3 Themes From the 2022 Points Of Light Conference to Support Your Nonprofit’s Impact

The annual

yields a wealth of unique opportunities, and a big one is hearing from experts in the nonprofit sector on current issues, innovative ideas and best practices. The 2022 conference hosted a variety of inspiring speakers from nonprofit organizations from around the world offering insightful and educational messages. Here are a few key takeaways for nonprofit leaders that emerged from this year’s stage:

People will engage with what they’re most passionate about.

Work in the nonprofit sector can be uplifting

, but it isn’t always easy. Knowing how to keep the flame alight among your team, your volunteers and your stakeholders is crucial to avoiding fatigue and burnout. This year’s conference theme was “Revitalize. Reimagine. Recommit.” and we featured speakers and sessions that spoke directly to this mission… like Jennifer Taylor, who shared on the topic of “rage giving.” With increasing polarization on the political and social landscapes, now is the time for nonprofits to develop specific strategies that allow people to act on the very causes they feel most strongly about. How can you leverage what you and your stakeholders are most excited, hopeful, frustrated or angry about to sustain your impact?

Listen to the communities you serve to learn what they need.

Intentional listening and learning in the communities you serve allows you to find solutions to the

true

unmet needs of that community, rather than the issues you might

assume

to be the most pressing. In the Opening Plenary, Points of Light CEO Natalye Paquin shared a story about

Daily Point of Light Honoree Briana Daniel

, an Orlando native. When she chose to voluntarily live alongside the people she was working with who were unhoused, she found that food insecurity was not their greatest unmet need, but hygiene was. This knowledge led her to create Street Team Movement, a nonprofit providing laundry services, haircuts and hygiene products to people experiencing homelessness, offering solutions to the exact needs the community expressed were most urgent.

PEOPLE FEEL significant positive impact from VOLUNTEERING.

Several conference sessions discussed the immense benefits that come from volunteer work – not just to communities, but also to the volunteers themselves. Points of Light

civic engagement research

shows that

one in four people said a reason they took action was, “I believe it supports my own personal well-being.”

As you engage volunteers in your efforts, keep in mind that they are likely benefitting from this work as much as the communities they serve. Volunteering can

boost memory, cognition

and

mental health

as well as provide job skills One

study

even asserts that:

Volunteers are as healthy as non-volunteers who are five years younger.
Volunteering activities on a resume can yield higher employment opportunities.

You can begin to see that this benefit goes beyond the altruistic feelings of spending worthy time in support of social impact. Often, volunteers walk away with new skill sets, relationships and perspectives they may not have the opportunity to gain anywhere else. Framing volunteer work in this way can help organizations to promote greater equity and remember that they are providing mutually-beneficial resources rather than just rescue.

One thing we know from working with our

Global Network

of affiliates from around the world is that the nonprofit sector is teeming with innovative thinkers and creative problem solvers. Nonprofit leaders, what are some insights you’d add to this list?

We’re already gearing up for the 2023 Points of Light Conference in Chicago on June 14-16, 2023, with a special pre-conference day for nonprofit professionals. Sign up to receive updates, and join us next year for another powerful conference.

4 Resources to Get Young Changemakers Engaged This Summer

Leading a civic life isn’t just about lending time and resources as an established adult. It’s also about involving youth, showing them that they, too, can make an impact, regardless of their age. While young changemakers can stay involved all year long, summertime is prime time for kids to become more civically engaged. After all, school’s out, schedules tend to be more lax and there is ample time to fill with worthwhile activities. Plus, getting involved with causes you care about can be rewarding when done with those you love. Fortunately, Points of Light has a wealth of resources for youth and families to get involved in their communities. Here are a few to get you started.

Civic Life Today

You may have heard about

Points of Light’s Civic Circle

, a framework we created to show people that doing good comes in many forms. But have you taken a deep dive into each element of the Civic Circle in our free digital magazine series,

Civic Life Today

? Points of Light partnered with

The Starbucks Foundation

to publish nine unique issues, including interviews and articles from leaders in the field.

Best of all, at the back of each issue you’ll find a special section devoted to Youth and Family, with additional resources to explore. You’ll also discover a Personal Action Plan section, created in partnership with

HandsOn Greater Richmond

, for your family members to figure out exactly how they can best leverage their time and talent for a specific cause area.

Find a Volunteer Opportunity

There are hundreds of thousands of volunteer opportunities throughout the world, just waiting for the right volunteer to step up. Some of these opportunities are in person, while others are virtual or a combination of the two. Points of Light offers the world’s largest digital network, allowing you to search for these opportunities in an intuitive, user-friendly interface.

Points of Light Engage

is our

database listing volunteer opportunities—inside and outside of the home—that meet critical needs. You can search for volunteer projects in your local area, or get inspired by what’s happening in other areas and start your own initiative.

DIY Projects

If you and your family haven’t tried a

DIY Project

, summer is a great opportunity to do so. With a variety of different kinds of projects, from creating a mobile library to cleaning up a local park to collecting old cell phones, there are ample options for kids of all ages.

Each DIY Project guide comes with an overview and a step-by-step guide, including materials and resources needed, as well as helpful tips along the way. Take special note of those “Pre-Project Discussion” questions. They can help you start a rich dialogue with your children that connects the “what” of the project to the “why.”

Celebrate Your Civic Journey

At Points of Light, we’re firm believers in the power of recognition. If your kids have taken the time to learn, grow and get more involved with causes they care about, that’s certainly worth celebrating! This celebration might look like getting ice cream after wrapping up that volunteer day, debriefing with some “wins” after completing your DIY project or maybe something even bigger. Points of Light’s founder, President George H.W. Bush created the

Daily Point of Light Award

to honor ordinary individuals doing extraordinary things. If your family knows of someone in your community who is leading and lending support in the volunteer space, nominate them for a Daily Point of Light Award. (Psst – you can also hold your own “award ceremony” as a family, giving each member special recognition for something unique that they brought to your volunteer activity.)

However your family chooses to get engaged, know that you are setting a wonderful example for a life of service. Many nonprofit founders and recipients of the Daily Point of Light Award reflect on how concepts like volunteering and donating were taught early on and became ingrained in them from a young age. The seeds you’re planting today could lead your kids to a more active, civically engaged life for decades to come.

The Points of Light Civic Circle Offers Real Ways You Can Change the World

Sixty-six percent of Americans don’t believe they can make a big impact in the world. That figure is according to Points of Light’s

research

on civic engagement. But what if we told you there are actually many ways to drive change? Today’s political climate can feel divided or even stagnant, but the truth is, you really can make things better, starting with your own community, one act of kindness at a time. And those aren’t just words. We’re here to share real, practical ways for you to make a difference.

The Points of Light Civic Circle

helps people connect to opportunities and understand that doing good comes in many forms. It is a framework that represents your power to lead, lend support and take action for causes you care about and live your best civic life.

The Civic Circle provides actionable examples of all the ways you can change your community to reflect the world you want to see around you. In fact, you’re probably doing some of these things already. Are you helping a neighbor by picking up groceries or chaperoning on your child’s class field trip? You’re volunteering. Did you vote in the last election or help others get to the polls so they could vote? Those acts of civic duty illustrate the “vote” element. When you buy a product, do you choose to support companies that reflect your values or advance a social cause? That’s called “purchase power.” There are nine elements of the Civic Circle, and countless ways to bring each one to life. This blog is the first in a seven-part series that will help you find real and manageable ways to activate the Civic Circle through

and

. We also offer other resources to help you connect with all the ways you can become empowered to be the change you want to see in the world. Check out our

videos

that provide an in-depth look at each element of the Civic Circle. And don’t miss

Civic Life Today

, our digital magazine series. Each issue takes a deep dive and provides materials, ideas and inspiration so that you can become civically engaged. Get started today, and launch your own civic engagement journey with these tools.

This piece is part of a series that highlights the many ways you can activate the Points of Light Civic Circle using various tools. Check out each one so you can live your best civic life:

6 Ways to Activate Points of Light’s Civic Circle Around Ukraine Relief

As Ukrainian refugees evacuate their homeland and begin to build new lives in new countries, you can support them. We’ve gathered a collection of ways for you to activate

Points of Light’s

Civic Circle

and have an impact as the situation develops and long-term recovery efforts begin.

Donate

Cash donations offer flexibility for organizations to respond in real time to people’s developing needs. Do your research first so you can be sure that the organization you plan to support is legitimate. Points of Light has established the

Ukraine Crisis Response Fund

in order to funnel support directly to our Global Network affiliates in and around Ukraine. We’ve also developed a list of

other recommended organizations

you can support.

Volunteer

Global Volunteer Month

is happening all April long. Now is a great time to register to volunteer, but please do not self-deploy. There is limited access around humanitarian relief efforts right now. Working in the aftermath can be both dangerous and complex. It’s safest to wait until the impacted community has requested support, then coordinate with a vetted organization. Find a

Points of Light Global Network

affiliate in your area for opportunities to support relief efforts from home or in your own community.

Listen and Learn

Stay informed to find out what the community needs. Follow Points of Light on

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

and

, where we share updates and valuable information from our affiliates and other organizations about ways to support Ukraine. You can also follow first responders that are taking action to learn about the most pressing needs. Be intentional to watch media that cover both conservative and liberal views.

Voice

Through signing a petition, creating artwork with a statement or even staying silent, you can make your voice heard. And of course, you can share on your own social media network to raise awareness about long-term recovery needs. Just be careful to choose trustworthy sources to ensure you’re spreading accurate information. Check out our issue of

Civic Life Today

on “Voice” to learn more about how to use yours effectively.

Purchase Power

Your dollars can have an impact. You can choose to do business with companies supporting relief efforts in and around Ukraine with proceeds from your purchases. Participate in your own

buycott

by searching for companies that are selling products and services that you need. Some companies that are doing this work include Epic Games, maker of the popular video game, Fortnite. The company is giving away all proceeds from the game through April 3. Video game console maker Xbox has joined their effort by donating their net proceeds as well. Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation launched the ‘Meta History: Museum of War’ collection, a series of NFTs that support the war effort in Ukraine. Grammarly, an English language app, is donating $5 million to organizations and funds supporting the people of Ukraine.

Work

There is a growing movement in the corporate sector toward “doing well by doing good,” This ideal could look like giving to humanitarian relief efforts through employee matching, which not only supports the cause but amplifies employee donations. Find out if your company is supporting Ukraine through donations and matching or other means. Some companies that are doing this type of work include: Bank of America, which pledged to donate $1 million to the people of Ukraine via five groups: the Red Cross and Red Crescent network in Ukraine and the region, World Central Kitchen, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, International Medical Corps and Project Hope. The bank also said it would match employee donations to support the relief effort. KPMG Chair and CEO, Paul Knopp, shared via Twitter, “At KPMG we stand with and support the people of Ukraine, condemning violent attacks by the Russian givernment [sic]. Today, KPMG is making an initial $250,000 donation to GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund and encouraging our partners and professionals to donate as well.” Whether you activate all six elements of the Civic Circle or choose just one, you’re exercising your civic power. Which will you choose? Tag us on

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

and

to share your story with us.

Points of Light operates with a network of innovative volunteer-mobilizing organizations who serve more than 177 affiliates across 38 countries around the world. Together we are inspiring, equipping and mobilizing more people to use their time, talent, voice and resources to create positive change in their communities. Learn more about our Global Network.