Statement from Natalye Paquin, Points of Light President and CEO, in Honor of Harris Wofford

“Harris Wofford’s life was the very definition of what we at Points of Light hold up and support through our mission, a life that includes service to others. His dear friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.’ A lifelong advocate for civil rights, national service and volunteering, Sen. Wofford was an advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and, alongside Rep. John Lewis, authored the act establishing MLK Day as a day of service – a day on, not a day off. He served as special assistant for civil rights under President John F. Kennedy, played a key role in establishing the Peace Corps, and later helped to establish and lead the Corporation for National Service and expand AmeriCorps.

“Harris Wofford’s life was the very definition of what we at Points of Light hold up and support through our mission, a life that includes service to others.”

“Sen. Wofford’s tireless commitment to improving the world through acts of service inspired millions. He was one of the earliest and most steadfast supporters of Points of Light, and we have always been privileged to call him a valued advisor and a friend. At the 2015 Points of Light Tribute Awards, we honored Sen. Wofford with the George W. Romney Public Service Award for his lifetime of leadership and exemplary public service. He believed in service as a uniting force for good, and showed us that every individual has the power to create change. Few individuals in American history have made a greater contribution to the service movement in our country and the world.”

About Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

Points of Light Welcomes Five New Members to Board of Directors

ATLANTA (Jan. 17, 2019) – Points of Light is pleased to announce the addition of five leaders to its board of directors. Each individual brings an enduring commitment to service, and will apply their expertise to Points of Light’s mission to inspire, equip and mobilize people to take action that creates change in communities around the world.

“All five of our new board members share our vision to inspire future generations to carry forward the commitment to give back,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO of Points of Light.

The newly appointed members of the Points of Light board of directors are:

Mary Kate Cary, a professional writer and filmmaker who served as a White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to early 1992, helping to write more than 100 presidential addresses. Mary Kate continues to write for a variety of national political, corporate and nonprofit leaders, and is currently a senior fellow at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs;
Heidi Magyar, director of corporate giving at General Motors, who oversees integrated corporate giving and employee volunteerism initiatives. In 2015, Heidi was appointed as a commissioner by the governor of Michigan to the Michigan Community Service Commission, which uses service as a strategy to address the state’s most pressing issues and empowers volunteers to strengthen communities;
Brenda Robinson, entertainment attorney, philanthropist and partner in the law firm of Swanson Martin & Bell LLP in Chicago. Throughout her career, Brenda has provided legal counsel to a variety of clients in the music, film, television and performing arts industries, and she is a member of the Recording Academy and the Sundance Institute;
Suzanne Spero, executive director of The MCJ Amelior Foundation, a family foundation assisting entities that encourage mentoring relationships, create unique entrepreneurial opportunities, and promote national and local participation in voluntary community programs and services. Suzanne is co-founder of Jersey Cares, a Points of Light affiliate, which organizes teams of socially-minded individuals for community service projects;
Eric Tanenblatt, global chair of public policy and regulation at Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, who also leads the firm’s U.S. public policy practice. Eric was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, serving from 2008 until 2013. He was head of congressional and intergovernmental affairs at the Peace Corps during President George H.W. Bush’s administration, and was the founder and chairman of Hands on Georgia, a statewide organization to promote volunteerism.

“All five of our new board members share our vision to inspire future generations to carry forward the commitment to give back,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO of Points of Light. “This dynamic group of leaders provide a perfect complement to our current board. We look forward to leveraging their skills and energy in our work.”

The new cohort of board members began their service on Jan. 1, 2019, and will serve a three-year term.

ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

Points of Light Civic Accelerator Invests $100,000 in Two Startups Advancing Financial Resilience

ATLANTA (Jan. 7, 2019) – The Points of Light Civic Accelerator announced today that it will invest $50,000 each in FundingU, a for-profit enterprise, and Girls Going Global, a nonprofit enterprise. Both ventures are addressing the growing gap in financial resilience across the country, and as a first for the program, are both based in the same city, Atlanta.

The Civic Accelerator is the first accelerator and investment fund in the country focused on civic ventures – for-profit and nonprofit startups that solve social problems by tapping into human capital as part of the solution. The goal of the accelerator is to equip each startup to seek investments and scale their social innovations.

The investment came at the end of the Civic Accelerator’s Fall 2018 cohort, its 12th bootcamp-style program. The Fall 2018 program convened 10 startups over 10 weeks for three in-person, week-long sessions in Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia, in addition to an in-depth virtual curriculum. Using vetted investment criteria, the program peer participants themselves selected the two ventures that received $50,000 investments.

FundingU offers college completion loans to academically successful students who can’t access “last gap” bank loans due to low credit scores or lack of a co-signer. “We are humbled to be the recipient of this peer investment,” said Jeannie Tarkenton, founder of FundingU. “The award will kick off our 2019 loan fund in which investments are wholly used to provide well-priced loans to low- and moderate-income college students who have been rejected for last-gap bank financing. The funding will support 7-10 students who are doing well in school and need only about $6,000 to remove the last financial barrier to achieving a four-year degree to help build their financial resilience.”

Girls Going Global empowers underserved girls, ages 13-17, by providing the tools, mentorship and educational experiences to be global citizens. “Girls Going Global is excited to have been selected by our peers for this investment,” said Martice Sutton, founder of Girls Going Global. “Our experience in the Civic Accelerator has allowed us to experiment with our revenue model and test our assumptions for scale. With this investment, we will build strategic partnerships with school systems and corporations to expand our reach to diverse teen girls who will benefit most from the learning and exposure to a global experience they would otherwise not be able to access.”

Now in its sixth year, the Civic Accelerator has committed $1,150,000 in investment and has paired 145 startup teams with more than 150 mentors, partners and strategic advisors. The graduated teams have generated more than $94 million in revenue to date, and have reached more than 18.7 million individuals as they solve the most critical social problems facing communities across the country. More information about the Civic Accelerator’s reach and results can be found in its six-year Impact Report, which covers 2012-2018 programming.

“It’s inspiring to work with our corporate partners and mentors to help accelerate these entrepreneurs, whose ventures build financial resilience,” said Ayesha Khanna, founder of the Civic Accelerator. “This is a critical issue in the United States, with 42 percent of households unable to afford a monthly budget of basic services such as food, housing, transportation and childcare, requiring families to make difficult trade-offs. More than half of Americans have little or no savings and are not able to invest in their future, let alone withstand financial shock. Our ventures provide a wide range of solutions from financial education and wealth creation, to access to affordable credit and banking services for underserved and vulnerable populations. We need these ventures to scale their bold solutions so that all can succeed in the innovation economy.”

The gradated ventures in the Fall 2018 cohort are:

DACA Time Nonprofit (Columbus, Ohio) – makes immigration paperwork easier, cheaper and more accurate.

FundingU For-profit (Atlanta) – offers college completion loans to academically successful students who can’t access “last gap” bank loans due to low credit scores or lack of a co-signer.

Girls Going Global Nonprofit (Atlanta) – empowers underserved girls, ages 13-17, by providing the tools, mentorship and educational experiences to be global citizens.

Holberg Financial For-profit (Chicago) – helps employees reach their financial goals and reduce financial stress through health benefits companies offer to their employees.

Hopeworks Nonprofit (Camden, New Jersey) – creates technology solutions for businesses that provide opportunities and pathways to success for youth.

Medean For-profit (Chicago) – provides guidance and incentives for millennials to improve their financial well-being through a budgeting app using gamification and peer comparison.

Next Steps Network Nonprofit (Louisville, Kentucky) – is changing the market system of how manufactured homes are built, sold and financed, while preparing and supporting homebuyers.

Piecewise For-profit (New York) – helps student loan borrowers pay down their debt based on data generated by financial behavior.

Solve For-profit (Chicago) – makes it easier for community-based organizations to connect individuals to jobs and social services.

Tassel Turn Nonprofit (Chicago) – matches youth in foster care to personalized, evidence-informed, online education coaching to help them achieve economic independence.

About Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About the Points of Light Civic Accelerator

The Points of Light Civic Accelerator is the first accelerator program and investment fund in the country focused on civic ventures – for-profit and nonprofit startups that include people as part of the solution to critical social problems. The three-month, boot camp-style program convenes 10-15 teams in person and online with the goal of equipping each startup to seek investments and scale their social innovation. CivicX was launched in 2012, with founding support from PwC Charitable Foundation and Starbucks Foundation, and in partnership with Village Capital. In addition, we receive support from Capital One, Dentons, Singing for Change and official hotel sponsor Hilton. Visit cvcx.org for more information or follow the accelerator on Twitter at @civicacceleratr and across social media at #CIVICX.

Points of Light Seeks the Most Community-Minded Companies in the United States

Today, Points of Light opens The Civic 50 survey, an annual initiative that recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Now in its seventh year, The Civic 50 serves to recognize stronger corporate commitment to community through engagement, volunteerism, and social impact strategies.

“Points of Light recognizes the key role that businesses play as leaders in their communities and stewards of resources,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “We’re proud to continue working with leading companies in understanding how they continue to prioritize their impact on doing social good through their investments. As we see each year, the momentum is growing for more and more companies to focus on this work.”

Participation in The Civic 50 survey is open to companies with revenue of $1 billion or higher, that are prioritizing community-building, enhancing corporate citizenship, and delivering innovative employee volunteer programs.

The Civic 50 serves as a roadmap, to view trends over time, and help see changes and leaders in corporate service. Honorees from The Civic 50 in 2018 are leading in prioritizing community-building and corporate citizenship. Findings from last year’s survey show:

70% have taken national leadership positions on public education or policy efforts, while employees have volunteered more than 13 million hours.
Employee volunteer program participation is increasing, with 100% supporting individual and group volunteer recognition.
60% measure employee engagement as a business outcome.

A technical assistance webinar will be held on the survey launch day, Thursday, Dec. 13, at 12 p.m. Applications will be accepted Dec. 13, 2018, through March 15, 2019. Results will be announced at the Points of Light Conference in June. Visit Civic50.org to register for the technical assistance webinar and participate in the survey.

The Civic 50 survey is an initiative of Points of Light and is powered by True Impact, a web-based measurement tool and benchmarking network for the charitable sector.

For more information, visit Civic50.org or email [email protected]

ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

ABOUT TRUE IMPACT

True Impact provides web-based tools and consulting support to help organizations measure the social, financial and environmental return on investment (ROI) of their programs and operations. For more information, visit www.TrueImpact.com.

Twin Cities Leaders Unite for the 2019 Points of Light Conference

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA (Dec. 12, 2018) – Points of Light announced today that a dynamic group of 38 influential Twin Cities leaders will serve as Host Committee members for the annual Points of Light Conference, to be held June 18-20, 2019, in St. Paul.

“This coming year, Points of Light affiliate HandsOn Twin Cities will celebrate its 100thanniversary as America’s first volunteer center – making St. Paul the perfect place to host the 2019 Points of Light Conference,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “In collaboration with our hometown hosts and partners, we are excited to share the history and culture of the region with our conference attendees.”

The 2019 Points of Light Conference, co-hosted this year with HandsOn Twin Cities, is the world’s largest service-related convening, bringing together nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders to gain and share the knowledge, resources and connections needed to galvanize the power of people to create change globally. This year’s event will challenge attendees to not only ask “how do we get more people to volunteer to make change,” but also “how can we create a society where it is easy for every individual to take action to accelerate change within their community and around the world?”

To meet this challenge, the conference team, along with our content partner the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration, who is well-known for providing cutting-edge research and content in volunteer engagement capacity building, is seeking workshop proposals from organizations and subject-matter experts in these specific content areas: Business with Purpose, Disaster Response and Preparedness, Faith, Civic Engagement Innovations from Around the World, Higher Education, Military and Veterans, National Service, Nonprofit Capacity Building, Nonprofit Volunteer Engagement/Service Enterprise, and Social Innovation.

This global event provides the singular opportunity for thousands to come together to collaborate and ensure the social sector continues to grow and innovate in this rapidly changing world. The convening will offer attendees a three-day experience full of carefully curated content and networking opportunities. The opening plenary will take place in the heart of downtown St. Paul and will feature a series of inspirational talks and performances. Sessions, workshops and forums will take place at the St. Paul RiverCentre, an award-winning space with soaring ceilings and natural light, situated on a bluff providing stunning views of the Mississippi River.

“This coming year, Points of Light affiliate HandsOn Twin Cities will celebrate its 100^thanniversary as America’s first volunteer center – making St. Paul the perfect place to host the 2019 Points of Light Conference,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “In collaboration with our hometown hosts and partners, we are excited to share the history and culture of the region with our conference attendees.”

Business and community leaders from across the region will spearhead the conference Host Committee, assisting in developing service opportunities for attendees based on the greatest needs in the surrounding community; and in identifying and cultivating high-quality speakers and engaging attendee experiences. The conversations and content are unique and profoundly relevant because the experience is shaped by local experts, leaders and influencers.

The following individuals will serve as members:

Kelly Acker, Assistant Vice President, Community Relations, U.S. Bank
Kate Barr, President and CEO, Propel Nonprofits
Anna Bosak, Community Affairs Specialist, HB Fuller
Jake Blumberg, Executive Director, GiveMN
Karmit Bulman, Executive Director, Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration
Erika Carter, Communications Director, Bush Foundation
Diana Dalsin, Community Relations Manager, Bridging
Andy Goldman-Gray, Principal, AGG Marketing and Consulting
DeeDee Gorman, Community Relations Specialist, Senior, ECMC Group
Matt Halley, Executive Director, Cookie Cart
Rebecca Morris Hoeft, Chief Brand Officer, Sunrise Banks
Sam Holsen, Community Affairs, Xcel Energy
Stephanie Johnson, Manager, Community Relations, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club; Corporate Volunteer Council – Twin Cities Board President
Kris Kewitsch, Executive Director, Charities Review Council
Katie Knutson, Community Affairs Manager, Thrivent Financial
Heidi Kraemer, Senior Manager, Corporate Citizenship, IBM
Deb Krause, Vice President, Minnesota Health Action Group
Shannon Loecher, Director, Social Responsibility, UnitedHealthcare
Jamie Makepeace, Community Engagement Liaison, Office of Mayor Jacob Frey, Mayor of Minneapolis
Judson McNeil, President, Toro Foundation
Amy Meuers, Chief Executive Officer, National Youth Leadership Council
Jennifer Moe, Corporate Responsibility Manager, Target
Tracy Nielsen, Executive Director, HandsOn Twin Cities
Tiffany Orth, Manager, Make It. MSP., GreaterMSP
Jonathan Palmer, Executive Director, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center
Patty Pannkuk, Senior Vice President, Community Affairs Manager, Wells Fargo
Natalye Paquin, President and CEO, Points of Light
Kate Ritzer, Executive Assistant, Chief Executive Officer, Second Harvest Heartland
Eric Satre, National Account Executive, Visit Saint Paul – Convention & Visitors Bureau
Susan Schuster, Principal Community Relations Consultant, Communications and Social Responsibility, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Anne Seaquist, Manager, U.S. Community Initiatives and Global Volunteer Programs, 3M
Rebecca Thomley, President and CEO, Orion Associates
Shannon Toren, Director, Ecolab
Karen Trouba, Senior Vice President, Bank of America
Kasey Tunnell, Guest Services Staff and Volunteer Coordinator, Ordway Theater
Janeen Vogelaar, Director of Marketing & Creative Services, KARE 11
Dominick Washington, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Minneapolis Foundation
Minn Wang, Senior Manager, General Mills
Jamie Yanisch, Global Community Engagement Officer, Boston Scientific

For more on the 2019 Points of Light Conference, visit www.volunteeringandservice.org.

ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT

Statement from Natalye Paquin, Points of Light President and CEO, in Honor of President George H.W. Bush

“President George H.W. Bush was a kind, compassionate and humble man; a leader who believed in service for the betterment of society. As he aptly put it, ‘any definition of a successful life must include service to others.’ The call to serve your country and your fellow man – both of equal value – was a centerpiece of his presidency and his life. It was from the White House that he founded Points of Light, which has evolved into the largest nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the power of individuals to create change. Today because of his work, Points of Light is an enduring part of his legacy.

“I encourage those paying tribute to President Bush to take a moment to pledge their service and recognize the service of others. To become their own point of light in communities around the world.”

“President Bush also recognized the difference individuals can make in their community and established the Daily Point of Light Award to lift up those who translate common interests into a common cause. It was because of this belief he personally signed each recipient’s certificate up until his passing.

About Points of Light

Points of Light Releases Global Family Volunteering Research Findings, Underwritten by The Walt Disney Company

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, released the “Global Volunteerism Journey Report,” a first-of-its-kind study that examines the similarities and differences in family volunteering from five countries around the world. Underwritten by The Walt Disney Company, the study was commissioned to assess the global state of volunteerism and key barriers to overcome, identify solutions and opportunities to increase family volunteering, and understand the best ways to communicate opportunities.

“Our commitment to creating a civic culture starts by creating a deeper global understanding of what it means to volunteer as a family,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light.

Central to the research are five global truths – critical insights that shed light on how nonprofits can meet families where they are to engage them in meaningful volunteer work. These include:

Both adults and children spend their limited free time on activities that are low commitment and allow them to bond with others.
While benefitting the community is still a top priority, there is also a desire to personally benefit from the volunteer experience.
Promoting local volunteer opportunities could increase engagement, since more are willing to participate if the activity can be done in/around the home or school.
Word of mouth will help build awareness of volunteer activities and events. Messaging should include simple, direct language.
Adults, children, key subgroups and markets all have different motivators and barriers to family volunteering. A successful approach volunteer strategy will tailor to these groups.

“Our commitment to creating a civic culture starts by creating a deeper global understanding of what it means to volunteer as a family,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “This knowledge can help local nonprofits turn data into insights, becoming more equipped to meet people where they are, make volunteering fun and engaging for all, and inspire people to get involved in their community.”

Kelton, a strategic consultancy that helps global businesses discover new paths to growth, surveyed more than 2,900 participants from eight global markets. Participants ranged from age 5 to age 55+. Points of Light affiliates, nonprofit partners who are the leaders of volunteerism in their communities, advising on the design and development of the Global Volunteerism Journey Report include One OC, Chicago Cares, HandsOn Bay Area and Hands On Orlando, HandsOn HongKong, Hands On London, ATADOS (Brazil), and Benenova (France).

Additional key findings of the report highlight the impact and potential of volunteering as a family, both for a positive volunteer experience and family bonding time, as well as to create positive impact on community issues. Some of those highlights include:

47% of adults have said they volunteered, but only 34% said they have volunteered with family.
63% of adults said they felt fulfilled after volunteering, and 55% of children said they felt proud.
Children are much more likely to volunteer with a parent (80%), while only 50% of adults said they have volunteered with their child.
Only 1 in 4 recent volunteers encouraged their children to participate in volunteer events.
Top barriers to volunteering included “not given the opportunity” and “hard to find opportunities.”

In an effort to put these helpful insights into practice, Points of Light is presenting this data at the International Association of Volunteer Effort’s 25^th Annual World Volunteer Conference. Additionally, working with organizations around the world, including The Walt Disney Company, Points of Light will hold Family Volunteer Day on Nov. 17, 2018. Now in its 28^th year, Family Volunteer Day is a day of service that celebrates the power of families who work together to support their communities and neighborhoods. Leveraging the newly launched report and their institutional knowledge, Points of Light will be providing counsel and grants to nonprofits to organize their own local service projects. The grants, made possible by the generous support of The Walt Disney Company, will support the eight Points of Light Network affiliates, as well as 100 grantees nationwide.

To assist with providing geography-specific insights, an e-book for each country drills further down to explore unique family volunteer trends and challenges in each individual country.

ABOUT POINTS OF LIGHT

Points of Light Civic Accelerator Launches Fall 2018 Class

The Points of Light Civic Accelerator – the first national accelerator dedicated to investing in civic ventures – announced the 11 ventures selected to participate in its fall 2018 program. The ventures come from across the country and include early-stage for-profits and nonprofits that improve financial health, create opportunities for economic mobility and prepare families for financial success in the 21^st-century economy.

The 11 teams will gather in Atlanta from Oct. 16-19 for the start of an intensive, 10-week entrepreneur boot camp that includes mentoring, education, peer support and networking. The teams will also meet in Chicago and Philadelphia during the program. Points of Light will offer two of the most promising ventures – as selected by the entrepreneurs themselves – a $50,000 investment following the conclusion of the program.

“We are excited to support, along with our funders and partners, such promising ventures increasing financial resilience and economic mobility for individuals and families facing the most significant barriers,” said Ayesha Khanna, founder of the Points of Light Civic Accelerator. “Forty-three percent of U.S. households can’t afford a basic monthly budget to cover food, housing, health care, transportation and childcare costs, forcing families to make difficult trade-offs. In addition, 50 percent of Americans have little or no savings and are unable to invest in their future, let alone withstand financial shock. Our ventures provide a wide range of solutions from financial education and pathways to building wealth, to access to affordable credit and banking services. We need these ventures to scale their bold solutions so that all can participate and succeed in the innovation economy.”

With founding supporters the PwC Charitable Foundation Inc. and Starbucks Foundation, along with Capital One, Dentons, Singing for Change, and hotel sponsor Hilton, this is the 12th cohort of the Civic Accelerator since its founding in 2012.

Application and selection committees reviewed more than 100 curated applications before selecting the finalists. The selected cohort of ventures represents various sectors and solutions to increase financial knowledge, access to services, income and employment for youth and adults across gender, class, race and geography. Eighty-two percent of the ventures are led or co-led by racial or ethnic minorities, and 64 percent are led or co-led by females.

The civic startups participating in the Civic Accelerator fall 2018 cohort include:

CapWay For-profit (Austin, Texas) – provides opportunity and access to financial content and services for unbanked, underbanked and working poor millennials.

DACA Time Nonprofit (Columbus, Ohio) – makes immigration paperwork easier, cheaper and more accurate.

FundingU For-profit (Atlanta) – proffers college completion loans to academically successful students who can’t access “last gap” bank loans due to low credit scores or lack of a co-signer.