affiliates who are positively impacting their communities through volunteerism and other pathways to doing social good. The Points of Light Global Network operates with a network of innovative volunteer-mobilizing organizations that serve more than 145 affiliates across 39 countries around the world. Together, we are inspiring, equipping and mobilizing more people to use their time, talent and resources to create positive change in their communities.
, the leading organization in the field of volunteering in Israel, specializing in matching volunteers with organizations. We’re proud of all the work this member of the Points of Light Global Network is doing in Israel and beyond. We spoke with Hannah Wojno, director of the international division of Ruach Tova, to get her unique perspective on Global Volunteer Month and how her organization incorporates their own upcoming event, an international day of volunteering, Good Deeds Day.
How is your organization recognizing Global Volunteer Month this year?
Ruach Tova (“Good Spirit” in Hebrew) celebrates Global Volunteer Month primarily through our event,
, which was created 17 years ago and has gone on to become a global movement of doing good around the world. As the Points of Light Affiliate of Israel, we see Global Volunteer Month as part of the global month of celebrations, like an umbrella of volunteering.
In Israel, Good Deeds Day saw 2 million people taking part in hands-on volunteering projects across the country. There were also seven mega-events for the public to celebrate doing good, including entertainment and fun ways to volunteer. One thousand companies volunteered, 250 municipalities engaged their residents, and 10,000 projects were offered to the public via our website. The message this year is: think good, speak good, do good.
What are some of the projects completed through your organization during Global Volunteer Month?
Some examples include establishing community libraries, packaging food, giving aid to underserved populations, working to protect the environment, volunteering for animal welfare, helping seniors in their homes, preparing food for those who needed a hot meal and more.
All of these are done under different frameworks – in the neighborhood, through the schools, in the workplaces or through the mobilization of the entire organization, with the participation of entire units of soldiers, policemen, students, trainees of youth movements and private companies.
Are you working with other Points of Light Global Network affiliates on a community project around volunteerism?
Over 20 Points of Light Global Network affiliates are taking part in Good Deeds Day around the globe.
offers projects around the country. In Delhi, there will be a school renovation project to create better infrastructure and creative learning space for children. They will engage up to 200 employees in a School Refurbishment activity, clocking 600+ volunteering hours. These are just a few examples of organizations we partner with.
How are you engaging with volunteers to inspire them to participate in community service activities?
We run campaigns both online — social media, online news publications — and offline in Israel, through radio, billboards and posters, to encourage volunteers to either sign up for a volunteer project in their community or lead a project with friends, family members or their companies. We also work with hundreds of municipalities in Israel to help them involve people in volunteering.
What resources or tools are you providing to volunteers to help them get involved in their community?
We provide toolkits, branding, seminars, workshops, mentoring, 10,000 projects anyone can sign up for, activation at universities on how to plan projects and more.
How are you recognizing and thanking volunteers for their contributions during Global Volunteer Month?
There are specific events recognizing the work of volunteers. All of the projects and the entire initiative is focused on the volunteers themselves (instead of the beneficiaries).
What impact has Global Volunteer Month had on your organization and the communities you serve?
It’s had a huge impact. We are breaking records of community involvement and impact, boosting the culture and activation of volunteering in Israel and globally. It’s positioned our organization as the place to go for when you want to volunteer, and the impact on the communities has been the most important. Through the framework they are now engaging in volunteering all year round, bringing communities together and addressing critical issues as a community.
What role does volunteerism play in your organization’s overall mission and objectives?
Volunteerism is the backbone of our mission and objectives. We believe everyone has the power to do good, which is why we specialize in connecting individuals and groups to causes and organizations they’re passionate about, in order to help them to make a difference in the world.
Share one success story of a volunteer (or a group of volunteers) in your community who have made a significant impact.
One woman decided to organize free wedding dresses and fittings for brides due to the high prices of wedding dresses. She is giving out 300 dresses to women who need them by offering a fun day to try on and get fitted for their special day. She opened a bridal shop 10 years ago after her own struggles with the mission to make wedding dress shopping accessible for all.
She receives and accepts donations and for her project, volunteers will help arrange the dresses. Some of them come from the school for special education in Kibbutz Hamediya, and the girls from the studio of Beit Shean as well. Girls will come to pick a dress and get it fitted and then return it after the wedding for another person to use.
What are some future plans for your organization to continue promoting volunteerism and civic engagement beyond Global Volunteer Month?
Engaging volunteers is the backbone of our everyday work – we operate a call center divided by region that assists individuals on finding the perfect opportunity for them. We also work with more than 2,000 companies year-round for corporate volunteering.
Can you share any tips or best practices for other organizations looking to recognize Global Volunteer Month?
Just start small or brand one of your current projects as part of Global Volunteer Month.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who’s looking to get more involved in their community through volunteerism?
Find the right cause. What is a cause your community needs, that matches both your interests and abilities? Sometimes we want to do something but don’t have the means or connections, while other times we have the means and it matches perfectly with the community needs and our personal passions.
4 Tips to Maximize Your Social Impact This Global Volunteer Month
, a framework for creating social impact that opens the door to doing good in your own community.
Why is Volunteering so Impactful?
Volunteering represents an individual’s ability to choose to lend their time and talent to a cause area they are passionate about in order to advance that cause or help solve a societal issue without concern for personal gain – monetary or otherwise.
Although the spirit of volunteerism can be seen in an act as simple as helping a neighbor bring in their groceries, volunteering is an act that is often done in partnership with a nonprofit organization. Most nonprofits rely on their volunteer base to help keep their mission alive and do the greatest level of good for the communities they work with. Volunteers help these organizations save critical financial resources that can then be maximized in other ways for the benefit of the communities served.
There are plenty of ways you can volunteer, both with a nonprofit and outside of one. The majority of acts of volunteerism today are typically informal – mowing the lawn of a senior friend or organizing a donation drive for someone who lost their home in a natural disaster.
shows that while 43% of Americans prefer to volunteer with a nonprofit organization, 28% prefer to volunteer with friends or neighbors, without an organization’s involvement.
Create Your Action Plan
You might be passionate about a lot of different cause areas, so narrowing down the one or two areas to which you’d like to contribute your time and talent is the first step.
to help guide this initial process of defining where you’d like to focus your energy in volunteering and other ways of supporting the causes you care about.
By determining your top values and issue areas, exploring the issues to get educated on what initiatives currently exist and considering your specific skill set, you can make a more strategic decision about how, when and where to volunteer.
Research Volunteer Opportunities
Next, you’ll want to find volunteer opportunities in your community – or beyond – that align with the causes you defined in your action plan.
is a great place to start. This global database features hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world just waiting for the right volunteer to step up. You have the ability to search and filter opportunities based on location and even look for virtual opportunities if you’d like to volunteer from home.
You can also contact nonprofit organizations in your area to see what their needs are and how you can best contribute. Reaching out through a phone call or email can help you make connections with the organizations advocating for the social issues you care about and even if they don’t currently need volunteers, they may be able to help point you in another direction so you can start contributing to the cause.
“Volunteering doesn’t just mean dedicating your whole life. Just a note. Just a phone call. Just appreciating someone who’s around you. You yourself can step into someone’s shoes, feel their pain and help improve their lives. Volunteering can start with shaking someone’s hand or patting someone on the back, all the way to going on mission trips or donating every month. Volunteering is a blessing. When you give, you receive. You receive an abundance of peace, happiness and improved outlook on life.”
— Daily Point of Light Honoree NISHA MANDANI
Start Small and Work Your Way Up
You don’t need to tackle every cause area or take on hours of volunteer work per week to start making a difference. Often, the best way to begin is by completing a one-time volunteer project. Then, you can get a feel for the organization and for the type of work you’re doing to see if it’s a good fit.
If you have the capacity, committing to a regular volunteer schedule once a week or once a month is a smart next step. Don’t try to take on too much too quickly – this can result in compassion fatigue and
. While volunteering is always needed in our communities, the most effective and impactful volunteerism is achieved by those who maintain a healthy sense of balance and continue to prioritize self care throughout their work.
“There’s nothing magic about it. If you have that volunteer itch, scratch it! It doesn’t matter what cause it is. Volunteering is so rewarding. It’s something special — it’s so authentic and it comes from a great place, which is an individual’s heart. You should never think any volunteer opportunity is too small. It can grow into something huge.”
— Daily Point of Light Honoree ALEX BROWN
Check Out Global Volunteer Month Resources
The tips above cover some ways you can get started with volunteering now and at any time of year. For more ideas on planning an initiative or event for Global Volunteer Month, check out Points of Light’s
. These resources are full of inspiration on creating and leading successful social impact initiatives throughout April, including communication techniques, ideas for recognition and even logos you can use on social media.
There are four different toolkits tailored to various audiences – nonprofits, companies, government officials and individuals. Download the toolkit that’s applicable for you to get fresh ideas on how to celebrate volunteerism this month.
Want to explore more? Check out these additional resources:
How to Volunteer: One Microstep at a Time: This article covers more tips for getting in the right mindset and taking small steps toward making volunteering part of your lifestyle.
Charity Navigator: you can vet the nonprofit organizations you’re considering to see how their mission aligns with your values, what their impact has been and how their funds are distributed, making you a more informed participant as you begin to volunteer.
Points of Light’s Corporate Services & Solutions: if you’re managing a CSR program or attempting to launch an employee engagement program, partnering with a nonprofit can help. Points of Light has a team of experts with best-in-class tools, frameworks and customized support to help establish or refine your initiatives.
HandsOn NWNC Focuses on Volunteer Recognition During Global Volunteer Month
affiliates who are positively impacting their communities through volunteerism and other pathways to doing social good.
The Points of Light Global Network operates with a network of innovative volunteer-mobilizing organizations that serve more than 145 affiliates across 39 countries around the world. Together, we are inspiring, equipping and mobilizing more people to use their time, talent and resources to create positive change in their communities.
, a member of the Points of Light Global Network, mobilizes the people and organizations that inspire community change in Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties in North Carolina. HandsOn NWNC envisions a Northwest North Carolina where citizens and nonprofits are equipped and engaged in creating thriving, healthy communities.
We spoke with Amy Lytle, executive director at HandsOn NWNC, to get her thoughts on Global Volunteer Month and how the organization supports its volunteers to take action and increase social good. She shared why volunteer recognition and other ways of engaging volunteers is so important.
How is your organization recognizing Global Volunteer Month this year?
Our largest event of the year is the Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards, where we recognize the “best of the best” volunteers in our area at a 250 to 300 person breakfast that draws a wide variety of community leaders. This year, we’re holding the breakfast on May 2, but we profile all of our two dozen nominees in social media posts leading up the event.
How are you engaging with volunteers to inspire them to participate in community service activities?
, our online volunteer matching portal. And we publish a quarterly Volunteer Connection e-newsletter that highlights a variety of engagement opportunities. We also provide ongoing
What role does volunteerism play in your organization’s overall mission and objectives?
Volunteerism is at the heart of why we exist. We have an active and engaged board of directors. The Program and Marketing committee of our board also serves as the core of the selection committee for our GVSA awards as well as our competitive, stipended programs.
We constantly seek to engage new audiences in volunteerism, whether it be youth (we just recently laid down a Youth Engagement Coalition, but it had been very active during the pandemic) or corporate, or the more rural/ex-urban parts of our service area.
Share one success story of a volunteer (or a group of volunteers) in your community who have made a significant impact.
Lots of our “best” volunteer stories have been recognized as
, another outstanding volunteer, was the driver behind our Youth Engagement Coalition and served on our board for two years while she was in high school, and has changed local public transport policies to make relying on the bus easier for families who need it to buy groceries:
What are some future plans for your organization to continue promoting volunteerism and civic engagement beyond Global Volunteer Month?
We also promote volunteerism around our large, established MLK Day of Service Read-In event, and we’ve put together a Civic Circle presentation that we’ve done for our local Chamber’s HR roundtable as well as local conferences for a variety of audiences. We hope to continue to do similar presentations to civic and church groups in the future.
Can you share any tips or best practices for other organizations looking to recognize Global Volunteer Month?
Just do it! Try to tie your local, pre-existing efforts into GVM and the Civic Circle to widen your story and generate press coverage.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who’s looking to get more involved in their community through volunteerism?
Give us a call, check out our website and think about the causes and issues you most care about. As the Indigo Girls said, “If I’ve got a care in the world, I’ve got a gift to give.”
Volunteer Recruitment Strategies for Global Volunteer Month
When anyone embarks on planning a volunteer project or initiative, sufficient v
olunteer recruitment is often a concern that tops their list
approaches, you will want to consider what you can do to ensure you have enough people power to truly make an impact in the cause area you’re supporting.
Whether you’re leading a team of CSR professionals or simply trying to enroll others in your volunteer project at work, you can use these volunteer recruitment strategies to maximize your impact.
Plan Ahead for Volunteer Recruitment
To maximize your results, you’ll want to start planning your Global Volunteer Month project or initiative now. Determine which cause area(s) you’ll choose to support, who will lead the efforts and what supplies you’ll need. If you’re partnering with a nonprofit organization for an event, you’ll need to establish this relationship and ensure logistics are overseen.
Where and when will your event or project take place? How many volunteers will you need? What will you need to prepare in advance? Will the partner organization take care of supplies, or is this something you’ll need to supply? Consider food, transportation, parking and scheduling as well.
“In addition to addressing basic community needs, companies should also consider how they can collaborate effectively with community partners to help create the next generation of their workforce to help strengthen local communities economically, educationally and socially. If your company is creating partnerships that foster opportunities to expose, train and educate the next generation for employment in your industry, then everyone wins.”
— Jennifer Nash, Senior Vice President, Points of Light Corporate Solutions
Communicate Early and Often
One of the best ways to boost volunteer recruitment is to ensure that people know about your event and how they can participate. So as early as possible, begin to promote your project in internal communications materials like emails or newsletters. Be clear about who the project lead is and how employees can sign up to volunteer their time and talent. You might even promote the event on your social media channels.
You can reference Points of Light’s
for inspiration on your communications strategy. These resources include translated logos, social media graphics and sample messages to easily share your participation with your audiences. They’re tailored to four audiences: nonprofits, companies, government officials and individuals.
Provide Ample Resources to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment
Your employee volunteers will need to know as much as possible about the project or event, and how to plan effectively for it. So provide them with a detailed schedule as well as a list of things they should prepare, pack or wear. Will you be providing food? If not, make that clear in your communication.
Incentivizing volunteers can go a long way in recruiting employees for your project. You might be offering a catered lunch, a certificate of completion, a small gift card or something else as a “thank you” for their time. If you’re offering paid volunteer time off (VTO), make this clear in your communication strategy – it can be one of the best ways to incentivize employees.
Celebrate Your Project and Volunteers
Want to increase employee engagement for your program or initiative, or ensure that next year’s Global Volunteer Month efforts have a great turnout? One method to help promote volunteer recruitment is to celebrate the efforts from this year’s volunteer activities. Some recognition ideas are to have a shoutout in your company-wide newsletter, host a luncheon for volunteers or nominate an outstanding employee volunteer for the
. When volunteers feel seen and recognized, they’re more likely to participate again in the future, and recognition can help you attract new talent too.
If you’d like more support rolling out your employee engagement program or finding ways to recognize your employee volunteers, Points of Light’s
can help. Our team of experts equips you with best-in-class tools, frameworks and customized support to streamline your program and increase your impact.
3 Ways to Show Employee Volunteers Appreciation This Global Volunteer Month
rapidly approaches in April, you’ll want to ensure you have a strategy in place for executing your organization’s social impact projects. But there’s something else we highly recommend employers take into account: employee recognition.
Taking the time, effort and budget to properly recognize your employees and volunteers for their efforts during this month of volunteering can serve both you and them in the long run. Volunteer appreciation builds morale, boosts engagement, sparks passion and helps your programs thrive for years to come.
Here are three tips to Show your volunteers Appreciation during Global Volunteer Month
Nominate Them for a Daily Point of Light Award
Founded by President George H.W. Bush in 1993, the
award program has been running strong for decades. To date, more than 7,000 Daily Point of Light honorees have been named. Each Daily Point of Light awardee receives recognition with a feature article on the Points of Light website, as well as networking and event benefits.
Take Daily Point of Light Honoree
, for example. He’s a Bank of America employee who helps people create a lower cost of living and improve lives through better money habits and financial literacy. His mission is to empower people through knowledge about their finances.
, a KPMG employee, volunteers her time with the Special Olympics, helping bring inclusivity and unity to unified golf athletes, in partnership with KPMG’s sponsorship programs.
Taking the time to nominate a few outstanding volunteers for this prestigious award can help them feel seen and appreciated for their pro bono efforts.
“We all know that what is celebrated is replicated, which is exactly why recognizing and celebrating your volunteers is key to inspiring other employees to get involved. A volunteer recognition strategy is a path to communicating impact, boosting participation, shining a spotlight on causes, and reinforcing your company’s commitment to community.”
— Katie Stearns, Chief Global Corporate Solutions Officer
helps you recognize your star volunteers, individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.
The inspiring changemakers from Le PeTiT CiRqUe are a testament to the unstoppable positive impact of our nation’s youth. Le PeTiT CiRqUe, a humanitarian-based elite cirque production company featuring pro-level youth from ages six to 15, recently had several performers awarded with President’s Volunteer Service Awards.
Each person was deservedly awarded the Gold President’s Volunteer Service Award for more than 100 hours of service. This type of volunteer appreciation can really impact your program’s engagement, as well as making employees feel valued.
Check Out Our Global Volunteer Month Toolkits
Points of Light has created four toolkits for this year’s Global Volunteer Month. Each is tailored to a specific audience – nonprofits, companies, government officials and individuals. These toolkits are packed with ideas on how to implement your GVM projects, complete with communication tips and logos you can utilize across external and internal marketing materials.
They also include additional ideas for recognition – some methods as easy as reposting your employees’ social media posts. Head over to the
approaches this April, you can start preparing by taking note of current social impact trends and leveraging your knowledge to equip your team with the tools, resources and opportunities they’ll need to make the month a success.
to consider as you plan your Global Volunteer Month initiatives.
Social Impact Trends For Global Volunteer Month
Virtual Volunteering
It’s no secret that the workplace environment has changed drastically over the past few years during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While many teams once congregated in a central location, now there are individuals spread out across a vast virtual landscape. These same adjustments have been made in the world of social good, and there are more virtual volunteer opportunities than ever before.
(NTEN), 44% of nonprofits reported an increase in virtual volunteering due to COVID-19. To find virtual volunteer opportunities that could be a good fit for your team, check out
platform, which features hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world just waiting for the right volunteer to reach out.
Cause-Driven Campaigns
People today expect more from social impact efforts. They want to see for-profit organizations stepping up to solve real-world issues that affect them, their loved ones and their communities in a tangible way. Companies that align their volunteer efforts with their mission and values will go further than companies that don’t. Plus, employees who participate in social impact programs often become more engaged in their work. A study by
found that 87% of consumers expect companies to take a stand on social and environmental issues. Use this knowledge to your advantage by centering your Global Volunteer Month efforts on current issues that your employees are passionate about. Giving your workforce an opportunity to respond to these issues through meaningful volunteer campaigns will benefit your company, your employees and the individuals you’re serving.
Employee-led Initiatives
Employees are taking the lead in creating volunteer opportunities and organizing community events. One of the biggest benefits of social impact initiatives – besides making the world a better place – is the opportunity for your employee volunteers to increase their leadership, planning and organizational skills.
found that 92% of employees believe it’s important for their company to support social and environmental issues. Start planning your Global Volunteer Month initiatives by asking your workforce what issues they’re most passionate about, seeing where interests lie and allowing individuals to organize and lead events related to those issues.
, volunteers who engaged in activities designed to leverage professional skills generated significantly more value across nearly all social, employee and business categories. Skills-based volunteers were significantly more likely than traditional, hands-on volunteers to increase the organizational capacity of the nonprofits they were serving.
Giving employees a chance to do pro bono professional work with nonprofits helps volunteers increase their managerial skills and grow their expertise in new subject matter. True Impact’s study showed that skills-based volunteers served an average of 25 hours, compared to traditional volunteers’ 12 hours. Consider this as you decide on which types of volunteer opportunities you offer to your workforce.
Collaboration with Local Organizations
While volunteering with any type of mission can help to better the world, individuals tend to be more impacted by volunteer opportunities from which they can observe the fruits of their labor. And it goes without saying that most people interested in social impact are passionate about making changes in their own backyard.
Collaborating with local nonprofits can help increase employee engagement and can also help your company see gains in brand recognition and positive reputation in your communities – the places where your employees and your customers may live.
Utilize Points of Light’s Global Volunteer Month Tools
Whether you’re leading the charge in your CSR department or attempting to organize an event for Global Volunteer Month, you can use Points of Light’s resources to glean knowledge and inspiration. Our
for corporations is specifically tailored to companies – including ideas and resources to help you shine a light on your company’s volunteer program by recognizing the impact your employees make in the communities you serve.
And if you need help expanding or revamping your CSR or employee engagement program, you can reach out to Points of Light’s
team. We’re here to help you increase your impact with best-in-class tools, frameworks and customized support.
How to Use Your Volunteer Toolkit this Global Volunteer Month
April is right around the corner which means Global Volunteer Month is rapidly approaching. Points of Light wants to equip you with the tools you need to make it a success. Global Volunteer Month is an opportunity to recognize volunteers for the amazing work they do to support your organization as well as make the community aware of your needs and recruit more volunteers or connect individuals to causes they care about. Head over to our
is full of ideas to support your company’s employee volunteerism campaign tactics and plan your Global Volunteer Month activities. We show you how you can best
, share their stories and promote the month internally and externally. It also includes logos and graphics you can use in your communication materials.
also includes logos and graphics to share on social media, as well as a host of ideas as you map out your organization’s plan to participate in Global Volunteer Month. In addition to help with messaging and promoting engagement, we offer recognition ideas that you can carry with you throughout the month and all year long.
Toolkit for Individuals
You don’t have to be part of an organization to participate in Global Volunteer Month. Passionate individuals can shine their light by
includes many of the same elements as the toolkits for companies and nonprofits – a sample communications plan, graphics and logos, and ideas for promotion. It also features ideas for giving a floor speech to honor and recognize the constituents and organizations making a difference in your community.
No matter who you are and how you’re getting involved this year, start now to map out a plan for your Global Volunteer Month and make an impact in your own community and beyond.
is an annual event to encourage volunteerism and civic action. Learn how to recognize volunteers who are actively participating in bettering their communities for this monthlong event, including National Volunteer Week and year-round. Nonprofits get the opportunity to raise awareness for their organization’s current needs and funding opportunities, businesses have a way to engage every employee in spring volunteer initiatives, and individuals are able to give back to their local communities.
The celebration happens in April of 2023, but now is the time to begin to mobilize your community, employees, family and friends, or your volunteers to participate. Here are three ways to get the ball rolling on your Global Volunteer Month efforts early, so you can maximize turnout.
Plan Your Participation in Global Volunteer Month Starting Now
Contribute your time and talents personally:
So you want to volunteer, but you’re not sure where to get started. Find local nonprofits in your area by searching online, and reach out to them directly to see what their needs are. Maybe there’s a donations drive you can support by donating gently used clothing or canned goods. You can also search for in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities on
, the world’s largest digital volunteer network featuring hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world. You can even check out these
Nonprofit organizations will want to consider which programs to elevate during Global Volunteer Month. Invite supporters to make a difference by participating.
Companies looking to engage employees in volunteerism and civic action in the spring might consider partnering with a
partner. Working with a knowledgeable partner in the nonprofit space can help connect you with valuable volunteer opportunities, create strategic plans for employee engagement, increase volunteer turnout across your organization, measure your success and celebrate your employees accordingly.
include logos, social media graphics and sample messages to easily share your participation with your audiences. It’s critical for nonprofit organizations to communicate consistently throughout April through donor and volunteer outreach. It’s not unusual for people to need to hear about events up to ten times before the message “sticks,” so don’t hesitate to promote your programs, needs and fundraising opportunities for this month early and often.
Companies seeking optimal turnout among employee volunteers will need to do the same. Promote the employee volunteering activities your company is offering, and be clear about how employees can participate. Send out information in your employee newsletters, email blasts or other internal communications, and promote events on social media as well.
Tell Amazing Stories
Finally, you’ll want to make a plan to recognize and celebrate all of the ways your volunteers are contributing to their communities! For individual volunteers, this could mean posting on social media to share the civic actions you took during the month. For nonprofits and companies, you might consider collecting and sharing volunteer stories, videos and photos for publishing throughout the remainder of the year. You might throw a month-end luncheon or other event to celebrate your work.
Recognition and celebration takes careful planning and preparation, so as you’re laying out your plan for the month, make this the final phase and figure out how you will reward your volunteers throughout the month and year round. Two ongoing opportunities for volunteer recognition include
that’s tailored specifically to you, whether you’re an individual, nonprofit, company or government official. However you choose to get involved in Global Volunteer Month, we can’t wait to hear about the social impact you make in 2023.
Can an Old Fashioned Day of Service Strengthen Post-pandemic Connections?
The collective global experience of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways. The shift to remote work has revolutionized the workplace, with positive outcomes such as reduced commuting times and increased flexibility. On the flip side, it has resulted in isolation of workers from colleagues, a depleted sense of belonging and sometimes struggles with mental and physical health. These disruptions to workplace relationships, as well as volunteering, have kept us apart, separating us from our communities and each other.
Workplaces around the world are seeking strategies to build post-pandemic culture and reset toward a future vision. As a civic engagement leader, it got me to thinking, can an old-fashioned day, week or month of service hosted by businesses around the world spur a culture comeback and reconnect colleagues and communities?
The answer is
yes.
At Points of Light, we live by this principle every day, and it’s a clear affirmation of everything
In a recent conversation, a Points of Light corporate partner reflected that, “Volunteering used to be a way to get people out of the office. But now, perhaps, it’s a way to get people back in.”
Focusing on greater purpose, both individually and for your company, can boost your mood, improve work performance and help rebuild a values-based culture. Bea Boccalandro’s,
are both fun and meaningful tools for exploring how you can build purpose. purpose.
There are countless ways to help your community — a host of issues just waiting for a willing pool of volunteers to help solve. Throughout the pandemic, communities have struggled
have increased and spread from cities to suburbs. Volumes of residential waste and recycling have placed increased demand on city workers and infrastructure. There’s no denying the increase in plastics and cardboard usage as ordering-in and home delivery have thwarted our reduce, reuse, recycle goals. School districts and parks need a helping hand to refresh and revitalize their public spaces.
Can your company build a day of service into its return to work plan? The classic example of a clean-up day provides much-needed extra hands to tackle a real need. It also engages colleagues, captures the health benefits of people being outside and introduces everyone to neighborhoods and communities for ongoing learning and action.
Perhaps there is a hybrid volunteer model that matches your company’s hybrid return to work.
showed that all students are behind in reading and math, and students in majority-Black schools are now 12 months behind their peers in majority-white schools. Programs like
are responding to those challenges with new initiatives that engage employees as mentors and coaches and use aligned talent and capabilities to bring programs that close the gap both in-person and online. A great volunteering experience can address important community needs, inspire your employees and support your company’s comeback strategy, but how do you make it great? Points of Light recommends working at the intersection of good for community, good for employees and good for your brand:
Focus on Company Values: What aligns with the authentic products, services and values of your brand? Who are your customers? What community needs align with these attributes? Company values demonstrated by volunteering in support of a community need offer the greatest opportunity to instill refreshed purpose and strengthen culture. These efforts can start in the virtual world as listening and learning efforts that prepare employees to be better leaders and citizens when in-person volunteering returns to your company. Many companies are expanding their employee engagement and volunteering programs to include training that serves a social purpose or benefit. Examples include providing opportunities for employees to learn sign language or take disaster training courses through the American Red Cross. Are the uncertainty, delay and hybrid variations challenging your planning? Some companies have had great success with projects like “virtual” cleanups, where employees coordinated and tracked cleanup efforts in their local areas.
Listen to Your Employees: Employees are citizens first. Are they raising community needs? How can you support them as change agents to tackle the challenges they identify? Consider offering volunteer time off and matching grants for volunteer time. Can you help organize teams of colleagues for a day of service? Can you bring leadership together with employees hired in the last two years for a litter pick up or schoolyard refresh?
Identify Your Strongest Assets: Can a day of service launch a place-based commitment for your organization? Perhaps a schoolyard update introduces your company to a school and community that might welcome mentors, advisors and coaches for students and faculty. Are there career learning experiences that your company could offer? Can leaders build relationships that expand the networks of nonprofit leaders to help them better connect to media, mentors and money?
Board training and matching programs present an impactful and scalable opportunity to engage employees. Not only can companies track and set targets for employee board service,
but
these programs can also support the organization’s DEI initiatives to increase minority board representation and expand support for racial equity-focused organizations. Check out organizations like
No matter where you chose to start, now is the time to build service into your comeback plans.
Points of Light supports companies of all sizes that are interested in building and growing their civic engagement programs. You can access tools and resources to help you get started at
for program design consulting and engagement solutions.
CVNL on the Power of the Individual in an Empowered Organization
The Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership (CVNL) has been an affiliate of Points of Light for more than 20 years. CVNL chose to partner with Points of Light to be a part of a global network of organizations committed to civic engagement and volunteer service.
With four locations serving nonprofits across Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Solano Counties in Northern California, CVNL continues to be an engaged partner with a desire to increase the impact nonprofits have by growing and improving the use of volunteers.
CVNL knows that passion alone isn’t enough when it comes to creating strong nonprofits. That’s why they work specifically with individuals – both the leaders and volunteers contributing their time and talent to the world’s toughest issues. CVNL seeks to help them build the skills and connections that can take their impact to the next level.
With confident and prepared leaders and volunteers, the 7,250 nonprofits that CVNL works with are better equipped to create healthy, happy and more equitable communities.
CVNL focuses on empowering leadership via its many workshops, courses, Peer Learning Networks and consulting work. These forums encourage innovation, helping nonprofit leaders build and strengthen the skills they need to have a larger impact on their communities.
Additionally, the organization manages a number of volunteer programs, including Volunteer Wheels, which provides seniors and people with disabilities with transportation from their homes to important appointments and errands, enabling them to live more independently.
CVNL also assists nonprofit organizations in recruiting and recognizing volunteers throughout its four counties and coordinates Days of Service, such as Family Volunteer Day and MLK Day of Service, to provide individuals with ample opportunities to have an impact.
Even throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CVNL has continued to connect volunteers with opportunities throughout through its VolunteerNow.org portal. Through this resource, they have over 43,000 individual users with over 187,000 opportunities viewed.
From July 2019 through June 2020, CVNL engaged 2,640 internal volunteers for a total of 15,473 volunteer hours. CVNL has also activated 475 Disaster Volunteers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and fires in California.
While the number of volunteers engaged by CVNL had decreased throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Volunteer Wheels program has not shut down its services and has continued to rely on the strength and commitment of volunteers to continue running.
Michael Quinn, who has been a volunteer driver with Volunteer Wheels for two years, takes on many extra tasks such as fueling vehicles or signing up for extra days of driving. When the pandemic hit, Michael still wanted to volunteer and drive. In a world where many were stepping back, Michael stepped forward and asked how he could help – anywhere from four to six days a week!
As the team at CVNL puts it, “Volunteering in your community is very important. Not only does a community benefit from the work being done, but the volunteer also benefits… It also helps build a community built on goodwill and understanding.”
To anyone considering their own level of civic engagement, CVNL advises, “Finding a cause you are passionate about is a good first step. Once you begin work in an area of importance to you, it’s natural that you will become more connected to your community and want to contribute more of your time and effort into building a stronger, more engaged community. Find a local volunteer center for help discovering how you can best become engaged and do good in your area.”
Points of Light is proud to have worked with Center for Volunteer & Nonprofit Leadership for over two decades, and look forward to what this dynamic organization will achieve in its future. Connect with a
