In the nonprofit world, there are subject matter experts, and there are leaders and organizations that connect and promote those experts. Independent Sector member Points of Light embodies both. Their civic engagement experts work to act as a bridge by connecting and convening.
Points of Light’s staff and partners include experts who are well versed in volunteerism, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and civic engagement research. We caught up with Points of Light to learn more about their work to connect the right people with the right opportunities to make a difference, both for individuals and for businesses at scale.
More than 1,300 people attended the 2022 Points of Light Conference at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. The conference hosted 56 workshops. Photo courtesy of Points of Light.
IS: How do you connect volunteers with opportunities?
POL: We believe that we’re in an era of sustained, meaningful civic engagement. Our role at Points of Light is to be a cultural catalyst and remove barriers to entry, so that everyone has the opportunity to live a fully engaged civic life. We show people how doing good comes in many forms.
This ideal is at the heart of the Points of Light Civic Circle, a framework that offers nine different pathways to civic engagement – from using your purchase power wisely to listening and learning about the issues to how to leverage your vote and more.
“Gen Z and millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to work for an employer that offers nonpartisan actions to strengthen our communities and our democracy.”
– Katy Elder, vice president, Business Innovation, Points of Light
Volunteerism is where our mission began, but we know that the landscape for volunteering has shifted. Where it used to be an in-person proposition, now there are countless virtual opportunities. Points of Light Engage is the world’s largest digital hub for volunteering and community engagement. The platform allows individuals and groups to search for in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities that speak to their areas of interest and expertise.
We also have a network of global affiliates who connect causes and volunteers in local communities around the globe. Our partnership work with corporations focuses on increasing employee engagement through civic actions, including volunteerism, and partnership with our affiliates’ local expertise.
IS: How do you provide companies with resources to boost employee engagement?
Southwest Airlines and Hands On Phoenix sponsored the Park South volunteer event in Phoenix in October 2017. Photo courtesy of Points of Light.
POL: We believe that corporations have an immense responsibility and opportunity to help create a better world. They can do this, in part, through their commitment to goals in the spheres of sustainability and community involvement. This could look like cutting waste and emissions, publicly supporting social justice movements or committing a cut of their profits to philanthropies.
Points of Light supports Corporate Services and Solutions with tools and frameworks, consulting and strategic planning, and recognition programs. We bridge the gap between our knowledge in the civic engagement space and CSR teams’ goals and desired outcomes. Together, we create impactful partnerships with the companies we work with.
Supporting internal stakeholders is another way to civically engage employees. When companies prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, provide paid volunteer time off for employees and offer educational resources or platforms for socially relevant conversations at work, they are using their power to support their people in meaningful ways.
“We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a thousand points of light…we all have something to give.”
– President George H.W. Bush, Founder of Points of Light
IS: How do you unite your network of nonprofit affiliates from around the globe? How do you bring together leaders and changemakers?
POL: Points of Light serves as a bridge for our Global Affiliate Network, connecting international nonprofits around shared goals to increase positive engagement between diverse groups. We operate with a network of innovative volunteer-mobilizing organizations who serve more than 177 affiliates across 38 countries around the world.
We promote access to civic and community engagement opportunities through local partnerships and online platforms and tools, as well as designing engagement opportunities that put people’s unique skills to use in addressing nonprofit needs. We also help to develop civic leaders and expand their capacity through social impact experiences and training programs.
When like-minded people meet, connect and share ideas and best practices, they reignite their passion and move mountains together. No one can do this challenging work alone. Connecting networks of people is exactly what we aim to do through our annual Points of Light Conference.
This multi-day event holds space at the intersection of volunteers and community organizations, public and private sectors, local government and grassroots coalitions, and philanthropy and systems change. We feature inspiring leaders who share strategies and stories from the stage, facilitate workshops for idea sharing and create opportunities for people to network with others working on similar solutions to the world’s toughest issues.
IS: How do you shine a light on changemakers having the biggest impact and tackling the toughest challenges?
With all the issues that individuals and organizations in the nonprofit world are tackling – typically with limited resources – a pause for recognition doesn’t always happen. Points of Light is a nonpartisan organization. Our founder, President George H.W. Bush, saw recognition as a key piece in motivating people to keep carrying their missions forward.
He gave out the first Daily Point of Light Award in November of 1989, and Points of Light has continued to award individuals of all ages, backgrounds and ideologies who are leading and lending support to causes they care about every weekday for the last 32 years. We’ve feature more than 7,000 of their stories and proudly promote their work on our blog and via social media.
Additionally, we hold The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards, a recognition program to honor individuals demonstrating the transformative power of service and who are driving significant and sustained impact through their everyday actions and words. In conjunction with this event, we elevate the annual Inspiration Honor Roll, which celebrates acts of service, kindness and civic engagement from outstanding individuals who create change in communities around the world.
Finally, The Civic 50 initiative recognizes the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States each year as determined by an annual survey administered by True Impact. The program serves as a benchmarking tool and platform for sharing best practices in the corporate citizenship sector.
As global issues – from hunger and homelessness to health and education to social justice and equality – become more pressing and greater numbers of people seek to get involved, we know that there are critical roles nonprofits can play.
One role is to provide expertise in areas of need, educating and informing people on the issues, the solutions and how they can best take action in ways that result in good and reduce harm. The other is to uplift, connect and resource these experts so that they can reach greater numbers of people with their messages.
Points of Light seeks to fill both roles, serving individuals and groups with our decades of collective experiences and insights, as well as bridging communities, organizations and subject matter experts with their intended audiences.
About the top photograph: AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith was a guest speaker at the 2022 Points of Light Conference. Photo courtesy of Points of Light. Learn about other Independent Sector members and becoming a member.
