The Power of Service: Building Thriving Communities

This webinar explored how service and civic action are essential to fostering well-being, resilience, and a shared sense of purpose. Viewers heard from leaders driving innovation and impact through purposeful volunteering and cross-sector collaboration.

Speakers

• Vanessa Diamond, Executive Vice President, Global Network and Nonprofit Programs, Points of Light
• Tommi Laitio, Founder, Urban Strategist, Convivencia Urbana, Inc.
• Laura Rog, Chief Service Officer for the City of New York
• Dave Smith, CEO, California Volunteers Fund

Resources

• Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation
  • Innovation Through Partnerships: Four Capabilities for Local Governments
  • Why Cities Should Embrace Friction in Partnerships
• NYC Service
  • NYC Service Reports
  • NYC Service Advisory Council Recommendations
• California Volunteers Fund
  • Cross Sector Leadership Approaches to Solve Problems
  • Community-Centered Selfishness

Top Takeaways

• Good partnerships happen in a space of friction between harmony and conflict.
• Friction is not a mindset but an issue of skills and capabilities, which you can learn, train, resource and codify.
• Reaching clarity around the shared desired outcome empowers collaborators to work in unison even if their motivations and strategies differ.
• Rather than looking only for similarities, it’s equally valuable to identify and articulate the differences in motivations, resources and perspectives while being very practical on creating value.
• Leverage diversity as an asset rather than a point of division.
• Broaden the definition of volunteer service and explore ways to better measure and communicate the impact of service in your city.