Startups Addressing Digital and Financial Inclusion: Here’s Your Chance to Innovate and Grow
Are you running a startup working to answer this question: How might we accelerate technology adoption and financial inclusion for all to succeed in the digital economy?
Ayesha Khanna, founder of the Points of Light Civic Accelerator, addresses a group of accelerator participants in San Francisco.
The Points of Light Civic Accelerator can help. The program – now seeking applications from for-profit and nonprofit early-stage ventures – will convene 10-15 teams in Atlanta from April 11-14, in San Francisco May 9-13 and in Washington, D.C., June 13-17.
During the course of 10 weeks, participating entrepreneurs will take part in an intensive entrepreneurial curriculum founded in lean startup development, rapid innovation, design thinking and business model design, as well as connect directly with sector leaders, mentors and investors through curated events and workshops.
Since 2008, the economic recovery in the U.S. has gained momentum for many, yet financial security remains out of reach for low-income families, young adults and ethnic and racial minorities.
In today’s economy, digital skills and financial literacy are essential to reaching financial stability, obtaining living-wage employment and achieving economic mobility. And traditional models are failing to close the gap.
The spring 2016 Civic Accelerator will accelerate innovative, scalable ventures that increase opportunities for the underserved and underemployed through:
Financial services offering equitable access to investment capital
Savings incentives and access to cash
User-generated and peer-to-peer technologies that eliminate inefficiency and reduce costs for all
Digital skills development that increases employability and opens access to higher-wage opportunities
Financial literacy models that support and influence healthy financial behavior and greater access to social services, professional mentoring, career advice and healthy living
The deadline to apply for the spring session of the Civic Accelerator is Feb. 26. The accelerator does not charge for participation, and all selected ventures will receive travel and lodging stipends.
Millions of Americans will come together during the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, in a weekend of service and dialogue to honor his memory.
The civil rights movement taught us that when Americans are united in lending a hand, helping our neighbors and building better communities, our country lives out Dr. King’s ideals and can fully realize the American dream.
On this holiday, volunteers inspired by Dr. King serve each other in hopes of creating what he called the “beloved community.”
of Philadelphia will unite the tristate area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware) for the 21st annual Greater Philadelphia King Day of Service, bringing together 135,000 volunteers at some 1,800 projects, including collecting, sorting and packing donated business attire for men and women in need.
will host an America’s Sunday Supper, including an audience conversation around the theme “The Cradle to Prison Pipeline.” The nonprofit is also offering service opportunities during which volunteers will help bridge the literacy gap by reading to underserved youth at Atlanta public schools.
in North Carolina will organize a Community Resource Fair with 25 nonprofits providing support services to low-income families as well as sharing financial resources available to them, with nearly 10,000 volunteers in action.
will host service projects across two locations in New York City, involving educational enrichment and recreation for students, socialization for seniors and the revitalization of public spaces.
will mobilize 700 volunteers in New York City with a Community Resource Fair, engaging in civic discussions and hands-on service projects, including painting inspirational murals and creating care packages for cancer patients.
will host a two-day MLK Empowerment Summit in Los Angeles, giving community members the ability to learn about local economic opportunities, while also enjoying community activities, dialogue and a film screening.
in San Francisco will train volunteers to read with students in an effort to develop enthusiasm for reading; meanwhile, parents will learn techniques to foster literacy at home.
in Buffalo will engage 400 AmeriCorps members, students and community volunteers in a large-scale community food drive in support of 1,000 local military families.
volunteers in California will assist veterans and people recently impacted by the justice system to develop resumes, prepare for job interviews and improve their financial literacy.
will conduct a Professional Development Day in Los Angeles – providing resources to help residents find jobs. An estimated 150 volunteers will support workshops ranging from resume writing to mock interviews.
will host the annual MLK Read-In – during which children are paired with volunteer “reading buddies” – sharing the importance of reading and building relationships across communities.
in Detroit will host the Dr. King Day Summit – Stepping Up to Fulfill the Dream, which includes a brunch creating dialogue among community leaders. Service projects will commence in the weeks following the summit.
How will you make the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday a day on instead of a day off? Join millions of Americans across the country on Jan. 18 for volunteer service and dialogue to honor Dr. King’s memory.
MLK Day of Service volunteers assemble care packs for wounded veterans.
– Inspired by the legacy of Dr. King, America’s Sunday Supper invites people from diverse backgrounds to come together to share a meal, discuss issues that affect their community and highlight the power each one of us has to change lives.
to teach young people workforce skills. With help from volunteers like you, the MLK Day bootcamps will give 16- to 24-year-olds valuable exposure to critical workforce skills, such as effective communication, resume building, project management and networking.
. This special President’s Volunteer Service Award honors volunteers who perform extraordinary everyday acts of service.
For more about the MLK Day of Service, please visit
Share Your Kid’s Holiday Volunteer Story for a Chance to Win $1,000
Has your kid volunteered during this holiday season? Maybe through school or with your family? It’s not too late to participate in the generationOn Joy Maker Challenge, which ends Dec. 23.
Go to generationOn.org/joymaker to tell your kid’s holiday service story for a chance to win $1,000, which you may use to support further volunteer service. (Teens 13 and older may enter their own stories.)
Also during the challenge, Hasbro is donating a toy or game to Toys for Tots for every child or teen who signs up and volunteers, up to $1 million worth.
There are only two days left, so tell us your kid’s story today!
Here’s How You Can Fight Hunger
Hunger affects people in urban centers, suburbs, rural areas – and communities like yours.
Putting your skills and passions to work, you can help.
Maybe you’re a terrific cook who can make meals for those who can no longer cook for themselves. Or a digital expert who can help a hunger-focused nonprofit improve its website.
Check out the volunteer project search at HungerVolunteerConnection.org. You can narrow your search by your location and the issues that interest you. The site sorts through service opportunities that match your schedule and skills, and there are even virtual projects you can do from your computer.
In partnership with the ConAgra Foods Foundation, Points of Light and five other leading volunteer organizations have collaborated to bring you HungerVolunteerConnection.org, which works to inspire and engage more people to dedicate their time, talents and voice to the fight against hunger.
And if you work at a nonprofit centered on hunger, check out these resources designed to help your organization enhance and expand its volunteer program and rethink the possibilities of volunteer engagement.
Through HungerVolunteerConnection.org, volunteers like you have pledged more than 115,000 volunteer hours so far. Become one of them today – see how you can get involved and help end hunger for good.
7 Ways to Spread Joy This Holiday Season
It’s easy to spread holiday cheer. Donating to support your favorite causes is a great option, and there are many other ways to bring joy to neighbors in need. Here are seven things you can do to help make the holidays bright.
works with volunteers to make wishes come true for kids who need a little extra holiday cheer. You can help by donating money or toys, hosting a collection site or volunteering at a local warehouse.
Caroling is not only a perfect way to lift spirits; it’s also a great way to raise money for a good cause! Gather friends and family to participate in a caroling fundraiser such as the Nationwide Children’s Hospital “
Make your neighborhood a brighter place by offering to help hang holiday lights and decorations for an elderly neighbor, or someone who could use some seasonal good will. If you need some inspiration, just check out this story about a
Satisfy the holiday sweet tooth while giving back to the community! Get friends and family together to host a holiday bake sale benefiting the cause of your choosing. Have leftovers? Make sure you identify a local food pantry or shelter that will accept your extra holiday treats.
. If you don’t have room for a new pet, consider volunteering at your local shelter or donating pet supplies.
7.
Provide warmth to someone in need.
As the weather gets colder, consider helping someone who can’t afford winter clothing stay warm. Many local charities and volunteer groups host coat and blanket drives for homeless shelters and families in need (for example, check out these annual coat drives hosted by our affiliates
location in your community where you can volunteer or donate your spare coats to provide warmth for those in need.
Using Their Expertise, GE Volunteers Work to Clean Singapore’s Waterways
Singapore’s rivers and canals – though relatively clean – contend with litter and illegal disposal of waste, despite measures to curb both. Meanwhile, the invasive pink snail and rapidly multiplying algae destroys the aquatic plants that provide oxygen, food and shelter to fish and other underwater life.
A GE engineer collects a water sample from an algae-filled, man-made pond stemming from the Kallang River in Singapore.
On Dec. 4, during one of a host of volunteer projects happening across the globe as part of the GE Global Month of Service, GE volunteers came together in Singapore to clean area waterways. The event was an extension of recent visits from GE employees volunteering their time and expertise to devise and implement sustainable solutions to treat local pond waters.
Current measures to curb pollution in Singapore’s waterways include the installation of vertical gratings at drain outlets and placing floating barriers at strategic locations along the waterways. Despite these efforts, the pollution persists and steadily increases.
During visits in October and November, GE engineers – as volunteers – brainstormed ways to clean a pond the volunteer organization Waterways Watch Society created for an environmental education program.
GE volunteers used nets to remove litter and debris from Singapore’s Marina Reservoir.
The engineers inspected the site and tested the waters, devising a plan that includes adding a submersible pump, creating more outlets between the pond barrier and the adjoining Kallang River and introducing fish that eat algae and snails.
Opening the Dec. 4 events, Wouter Van Wersch, president and CEO of GE ASEAN; Amy Sheren, executive director of Points of Light Asia; and Eugene Heng, founder and chairman of Waterways Watch Society, released snail- and algae- eating yellow boxfish into the pond, a step toward implementing the GE engineers’ plan.
Another group of GE volunteers on hand that day then split into groups under cloudy skies to clean litter from the Marina Reservoir and along the Kallang River, by kayak, bike, boat and on foot.
Setting out on foot, GE volunteers picked up litter along the Kallang River in Singapore.
Much of the litter they found was comprised of the usual suspects – plastic bags and bottles. One volunteer who set out on a kayak said he had collected about more than 100 pounds of trash. While Christopher from Indonesia, a volunteer on the bicycle patrol, said of the outing, “It was an eye-opening experience.”
Throughout the GE Global Month of Service, which culminated on Dec. 5, International Volunteer Day, GE and Points of Light came together to support and encourage GE employees to address issues that matter most in their regions.
Peter Yang – founder and executive director of Empact, the organization that coordinated the Singapore waterways volunteer projects – said he hopes that having made a difference through their participation, “the volunteers will be inspired to do more.”
Here’s How Your Kids Can Spread Joy This Holiday Season
While many lucky children and their families think of the holidays as a warm, happy time, countless others are instead struggling with illness, poverty or other challenges.
Max Page, center, is joining the Joy Maker Challenge.
Your kids can help brighten the holidays for others through the generationOn Joy Maker Challenge, which engages youth in volunteer service. During the challenge – which runs through Dec. 23 – Hasbro will donate a toy or game to Toys for Tots for every child or teen who signs up and volunteers, up to $1 million worth.
Eleven-year-old Max Page, known for his role as mini Darth Vader in a Volkswagen Super Bowl ad, is one of generationOn’s 57 Joy Maker Challenge ambassadors this year. Each ambassador, selected through a competitive application process, has received 100 to 500 Hasbro toys and games to donate locally as part of a service project he or she will hold during the Joy Maker Challenge.
Max has big plans for his share. He’s selected 10 families to pick out 10 toys each during a toy distribution event he’s hosting at his home, with his family and best friend. Each family will have the chance to pick a local organization with which to share the toys. Max’s goal is to make sure the toys don’t all end up in one place; he wants to spread the joy to those who need it most.
“Parenthood” actor Xolo Maridueña explains how kids can take the Joy Maker Challenge.
Max knows how much it means to be on the receiving end of kindness. Born with a congenital heart defect, he underwent open heart surgery at age 7 at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and has received treatment ever since, including two surgeries this past summer.
“I’ve been in that place when others reached out and helped me before,” Max says. “I loved it so, so much that I wanted to know how I could do the same for others.”
Encourage your kids to join Max and hundreds of thousands of kids across the country for the Joy Maker Challenge.
Those who share their stories on generationOn.org/joymaker have a chance to win grants to continue their service, including a $1,000 grand prize or one of 20 $250 grants. Throughout the campaign, one participant will be selected each week to receive a pack of 10 Hasbro toys to donate in their community, like Max. Youth can also share their stories of service on social media using the hashtag #JoyMaker.
How will your kids spread joy?
Doing Good Around the World
In Brazil, they’ve helped students reflect on their professional aspirations. In Pakistan, they’ve packed warm clothing, blankets and other necessities for people displaced by a recent earthquake. In the U.S., they’ve helped clean up a state park for everyone to enjoy.
GE volunteers in Pakistan pack necessities, such as warm clothing and blankets, for earthquake victims.
Leading up to International Volunteer Day, Dec. 5, GE volunteers around the world are showing their commitment to their communities during the GE Global Month of Service – for which GE and Points of Light have come together to support and encourage GE employees to address issues that matter most in their regions.
“Our prime purpose in life is to help others,” said Hassan Mahmood, a GE volunteer who participated in the Pakistan earthquake relief project. Added fellow volunteer Khalid Ejaz, “The spiritual satisfaction is unmatched.”
In the U.K., GE volunteers are bringing science, technology, engineering and math – collectively known as STEM – to life for girls through the GirlsGetSET program, often using everyday, household items. One example: a challenge to build a system to control the flow of balls from one point to another.
Using what they’ve learned from GE volunteers, female students in the U.K. take on a challenge to build a system to control the flow of balls from one point to another.
“GirlsGetSET is something which I am particularly passionate about, being a female leader within the engineering industry – being able to promote our industry, seeing the girls learn new skills and myth-busting some of the stereotypical views,” said Denise Lawson, a GE planning and production leader.
STEM education has been a popular choice for GE volunteers elsewhere across the globe, including Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and the United States.
During a community service day at a high school in Bangalore, India, IT professionals volunteered to offer career advice to students and transform a ragged area of grass into a playground.
In the coming days, GE volunteers in six locations across the U.S. will assemble hundreds of care packages for military members stationed overseas.
Volunteers say the experience of helping others is one they treasure.
Kyle Jassoy, a project manager at GE, recounted volunteering with his colleagues at a community food program in Wisconsin called The Gathering.
“Our group was lucky enough to have some face time with Jim, the facility coordinator, who explained exactly what the program means to this community,” Jassoy said. “He had many stories that depicted daily groups of guests who were grateful to have warm conversations and shelter, which seemed to be just as important as the food. Honestly can’t wait to help this cause again.”
In Thanksgiving
This post is by Tracy Hoover, Points of Light’s CEO.
Tracy Hoover
Like many Americans, today I’m celebrating Thanksgiving. And, even though I don’t really care for turkey or pumpkin anything, this is one of my favorite holidays. It’s the acts and ideals of Thanksgiving – shared harvest, community, homecoming and out-loud thankfulness – that speak to this idealist’s heart.
In this year of so much tragedy, the rituals of coming together and giving thanks seem profoundly important. In fact, I believe affirming the good and brilliant glimpses of light in our lives and in our world, can be a powerful tool for dispelling the hopelessness that prevails when problems seem far too big to solve.
During times like these, people often ask me, “What can I do?” Honestly, it’s the same question I ask myself. In those most tragic moments, the hunger to help – to do something – is overwhelming, and yet there is no universal solution. However, I am constantly inspired by the unique and powerful answers that come from volunteers who do act. Rather than waiting for the perfect solution, they do what they can, where they are, with what they have.
So, in thanksgiving for all the changemakers, I want to share just a few of the brilliant points of light I’ve seen recently and invite you to tell us about the ones you’ve discovered too, using the hashtag #thanksgivingpointsoflight.
In Paris: During the recent terrorist attacks, as subways shut down and people were told to get off the streets, thousands of Parisians offered their homes to those needing shelter. Through social media, volunteers created #PorteOuverte, which means “open door,” to give neighbors and strangers a safe place to stay amid rampant fear and uncertainty.
California mom Cristal Munoz-Logothetis launched an Indiegogo campaign to deliver 1,400 much-needed baby carriers to refugee families in Greece. (Read more about and support her effort, Carry the Future, here.)
Eight photojournalists who have documented the lives of refugees are selling their stunning photos to raise awareness and money to help refugees.
In the United States: Kassy Alia’s husband, Officer Greg Alia, died in the line of duty Sept. 30. And yet, six days later, Kassy was at Harvest Hope in Columbia, S.C., volunteering to get food to those who needed it most after their homes were destroyed by flooding. Kassy shared, “I felt driven to come out and give back to the community who has given us so much.”
Especially this year, I am thankful for the changemakers – the points of light in our world – and the hope they inspire in all of us.
