his remarks thanking the thousands gathered for donating their time, Vice President Biden said, “Dr. King imbued in the public this notion of absolute service,” and noted that it was this legacy of volunteerism and service that Points of Light and President George H. W. Bush have continued.
It was an amazing day in Washington, DC and across the nation, as millions of volunteers honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a National Day of Service. Points of Light mobilized hundreds of thousands of people, including volunteers who mucked out homes devastated by Hurricane Sandy in New York, transformed veterans’ homes in Phoenix, and completed school makeovers in Los Angeles. Check out some of the great photos and extensive news coverage here.
Points of Light’s signature event in DC, the largest single-site service project of the inaugural weekend, was made possible by Target, which gives 5% of its profit and thousands of volunteer hours to communities every day. We are so proud of our partnership with Target and inspired by their extraordinary corporate leadership.
This weekend of service, celebrating Inauguration Day and Dr. King, is a great reminder that we each have a leadership role to play in setting the course for our nation.
Let us know what you did this weekend – and what you plan to do all year long, as we rededicate ourselves to Dr. King’s dream. Connect with Points of Light on Facebook and on Twitter at #2013MLKDay or at [email protected].
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
Change Notes: For Leadership, Look Beyond Washington
Friends,
This weekend, more than 250,000 individuals will honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through hands-on volunteer projects in hundreds of communities nationwide, thanks to the combined efforts of Points of Light and its affiliates, Target, and the Corporation for National and Community Service. On January 19, a day designated by President Barack Obama as a National Day of Service, 10,000 of those volunteers will convene in Washington, D.C. for UNITE America in Service, an event endorsed by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. You can learn more here on how to participate and can follow this event on Twitter using #2013MLKDay.
These events honoring Dr. King’s legacy of service showcase the power of individual action. I’ve written a blog, featured on Huffington Post, highlighting citizens leading extraordinary change through tough times in their communities (full text appears below). I think you’ll be inspired by their stories, and I invite you to read about more individuals creating meaningful change in communities on our Daily Point of Light site.
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
For Leadership, Look Beyond Washington
Today’s post is written by Michelle Nunn and published on the Huffington Post.
We are an optimistic people, but polls say we have become pessimistic about our nation’s future. Congressional approval ratings are at their lowest since 1974. A recent poll suggests that more than three in four Americans say politics is causing serious harm to the country. And a majority of Americans think today’s children will not be better off than their parents.
As we near Inauguration Day, is there cause for celebration?
I think so. Over the past year, I have seen a great deal of paralysis in Washington but the best of the can-do American spirit across the country. I’ve seen that we can look beyond our elected representatives and to one another for leadership — and for hope.
It is perhaps fitting that the inaugural weekend falls this year on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Dr. King’s memory and legacy remind us that our greatest moments, our most important strides as a nation, have come from the participation of millions of ordinary citizens.
In the face of tough economic times, disaster and tragedy, ordinary citizens routinely come through with kindness and help.
I see that in a group of neighbors who banded together in Nashville to help a family in tough straits cut its energy bill. When Raymond Abernathy, who has heart disease and diabetes, couldn’t prepare his house for the winter, his neighbors weather-stripped doors, put in window caulking and installed attic insulation. They didn’t look to a program to step in and help. They were the program.
We see that in a group of volunteers from New Orleans, all too familiar with life in the aftermath of a major natural disaster, who cheered up hundreds of Hurricane Sandy victims in Far Rockaway, N.Y., by reminding them about the power of community and joy. Volunteers traveled north to put on a New Orleans-style party with music and entertainment, food and gifts for people in need of a boost. They didn’t wait for the aid to be provided by someone else. They were the aid.
And I see that in Danbury, Conn., where thousands of people have contributed more than $3.5 million to support the Newtown community following the Sandy Hook School tragedy. Every penny raised will go to meet the needs of the Newtown community, as determined by members of that community.
Americans know how to solve problems, and we know how to build and rebuild. We also know that government can’t do it all, even in the best of times.
As we begin a new political season in Washington, let’s continue to debate the role and size of government, but let’s not look exclusively to our nation’s capital for leadership and motivation. In our time, there may be greater inspiration to be had when we look inward, at ourselves and at the great leaders in each of our communities, the heroes who step up to provide help in times of need.
The day that we inaugurate our president and remember Dr. King’s legacy of service is a good day to unfold those arms, step off the sidelines and get on with the hard work of creating a future of our own making.
Michelle Nunn is CEO of Points of Light, which is mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers in service to their communities on Jan. 19, 2013 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For details, go to pointsoflight.org/mlk.
in Arlington, VA. She was nominated for her work with the DC Ad Club in Washington, D.C. by Carol Montoya, President of Potomac Management Resources, the DC Ad Club’s association management company. Carol was eager to share her thoughts about Sherri, “Sherri has served on our board for six years and was recently elected to a third year as president, a testament to how much we value her leadership.”
During a recent interview Sherri shared that she serves in the DC Ad Club because she believes in the local advertising community: “The DC region is often overlooked for the variety of industries we have, and advertising is one of those. We have a really vibrant and creative advertising community that’s made up of agencies, media, PR, technology specialists, photographers, and every other professional that touches the advertising industry. I’m really inspired to show off the contributions that we make as a key part of every business’s needs, and that’s their marketing and advertising.”
Serving on a nonprofit board is hard and dedicated work, but most board members find it overwhelmingly fulfilling. We asked Sherri to share with us the advice she would give to those looking to serve on a board. She replied, “You’ve got to find an organization that you really believe in, and beyond that, you have to start volunteering. It is extremely important for nonprofit boards to have people who are willing to get the work done, and who have time to contribute to get the work done. Having a proven track record of enthusiasm and willingness to help, as well as leadership on a committee or with an event or program, shows how you can contribute in a more senior/larger leadership role with the organization.”
Points of Light and BoardSource created the Board Member of the Month award to honor outstanding individuals for their commitment to advancing the public good through exceptional nonprofit board leadership. We are so glad that Sherri was able to find an organization that she believes in.
As the January 2013 Board Member of the Month, Sherri Anne Green receives complimentary registration to the
national conferences and a year of BoardSource membership. She also becomes a candidate for the Board Member of the Year Award, which will be announced in December 2013.
Click here to nominate an outstanding individual for the
Recognizing Employee Volunteers – Another Way to Show You Care
Today’s guest post is written by Cristina Andoni, ATLAS Corps Fellowfrom Republic of Moldova, serving at Points of Light as Corporate Institute coordinator. If you’re interested in contacting her for more information, please e-mail [email protected]
Coming from a country where employee recognition is often given in the form of end-of-year bonuses, occasional tchotchkes and certificates at corporate parties, recognition programs in American corporations are strategic and complex.
Each year $46B is spent on employee recognition (Bersin&Associates, 2012) which includes employee volunteer recognition: grants (dollar for doers, matching gifts), traditional employee recognition (certificates, employee awards, success stories shared in media) and non-traditional recognition (ex: lunch with the upper management).
Recognizing employee volunteers goes beyond good judgment and cost-benefit analysis. Empirical evidence proves that recognizing employee volunteers is good for business. Recognized employees are more motivated, engaged and ultimately – more productive. After all, great recognition programs drive 31 percent lower employee turnover (Bersin&Associates, 2012) and engaged organizations have 3.9 times the earnings per share growth rate compared to organizations with lower engagement in their same industry (Gallup, 2011).
At Points of Light, based on Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence applicants, we have seen that while recognition programs vary in complexity depending on the corporate culture, strategic goals and mission, they all share the objective to motivate and maximize the impact of employee volunteers. To do so, some companies award their employee volunteers for hours they volunteer, while others provide philanthropic awards given to charities where employees volunteer.
Here are a few tips to consider when recognizing employee volunteers:
If you do not have a recognition program, consider starting one. Integrate formal and non-formal recognition practices into your program. Most effective recognition practices include volunteer grants, competitive awards (especially team awards) and story-telling.
While recognition is not a major motivator for most employees to volunteer, many employees want to be recognized (LBG Associates’ study on volunteerism, 2009).
Recognize volunteer employees for concrete actions and results. Align the employee recognition program goals to the corporate mission and business goals. Show your employee volunteers that their engagement contributes to the business in the long-run. Some Employee Volunteer Programs even integrate their volunteer recognition into company reward programs or performance review processes (Points of Light Trends of Excellence Series, 2012).
While recognition often works from the top down, i.e. management recognizing the volunteering efforts of its subordinates, employees want to be recognized as well as by their peers. For example, communicate about the great work your employees do in communities and involve their colleagues by asking them to vote for the most compelling project or volunteering activity.
Position recognition as a HR tool. Many companies are already actively using employee volunteer engagement to build employee skills, teams and even integrate employee volunteerism into the company annual performance review process.
While you want to clearly state the criteria for employee recognition (if there is such) and make recognition available for all employees, try to recognize your employees impromptu. A note of spontaneity will make your employees feel special.
Finally, analyze current employee volunteer behavior and preferences and draw conclusions. Place the employee at the center of all our actions, and build future program components based on what really works in your organization instead of on what might be “trendy” on the market at the moment.
Human capital employees are a company’s greatest asset. Recognizing volunteers is just another way to show your employees you value and support their community engagement and tell them that you care.
Want to have your company recognized for their great employee engagement? Click here to learn more about and apply for the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence. Deadline for applications is March 13, 2013, 11:59 p.m. EST
Points of Light will announce the 2013 Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence honorees at the Conference on Volunteering and Service in Washington D.C. on June 19 – 22, 2013.
are proud to announce December’s Board Member of the Month honoree George Brymer, who helped to establish the Mobile Meals Foundation and has been an instrumental board member for the
in Toledo, Ohio, for a dozen years.
Brymer’s leadership philosophy on board service involves drawing out the talents of each and every board member. He believes that this not only attracts good board members, but helps to retain them.
Serving as the board president, Brymer used his experience and expertise as a former banker to assist the Audit & Finance Committee. In addition he has used his marketing expertise to help rebrand the agency.
“I think that my legacy will be that I always challenged the status quo, that I always challenged other board members to take a second look at long-standing assumptions,” Brymer said. “It’s very easy for boards to fall into group think. It’s therefore critical that someone says, ‘Okay, but we haven’t thought of this, or what if we did it this way?’ I don’t always have the most popular idea, but it is always a second idea for people to think about.
“A lot of times, after a meeting, other board members will come up to me and say, ‘You said exactly what I was thinking, but I didn’t want to say it or I felt uncomfortable saying it.’ So, sometimes you just have to be a devil’s advocate. And that would be my advice to aspiring board members.”
As the December 2012 Board Member of the Month, Brymer receives complimentary registration to the
national conferences and a year of BoardSource membership. He also becomes a candidate for the Board Member of the Year Award, which will be announced in December 2013.
To nominate an outstanding individual, click
We heard many great stories of AmeriCorps service in 2012! From the first AmeriCorps Alum in the Senate to lists on the reasons Alums would make fantastic dates, you read and shared with friends and family why AmeriCorps Works and matters in your life.
Here are some of the top posts (based on views) from our blog:
What were some of your favorite AmeriCorps or Alums stories in 2012? Share with us in the comments!
After Hurricane Sandy, Real Work Continues
Friends,
In a parking lot in Far Rockaway, New York, a school bus is the volunteer staging site.
Volunteers check in and get their assignments. Then, with computers and maps of the neighborhood, they fan out to “muck out” homes, a critical first step to restoring power and starting the rebuilding process after Hurricane Sandy. Wearing protective gear and facemasks, they tear out the flooring and remove the debris and paneling in homes to eradicate mold.
Volunteers in Rhode Island clear
muck and debris from a local
business
A few weeks ago, I witnessed volunteers stacking all the ruined belongings of 82-year-old Maureen Gallagher in front of her modest home in the Belle Harbor neighborhood, which sustained extensive damage in the storm. The widow of a police officer, Maureen is staying with her daughter for the time being, but when she heard volunteers were at her home, she made a trip to thank them.
As tears ran down her cheeks, Maureen hugged the volunteers, who shielded her from seeing her beloved player piano added to the pile of debris.
Maureen is one of hundreds of homeowners helped by New York Cares, a Points of Light affiliate. In the past few months, New York Cares has deployed more than 12,000 volunteers, including President and Chelsea Clinton, to muck out homes, distribute supplies, and conduct food and clothing drives.
In addition to
, nine other HandsOn Network and Points of Light affiliates are actively engaging volunteers in the disaster response and the long process of rebuilding:
Although the television coverage has faded away, the suffering and frustration of our many fellow Americans in the wake of Hurricane Sandy has not. Just in Maureen Gallagher’s neighborhood, there are 400 homes on a waiting list, needing repairs.
But as thousands of displaced residents across the region want only to move back into their homes, the number of volunteers is dwindling.
As you get ready for the holidays, please take a moment to help Points of Light bring the power of people to bear where it matters most. Volunteer with a HandsOn Action Center or donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief today.
Thank you and best wishes for a happy holiday season.
In service,
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Points of Light
I’m a Small Town Girl with Big City Dreams to Change the World
Today’s post is written by Rachele Tanner. Rachele is the Program Coordinator for Year Up, Bay Area. Rachele’s passion for working with young adults stems from her experience in Tanzania, Africa and her local community work in San Francisco. She plans on working for Year Up fulltime next year in their new Silicon Valley expansion that will open its doors in March, 2013.
I grew up in the rural valley of California. People think surf and Hollywood when they think California, but they forget about the huge middle of it filled with agriculture, farms and heat. My town, Clovis, is where people grow up and become firefighters, teachers, farmers, bank tellers and full-time mothers. I knew this type of life was not for me. As much as I love my hometown, I knew that I was supposed to be doing something much bigger with my life. I didn’t know what that meant, but I knew I had to start early.
It was no surprise that at 18, I wanted to move to Africa and teach English. I remember my dad looking at me asking, why Africa? Well, when you’re 18 you make radical choices, and frankly, Big Brothers Big Sisters was just too small for this dreamer. After spending a summer in Tanzania, I knew at 19 years old that I wanted to make big things happen. I wanted to help people for the rest of my life. Eight years, two corporate jobs and a college degreelater, I find myself in nonprofit.
Never did I see myself as an AmeriCorps VISTA, but it’s given me the opportunity to work with a company that I absolutely love. How many people can say that they wake up every morning excited to get to work? Year Up has given me the opportunity as a program coordinator to love what I do. I am so blessed to say so. I work closely with students to ensure student success. That can mean quite a few different tasks: managing the tutoring program, assisting college registration, financial aid, matching students with mentors and any other college advising students may need. Most of my students have never had anyone help them with these resources; some have never been given the chance. There are more than 6.5 million young people in the U.S. looking for opportunities to succeed in professional careers and higher education, Year Up caters to 1,500 of those students a year nationwide. That’s barely a sliver.
I’m constantly reminding myself that every student is one student less falling in that huge opportunity gap. I get to know the students on a level that is extraordinary and am able to better build opportunities and provide the support they need in the classroom and beyond. I recruit volunteers to come and meet with them weekly and assist with homework and other areas of support vital to a successful outcome. Our volunteers come from businesses in the area – some of which have become our corporate sponsors. The interactions between business professionals and the talented young adults we have here at Year Up are essential. I also am the liaison between Year Up and our city college affiliate, City College of San Francisco. Our students earn a total of 13 credits once they have completed our program, as well as a certificate in computer networking and information technology. These opportunities are rare and few for young adults between the ages of 18-24, but at Year Up these rare opportunities become achievable.
Above all, my job is more than just tutoring and college assistance. It’s really about a movement: a space where students feel like they are a part of something more, a place where staff treat students as professionals, and a place where everyone feels supported and applauded. Year Up is a place where a small town girl like me can be a part of something much bigger than she ever imagined.
Change Notes: Acts of Charity Lead Us to Acts of Justice
There’s often a fine line between individual acts of caring and systemic change – a line we cross often in a world that needs both compassion and justice. That line took center stage last week at the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) conference in London, where I worked with 400 attendees from 70 countries — all of whom engage volunteers to help meet critical needs, all of whom end up developing solutions to larger issues in the process.
When we serve, confronting the needs of our community and our world, we are awakened to systemic challenges, and we discover new ways to meet them. Celina de Sola’s work in El Salvador is a case in point.
After responding to disasters in the U.S. and around the world, Celina wanted to have a longer-term impact in one place. She returned to her home in El Salvador to co-found Glasswing International (our affiliate in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) with Ken Baker.
Working with partners like Chevron, Hanes and USAID, the group targets at-risk schools where most students attend classes for little more than four hours per day and two-thirds drop out after 9th grade. Glasswing engages hundreds of volunteers to lead after-school programs – school newspaper clubs, discovery labs and glee clubs, and academic support in English and computers – along with ongoing projects to improve school facilities and grounds.
The payoff? Glasswing has extended the school day, increased attendance, and received a $5 million investment to extend the program to more cities and schools. Some say that Glasswing has focused the power of volunteers to combat the increasing sense of fatalism in El Salvador.
Points of Light’s international network has grown from a few social entrepreneurs to thousands of them, leading change in 22 countries. Singapore Cares has grown from zero to 20,000 volunteers in three years. RomAltruista, in Rome, has grown from zero to 1,000 volunteers in just three months.
In Brazil, RioVoluntario is applying skills-based volunteer leadership to improve the quality of day care for Rio’s low-income children. HandsOn Manila’s intensive enrichment program provides high-achieving kids in poor schools the resources to reach for academic success. On 15 university campuses, HandsOn China’s student leadership program offers over 20 student-managed projects each week, networking events, resume books for the top 150 student volunteers and roundtables with business leaders.
Companies are deploying their most capable professionals to countries around the globe. IBM volunteers have promoted digital entrepreneurship in Sao Paulo, built a strategy for attracting businesses to Danang City and created a five-year roadmap to make Johannesburg a safer city. General Mills nutritionists are fighting hunger in Malawi and UPS is changing driver education and improving safety in countries around the world.
Are all these good deeds charity or efforts to achieve social justice? Many would say there is a hierarchy of good, in which social justice trumps charity. But I see it more as a continuum. Often acts of charity lead us to acts of justice. We need volunteers to reach out with arms of compassion to care for the world and we need volunteers to help heal and repair what is broken.
