Points of Light Leadership Transition Planned in 2017

After more than 20 years in local and national roles, Points of Light Chief Executive Officer Tracy Hoover announced today that she will step down in 2017.

Hoover is making this announcement now to provide sufficient time for a transition period while the Points of Light Board of Directors engages in an executive search. The board expressed its gratitude for Hoover’s leadership.

“Tracy’s deep personal belief in the power of individuals to make a difference in their communities has been a guiding light in the volunteer service sector that has experienced rapid change and growth over the last 20 years,” said Neil Bush, Chairman of the Points of Light Board of Directors. “She has been a steward of the Points of Light legacy while ensuring the organization remains innovative and a leader in field.”

Hoover joined HandsOn Atlanta in 1995 and was CEO of the local organization when the HandsOn Network merged with Points of Light Foundation in 2007. She has led Points of Light since 2013 and will remain in her role through the executive search and transition. Serving in multiple leadership roles, Hoover has made a lasting impact on the strategic direction and growth of the organization.

“Leading Points of Light has been an enormous privilege and truly one of the great joys in my life,” said Hoover. “The unifying power of volunteering and service – the acts and the ideals – have never been more important and our vision that every person on the planet will find and deploy their power to make a difference has never seemed more possible. Today, Points of Light has helped grow a global service movement that is strong and dynamic. I’m proud of all we’ve accomplished and feel the time is right for me to start a new chapter and for the organization to have an infusion of new ideas and fresh perspective that comes with new leadership.”

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 four million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

Media Contact:

Diane Quest
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
404-979-2929
[email protected]

Points of Light Civic Accelerator Invests $50,000 in Two Startups Addressing Education and Workforce Development Success for Detroit Area Youth

The Points of Light Civic Accelerator announced today that it will invest $50,000 each in Skill Scout (Chicago) and Grow Detroit’s Young Talent(Detroit) – one for-profit and one nonprofit startup. Both are ensuring workforce success for youth in Detroit and the Great Lakes region by launching new models that create greater opportunity and prepare young adults for the 21^st Century workforce.

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 including people 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 eighth bootcamp-style startup program and investment fund. Our Fall 2016 program convened 14 startups over 12 weeks for three in-person, weeklong sessions in Detroit and Chicago, in addition to an in-depth virtual curriculum. The participants themselves selected the two ventures that received $50,000 investments.

The ventures were all working toward shared outcomes – education and workforce development for opportunity youth – and for the first time, we focused on a geographic region, which allowed us to bring like-minded funders, mentors and partners together to go deeper into solutions in a region experiencing high unemployment, disconnected young people and new emerging job opportunities. The venture solutions include alternative learning models, youth education & technical skills training, career readiness programs, and tech-enabled workforce development platforms to help young people achieve educational success, living wage jobs and economic mobility.

Skill Scout, a Chicago-based for-profit, is transforming how companies and candidates experience each other through video job posts and engaging work samples.

Elena Valentine, co-founder of Skill Scout said, “This investment will allow us to accelerate development of our tech platform and DIY job video app to make better hiring tools available to more companies at scale. It will also allow us to more quickly build ways for candidates to show their skills in non-traditional ways. Receiving this investment is so much more impactful coming from a cohort of trusted colleagues who have been a part of a meaningful personal and professional journey.”

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent, a nonprofit based in Detroit, is committed to providing youth with paid summer employment and training opportunities to prepare them for living wage jobs.

“This investment will help us build out our earned revenue strategy, in line with our overall efforts to make this work more sustainable,” shared Shuna Hayward and Kate Cherry with Grow Detroit’s Young Talent. “Receiving this investment from such amazingly talented and inspiring peers – to have their confidence in our team and its work – is a humbling experience. We look forward to growing our impact and doubling the number of Detroit youth we serve in the next several years.”

“It has been terrific to work with our corporate partners, faculty and mentors, to help accelerate these 14 teams of entrepreneurs, who are disrupting education and workforce development for youth in the Detroit Area. And to work hand-in-hand with Detroit community leaders who recognize the urgency and imperative to work together to help connect young people to the emerging opportunities in the region,” said Ayesha Khanna, founder of The Points of Light Civic Accelerator. “We are proud that our teams represent the diversity of the larger community, and bring domain expertise and passion to their ventures, with 93 percent of the ventures led by racially and ethnically diverse founders/co-founders and 57 percent led by female entrepreneurs. We are pleased to welcome the graduated class of innovators to the Points of Light network.”

In its fourth year, The Civic Accelerator has invested $800,000 in U.S.-based social entrepreneurs and has paired 101 teams with more than 150 mentors, partners and strategic advisors. The graduated teams have so far generated over $54 million dollars in revenue and reached over 5 million individuals to solve social problems.

The graduated ventures in the Fall 2016 Class are:

ALEX (Boston, MA, For-profit), anyone’s learning experience is a marketplace of college courses for career advancement.

Atlantic Impact (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) uses local and global travel to improve outcomes for students attending high poverty schools.

BLOC (Franklin Lakes, NJ, For-profit) is a professional network that unites black college students so that they can collectively rise.

Detroit Food Academy (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) develops Detroit high school students as leaders through entrepreneurship rooted in food.

Detroit Training Center (Detroit, MI, For-profit) teaches the skills necessary to match students with high paying jobs through customized, hands-on vocational programs of study.

Fletch (St. Louis, MO, For-profit) helps colleges increase utilization of student support services including tutoring, advising, and financial aid.

Flying Classroom (Opa-Locka, FL, For-profit) is a real Magic School Bus offering expeditions around the globe and making it easy for teachers to engage students with STEM+ learning.

GenFKD (New York, NY, Nonprofit) prepares students to thrive in the 21st century through on-campus skill development programs.

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) provides Detroit youth with paid summer employment and training opportunities.

Henry Ford Learning Institute (Dearborn, MI, Nonprofit) empowers young people to be more innovative and creative in how they think and learn.

JOURNi (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) empowers underrepresented and underserved Detroiters through coding and software development instruction.

Overgrad (Chicago, IL, For-profit) is a web platform for high school students and the people that support them.

Skill Scout (Chicago, IL, For-profit) transforms how companies and candidates experience each other through video job posts and engaging work sample applications.

WeThrive (Santa Monica, CA, Nonprofit) is an entrepreneurial mentoring program that pairs college students to middle school students in under-resourced communities.

About Points of Light
Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. 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 solve social problems by including people as part of the solution. 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. The Civic Accelerator was launched in 2012, in partnership with Village Capital, and receives generous support from founding partners PwC Charitable Foundation and The Starbucks Foundation, and from the Ford Motor Company Fund, U.S. Small Business Administration, Dentons US LLP, Singing for Change and official hotel sponsor, Hilton Worldwide. Visit cvcx.org for more information or follow the accelerator on Twitter at @civicacceleratr and across social media at #CIVICX.

About PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc.
The PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc., a section 501(c)(3) organization, makes charitable contributions to the people of PwC in times of financial hardship, and to nonprofit organizations that support and promote education and humanitarianism.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 24,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit our stores or online at news.starbucks.com and Starbucks.com.

About Ford Motor Company Fund

Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services (Ford Fund) is the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Established in 1949, Ford Fund is a charitable, nonprofit corporation financed by contributions from Ford Motor Company. Ford Fund has invested $1.5 billion in nonprofits and civic organizations worldwide, expanding on the company’s 113-year legacy of corporate citizenship by helping build stronger communities with a focus on Community Life, Education, Safe Driving and Volunteerism.

generationOn and The Walt Disney Company Celebrate the Power of Family Giving During 26th Annual Family Volunteer Day

Family Volunteer Day, powered by generationOn, the youth service division of Points of Light, and sponsored by The Walt Disney Company, is a day of service that demonstrates and celebrates the power of families who volunteer together, supporting their communities and neighborhoods.

“We saw a great turn out this year, and love seeing families engaging together and building these life-long memories around service,” said Morton. “We are thankful to Disney for its ongoing support of this day of service.”

Taking place today, this national day of service is held annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and offers families a chance to experience the benefits of volunteerism and service, instill in their children the spirit of giving, support their neighbors and improve their communities. Families volunteered through local service projects or downloadable DIY projects, which can be found on the Family Volunteer Day page.

“Family Volunteer Day introduces kids and teens to volunteering, and helps create and deepen connections to their community,” said Delores Morton, executive director of generationOn. “Activating families and helping youth to develop a sense of compassion and a commitment to serving others is a core part of this day and our mission.”

The signature Family Volunteer Day event took place today at the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. Volunteers from the Disney VoluntEARS program and L.A. Works sorted fresh fruit and helped the foodbank prepare for the busy holiday season. Youth in attendance volunteered alongside their parents and decorated Disney Healthy Living placemats, which will be donated to local education programs.

“Family volunteer projects are a meaningful way to share the joy with others and show kids first-hand how their actions can make a difference in caring for the world we share,” said Kevin Callahan, vice president of community engagement and strategic philanthropy at Disney. “Disney is proud to sponsor Family Volunteer Day to inspire kids and families to develop a lifelong love of service, while making our communities healthier, greener and stronger.”

Families who go to generationOn.org/fvd and upload a story with a photo of their Family Volunteer Day service will be eligible to win one of four $500 VISA gift cards or one of five “family night out” prize packages for dinner and a movie, valued at $160 each. Additionally, families are encouraged to use #FamilyVolunteerDay on social media to share ideas and raise awareness of the Day. For more ideas and inspiration on how families can make a difference not only on days of service but also throughout the year, visit generationOn.org/fvd.

Contact:

Sarah Fanslau, generationOn, (917) 746-8164, [email protected]

Raquel Perazzo, Child’s Play Communications, (212) 488-2060 x13, [email protected]

About generationOn

generationOn, the youth service division of Points of Light, provides programs and resources that support the development of caring, compassionate and capable kids and teens through service, empowering them to become changemakers in their communities and the world.

Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. For more information, go to https://www.pointsoflight.org/.

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. Being a good corporate citizen is a time-honored Disney tradition. Through contributions, collaborations with local organizations, in-kind gifts and volunteering, Disney helps to brighten the lives of kids and families in need and strengthen communities around the world. For more information visit, thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship or twitter.com/CitizenDisney.

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

The Food Bank is a non-profit organization established in 1973 and is one of the largest food banks in the United States. Through a network of 650 charitable agencies and more than 1,000 agencies and program sites, the Food Bank distributes one million pounds of food each week throughout Los Angeles County and serves one million individuals annually including 400,000 children. For more information, visit lafoodbank.org.

L.A. Works

L.A. Works is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, volunteer action center that creates and implements hands-on community service projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area. We strive to empower Angelenos to address pressing social issues through volunteerism and community collaborations. For more information, visit laworks.com.

Who Will Be This Year’s Most Community-Minded Companies?

For Eli Lilly and Company, community change means ensuring every student in Indianapolis has access to STEM education. For FedEx, it means having FedEx team members help teach safe motorist behaviors to create safer, more walkable communities. For KeyBank, community change manifests itself in $25 million in funding and research efforts for affordable housing communities across the country. These are just three of the 50 companies Points of Light recognized as best practice corporate citizens in 2016. Who will be among the most community-minded companies in America in 2017?

“Civic 50 companies are at the forefront of a rapidly growing movement in corporate citizenship, and are raising the standard of what it means to be a socially responsible company. Investing in communities and building strong cultures of community engagement – through employee volunteer programs and grants that are a part of a smart, integrated strategy – is increasingly linked to business success,” said Neil Bush, chairman of Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service.

Today, Points of Light opened the survey for the 2017 Civic 50, a Points of Light initiative that recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the nation each year, as determined by an annual survey. The Civic 50 are trailblazers and community champions for demonstrating how companies can use their time, talent, and other resources to improve the quality of life in their communities. Now in its fifth year, The Civic 50 is a roadmap for how companies can turn good intentions into sound business practices.

Is your company prioritizing community-building? Do you work for a corporate community champion? Has your company built a robust culture of corporate citizenship? Apply today for the 2017 Civic 50. Participation in The Civic 50 survey is open to companies with revenue of $1 billion or more. Applications will be accepted through March 1, 2017. Results will be announced at the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service, which will take place in Seattle, WA from June 19–21. To take the survey, visit Civic50.org.

To learn more about The Civic 50 and to access technical assistance for the survey, register for Points of Light’s webinar on Friday, Nov. 18 from 1–2 PM EST. For further questions, email [email protected].

The survey is powered by True Impact, a web-based measurement tool and benchmarking network for the charitable sector.

The Civic 50 for 2016, in alphabetical order, are:

AbbVie

Adobe Systems Incorporated

Aetna Inc.

Alcoa

Altria, Consumer Staples Sector Leader

Apollo Education Group

AT&T, Communications Sector Leader

Baxter International Inc.

Caesars Entertainment

Capital One

Citi

Comcast NBCUniversal

Comerica Incorporated

CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer

Deloitte

Dr Pepper Snapple Group

Eli Lilly and Company

Entergy

FedEx Corporation

Ford Motor Company

Freeport-McMoRan, Materials Sector Leader

General Mills

Hasbro, Inc., Consumer Discretionary Sector Leader

Health Care Service Corporation

Hewlett Packard, Technology Sector Leader

IHS

Intel Corporation

KeyBank

KPMG LLP, Industrials Sector Leader

MGM Resorts International

Motorola Solutions, Inc.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Utilities Sector Leader

PIMCO

Prudential Financial Inc.

PwC

Raytheon Company

S&P Global

SAP

State Street Corporation

Steelcase

Symantec Corporation

The Hershey Company

Time Warner Cable

Toyota Financial Services, Financials Sector Leader

TSYS

UnitedHealth Group, Health Care Sector Leader

UPS

Valero Energy Corporation, Energy Sector Leader

Verizon

Wells Fargo

For more information, visit Civic50.org, follow @TheCivic50, find us on LinkedIn, or email us at [email protected].

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 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people where it’s needed most. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.

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.

Contact:

Elizabeth Westbrook
[email protected]
202-644-7245

Points of Light Launches “Pledge to Serve” to Channel Post-Election Passion for Good

In the wake of a historic election, we have seen people from all walks of life looking for ways to come together, to tackle tough challenges, and to move forward to find healing by helping others. It starts with service: volunteering strengthens relationships and connections with neighbors, and it empowers individuals to create the change they want to see in their communities. In fact, research has shown that people who volunteer are happier and healthier as a result of making a difference in the lives of others.

We invite you to join us! Please take the pledge to volunteer and serve, and share with your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to encourage them to join you in doing good.

Today, Points of Light launches Service Unites, an online platform and campaign that gives Americans the opportunity to pledge to serve. This effort will tap into the unlimited hope and potential of individuals to spark change and tackle the toughest problems facing our communities and our country. In doing so, we will show that there is more in our country that unites us than divides us and through our actions vote every day for the community we want to see.

The ask is simple: sign our pledge to volunteer and then share your story of service using #ServiceUnites. Once someone takes the pledge, they will see a list of local projects that they can participate in generated by Points of Light’s All for Good database of over 100,000 volunteer projects all over the world. Those who sign on can volunteer through All for Good, or with an organization or cause they are already connected with.

We invite you to join us! Please take the pledge to volunteer and serve, and share with your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers to encourage them to join you in doing good.

About Points of Light

Contact:

Robert Montgomery
Coordinator, Communications
[email protected]
(202) 729-8007

TEGNA Partners with Arby’s Foundation, Points of Light for Make A Difference Day on October 22

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) will partner with the Arby’s Foundation and Points of Light for Make A Difference Day on Saturday, October 22. Make A Difference Day is one of the largest annual single days of service nationwide. In their inaugural year of the partnership, the Arby’s Foundation will provide support for Make A Difference Day projects across the country. Points of Light is a longtime partner of Make A Difference Day.

“We are thrilled to be a partner for Make A Difference Day for the first time this year,” said Paul Brown, CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group.

“TEGNA’s purpose is to empower the people we serve and make a positive impact in our communities. Make A Difference Day provides us an opportunity to do just that,” said Gracia Martore, president and CEO, TEGNA. “Make A Difference Day proves that every person, no matter their age or background, and every action, no matter how big or small, can make a difference. We are grateful for the support of the Arby’s Foundation and Points of Light and look forward to working with them to further improve communities nationwide.”

“We are thrilled to be a partner for Make A Difference Day for the first time this year,” said Paul Brown, CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group. “At Arby’s, we have six core values that have guided how we do business for decades. One of these values is Make a Difference. Our commitment to this value makes joining this volunteer program a natural fit. The entire Arby’s system is excited to see our Make a Difference value come to life at a national level next month as we come together to give back to the communities we serve.”

This October 22, thousands of volunteers and communities across the country will come together with a common mission: to improve the lives of others through community-driven service projects. TEGNA employees and their families will take part in nearly 50 service projects. In addition, the TEGNA Foundation, supported by TEGNA, will contribute $185,000 in community grants for Make A Difference Day projects. Community service projects can include cleaning up your local park with your family and friends, volunteering at your community animal shelter or hosting a lemonade stand and donating the proceeds to charity.

“Make A Difference Day has become an enduring tradition that brings people together, across differences, to help solve community problems,” said Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light. “With projects throughout the country, it’s a great opportunity to start volunteering or, if you already volunteer, it’s a great time to invite a friend to join you.”

Volunteers are encouraged to register their project at makeadifferenceday.com. By registering, project organizers are eligible to win a $10,000 grant to donate to a charity of their choice.

Make A Difference Day began in 1992 and takes place annually on the fourth Saturday in October. Make A Difference Day is made possible by the employees of TEGNA with support from the Arby’s Foundation and longtime partner Points of Light.

To register a community service project, search for an existing project or find more information, go to makeadifferenceday.com.

About TEGNA

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is comprised of a dynamic portfolio of media and digital businesses that provide content that matters and brands that deliver. TEGNA reaches more than 90 million Americans and delivers highly relevant, useful and smart content, when and how people need it, to make the best decisions possible. TEGNA Media includes 46 television stations and is the largest independent station group of major network affiliates in the top 25 markets, reaching approximately one-third of all television households nationwide. TEGNA Digital is comprised of Cars.com, the leading online destination for automotive consumers, CareerBuilder, a global leader in human capital solutions, and other powerful brands such as G/O Digital and Cofactor. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.

About the Arby’s Foundation

The Arby’s Foundation, the charitable arm of Arby’s, carries out a mission to end childhood hunger in America. Building on a philanthropic heritage that has contributed over $71 million to child-related causes since its inception in 1986, the Arby’s Foundation is working to ensure every child in America has the meals they need to succeed, especially when school is out. With more than 16 million U.S. children—more than 1 in 5—facing hunger daily, the Arby’s Foundation has devoted its resources to providing education and access to wholesome food choices for children across the country. The Arby’s Foundation is a registered 501 (c) (3) organization headquartered in Atlanta. To learn more, visit www.arbysfoundation.org.

About Points of Light

For media inquiries, contact:

Alison Holder
Director, Corporate Communications
TEGNA, Inc.
703-854-4235
[email protected]

Jeffrey Heinz
Vice President, Investor Relations
TEGNA, Inc.
703-854-6917
[email protected]

Points of Light Announces Seattle as Host City for the 2017 Conference on Volunteering and Service

Points of Light announced today that Seattle will serve as host city for the 2017 Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service, which will be held June 19-21, 2017. Points of Light is calling for Conference workshop proposals focused on replicable strategies for engaging volunteers in local problem-solving, capacity building for community organizations, innovative technology for social good, and more.

The Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service is the largest service-related convening of nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders in the world. Each year, thousands of people convene to learn from and be inspired by leaders from the rapidly changing field of social change. Over the course of three days, attendees will learn from some of today’s most recognized innovators and influencers in the volunteer service sector.

The 2017 Conference will focus on nine diverse tracks with more than 100 workshops, plenaries that offer opportunities for reflection and renewal, experiential learning opportunities and volunteer service projects that allow guests to give back to the host city.

“We are thrilled to bring the 2017 Conference on Volunteering and Service to Seattle, a vibrant city with innovative leaders and everyday doers whose longstanding commitment to sustainability, cutting-edge technology and public engagement drives change,” said Tracy Hoover, CEO of Points of Light. “Seattle is an ideal place to come together to focus on best practices for tapping the potential power of volunteers to problem-solve and create change.”

Call for Proposals

Points of Light is currently accepting proposals for 2017 Conference workshops. Workshops must be 90 minutes and offer attendees proven and realistic solutions via interactive content, preferably with a focus on innovative and replicable strategies for engaging volunteers. Full requirements can be found on the Conference website at www.volunteeringandservice.org/get-involved/call-for-presenters.

Proposals can support Conference learning tracks including Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Higher Education, Global, Advanced Training for AmeriCorps, Solutions for Pressing Issues, Tech for Good and Volunteer Engagement. Proposals are due by Friday, Nov. 11, 2016, by 11:59 p.m. EST.

For more on the 2017 Conference on Volunteering and Service, connect with us on the web, on Twitter or Facebook. View 2016 Conference highlights and videos and read what attendees had to say at #serviceunites.

About Points of Light

The Conference on Volunteering and Service is convened by Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. Points of Light inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

Points of Light Civic Accelerator Launches Fall 2016 Cohort, Focused on Educational and Workforce Success for Detroit Area Youth

The Points of Light Civic Accelerator – the first national accelerator dedicated to investing in civic ventures – announced today the 15 ventures selected to participate in its Fall 2016 program. These civic start-ups include for-profits and nonprofits focused on increasing educational outcomes and workforce success for youth in the Detroit and Great Lakes region.

“As a Founding Supporter of the Civic Accelerator, we are proud to have helped more than 175 entrepreneurs access the tools and resources they need to scale their ventures,” shared Shannon Schuyler, president of the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. “We congratulate the 15 newly selected teams and are excited for the opportunity to watch them grow over the next few months.”

The 15 teams will gather in Detroit on October 11 for the start of an intensive, 10-week entrepreneur boot camp that includes mentoring, education, peer support and networking. 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. This will be the eighth cohort of the Civic Accelerator since its founding in 2012.

Application and selection committees screened more than 200 social ventures from across the country and reviewed 58 curated applications before selecting the 15 ventures in this cohort. They represent a range of sectors and approaches to education and workforce development for disconnected youth in Detroit, the Great Lakes, and from across the U.S. The solutions are diverse – including alternative learning models, youth education and technical skills training, and tech-enabled workforce development platforms – to help young people achieve educational success, living wage jobs and economic mobility.

“We know that young adults need workforce-ready skills to fully participate in the new economy, and Detroit employers, foundations and community leaders are committed to help connect young people to the emerging opportunities in the region,” said Ayesha Khanna, founder of the Points of Light Civic Accelerator. “We are proud to support, along with our funders and partners, such promising ventures to turn current trends around, by improving educational outcomes and workforce success for the young people in Detroit and the Great Lakes region.”

“The Ford Motor Company Fund is thrilled to have played an integral part in bringing the Points of Light Civic Accelerator to Detroit with its focus on Opportunity Youth,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “We look forward to supporting the diverse social entrepreneurs to scale innovative solutions to address education and workforce challenges faced by youth in Detroit and the Great Lakes region. Detroit’s robust entrepreneurial community and history of innovation is the perfect environment to host Cohort 8.”

The civic startups participating in the Civic Accelerator Fall 2016 program represent California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York. They are:

ALEX (Boston, MA, For-profit), Anyone’s Learning Experience is a marketplace of college courses for career advancement.

Atlantic Impact (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) uses local and global travel to improve outcomes for students attending high poverty schools.

BLOC (Franklin Lakes, NJ, For-profit) is a professional network that unites black college students so that they can collectively rise.

Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) develops Detroit high school students as leaders through entrepreneurship rooted in food.

Detroit Training Center (Detroit, MI, For-profit) teaches the skills necessary to match students with high paying jobs through customized, hands-on vocational programs of study.

Fletch (Chicago, IL, For-profit) helps colleges increase utilization of student support services including tutoring, advising, and financial aid.

Flying Classroom (Opa-Locka, FL, For-profit) is a real Magic School Bus offering expeditions around the globe and making it easy for teachers to engage students with STEM+ learning.

GenFKD (New York, NY, Nonprofit) prepares students to thrive in the 21st century through on-campus skill development programs.

Grow Detroit’s Young Talent (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) provides Detroit youth with paid summer employment and training opportunities.

Henry Ford Learning Institute (Dearborn, MI, Nonprofit) empowers young people to be more innovative and creative in how they think and learn.

The Impact Lab (Chicago, IL, For-profit) provides open source data and analytics to connect action to outcomes for service providers and funders in the social sector.

JOURNi (Detroit, MI, Nonprofit) empowers underrepresented and underserved Detroiters through coding and software development instruction.

Overgrad (Chicago, IL, For-profit) is a web platform for high school students and the people that support them.

Skill Scout (Chicago, IL, For-profit) transforms how companies and candidates experience each other through video job posts and engaging work sample applications.

WeThrive (Santa Monica, CA, Nonprofit) is an entrepreneurial mentoring program that pairs college students to middle school students in under-resourced communities.

# # #

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 more than 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year – we put people at the center of change. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.

About the Points of Light Civic Accelerator

About Starbucks

About Ford Motor Company Fund

Points of Light to Commemorate 15th Anniversary of 9/11 Through Community-based Projects on National Day of Service and Remembrance

Commemorating the 15^th anniversary of 9/11 and as part of the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – will launch a series of community-based service projects and a storytelling project curating profiles and stories of 9/11 responders and service members. Projects include a mobilization of 15,000 volunteers nationwide to participate in service events involving and honoring members of the military and veterans, a service project at the Washington Monument in the nation’s capital, and packing a half million meals for those in need in New York City.

In 30 communities across the country, volunteers – members of the military, veterans, first responders and their families serving alongside community members and corporate employees – will engage in projects with Points of Light’s Military Initiatives team, coming together to participate in service events designed to honor first responders, veterans and service members

Those who are not part of these events can still participate in the Day of Service:

Find 9/11 service opportunities in your communities at www.pointsoflight.org/911day.
Post stories and photos of 9/11 responders and service members, or show how you’re serving using #911Day and #HonoringService. These stories will post to a gallery on the Points of Light 911 Day web page.

In Washington, D.C., on Sept. 10, volunteers of all ages will gather on the National Mall for a Volunteer Service Fair, where they will participate in eight mini-service projects, each sponsored by a nonprofit and benefiting members of the military and veterans. During the event, Points of Light will honor Jose Martinez with a Daily Point of Light award for his work with The Mission Continues. Martinez leads a team of service-minded veterans who have dedicated more than 900 hours to volunteering in their community. The Service Fair is hosted in partnership with Points of Light affiliate Volunteer Fairfax and is sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

In New York, more than 80 new AmeriCorps VISTAs with ServiceWorks – a joint youth development program from AmeriCorps, the Citi Foundation and Points of Light – will participate in three events tied to 9/11 Day.

On Sept. 9, Points of Light CEO Tracy Hoover and third-year ServiceWorks Los Angeles VISTA Alonzo Warren, will join Corporation for National and Community Service CEO Wendy Spencer and other champions of service to ring the Opening Bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
On Sept. 10, the VISTAs will participate in the Opportunity Nation Summit, where they will officially be sworn in by Gen. (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal.
Culminating the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 11, the AmeriCorps VISTA members’ first official act of duty will be at New York’s Pier 36 with 9/11 Day organizers and MyGoodDeed. Representing the 14 ServiceWorks host cities around the country, they’ll lead thousands of New York volunteers as part of an effort across the city to pack more than 500,000 meals for those in need.

In Philadelphia, Points of Light affiliate Jersey Cares is partnering with the Starbuck’s “Let’s Serve Together” initiative to engage community volunteers in a variety of revitalization projects at the West Philadelphia Community Center, which has for 75 years provided programs and services to all members of the community and empowered Philadelphia’s youth to become positive citizens and community leaders.

With a quarter of the U.S. population under the age of 18, many of today’s youth weren’t alive when the events around 9/11 occurred. generationOn and Points of Light are teaming up to help youth learn, act, and reflect on 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, with tools and resources from GenerationOn to help talk about the events of 9/11 and plan a project.

The Global Unity Games – a virtual campaign run by the Compassion Games designed to bring about unity in communities worldwide through compassion and service – kicks off on Sept. 10 in Washington, D.C., as Points of Light passes a virtual torch to MyGoodDeed and 9/11 Day organizers in New York City, and continues through Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. Join in by using #CompassionUnites.

About Points of Light

About Booz Allen Hamilton

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy, technology, and engineering for more than 100 years. Booz Allen partners with public and private sector clients across the globe to solve their most difficult challenges. To learn more, visit www.boozallen.com. (NYSE: BAH)

About the Corporation for National and Community Service

The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service each year through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and other programs; improves communities through the Social Innovation Fund; and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

2,500 GM Employees Volunteer in Detroit’s Cody Rouge Community

Thousands of GM employees are donating their time and talent to board up vacant homes, clean empty lots, spruce up streets and tackle other neighborhood and school improvements throughout Detroit’s Cody Rouge community. Starting yesterday, the week-long transformation will culminate at an Employee and Community Family Fun Day, where employee volunteers will distribute backpacks filled with school supplies to neighborhood children. Employee volunteers assembled these backpacks earlier in June, during the GM-sponsored service project at the Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service at Detroit’s Cobo Center.

“GM’s employees made great progress two years ago and now we are returning to work with residents and community leaders to create a safer, sustainable neighborhood where families and businesses can thrive,” said Heidi Magyar, director of GM Community Outreach.

The driving force behind these service projects is teamGM Cares, a company-wide volunteerism initiative involving GM employees at all levels that is partnering with the Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance (CRCAA), Cody High School and other corporations.

The CRCAA and residents have been working with GM and The Skillman Foundation on a months-long project to determine the community’s needs and develop plans. “Our organization has been working for 10 years to create a strong, sustainable community for residents and businesses,” says Kenyetta Campbell, CRCAA executive director. “We are excited to partner with GM to help amplify our work.”

GM’s improvements to Cody High will include a concession stand, fitness park, dugout, soccer field, pavilion and a complete field cleaning.

Other partners working with GM in Cody Rouge include Quicken Loans, DTE Energy, The Skillman Foundation, PwC, Roncelli, Inc., and Oak Pointe Church. Their projects will include:

Quicken Loans: Employee volunteers will clean and paint boarded-up vacant structures and renovate the walking path at Rouge Park
DTE Energy: Deploying DTE Care Force employee volunteers to support board-up efforts by clearing trees, assessing utilities and service reliability and by planting new trees in the neighborhood
The Skillman Foundation: Providing logistical support to all employee volunteers
PwC: Cleaning and painting at Cody High School
Roncelli, Inc.: Project management oversight
Oak Pointe Church: Strong partner of Cody High School providing onsite support

General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world’s largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at www.gm.com.

About Points of Light

Points of Light – the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service – inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across more than 30 countries and partnerships with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 4 million volunteers in 30 million hours of service each year. Every year, Points of Light convenes the Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world’s largest service-related convening of nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders. For more information, go to www.pointsoflight.org.