A Year in Reflection: 5 Things I’ve Learned About Being a Point of Light

When I came to Points of Light a year ago, I was excited to begin leading this organization at a time when the world needs us most.

After spending nearly 25 years working in positive youth development, I was becoming more concerned about the society we were preparing youth to enter. I knew I wanted to do more to create a less polarized world where people are fully engaged and investing in each other and their communities through volunteering and civic engagement.

As I reflect on my first year, I’m excited to celebrate the journey I’ve been on with our dedicated team. I’m more energized than ever for the future and proud to lead this inspiring organization as we help solve some of the most difficult challenges of our time. Here are five takeaways from this year, and what I’m seeing in the future.

Growing From Our Roots

Upon joining Points of Light, I was excited to build on our important mission and unique legacy. We began by examining our founding purpose with the goal of growing from our roots to serve society’s greatest needs today. Our founder, President George H.W. Bush, had a vision of “a thousand points of light, of community organizations spread like stars throughout the nation doing good.” That aspiration for our culture is more relevant today than it was back in 1989. A loneliness epidemic, the lowest rate of formal volunteering in 30 years, and rising threats to communities, individuals and society, all make it clear that Points of Light’s role is more critical than ever.

The Power of Listening

I believe listening is a key privilege and duty of leadership. Much of my first year was spent in conversations, listening sessions, and focus groups with board members, staff, partners, donors, Global Network affiliates in 38 countries, and Daily Point of Light honorees. (There are nearly 8,000!) I heard about the concerns in their communities and their aspirations for new ways that Points of Light can be a catalyst for urgently needed solutions. In addition, the U.S. Surgeon General declared a loneliness epidemic and reports like Edelman’s Trust Barometer found 62% of people globally said, “the social fabric that once held this country together has grown too weak for unity and common purpose.” Findings like these helped shape my understanding of how critical volunteering is to addressing so many of our current challenges.

Getting to know our affiliate NGOs helped me understand the life-changing impact they have around the world, the barriers they face, and how to best support their success. I’ve been inspired by their tenacity and their steadfast commitment to the health and well-being of their local people and communities. And it’s inspired me to make sure nonprofits have the volunteers they need to deliver on their missions.

It’s Time to Reframe Volunteering

At my first Points of Light Conference this June, I met with a small group of our Daily Point of Light honorees, who are everyday people voluntarily serving others in extraordinary ways. This intimate gathering was one of the most impactful moments of the year for me. Too often, we think of volunteers as nice people who have extra time to do something good. As I listened to each Point of Light share their story, I was struck by how many were driven to serve not because it was nice, but because it was necessary. For many, serving others was necessary to heal from a personal tragedy or challenge. For others, volunteering was a necessary response to an immense need they felt called to fulfill. For others, serving was necessary to express their deep thankfulness or appreciation for the opportunity, mentorship, or support they had experienced. Every one of them is changing the world by volunteering. They taught me the power of individuals to heal themselves and their communities through service.

A Future of Purposeful Volunteering

As the global leader in volunteering, Points of Light is dedicated to increasing the number of volunteers, shifting the perception of volunteering from nice to necessary, advancing volunteering with purpose, and shaping the future of volunteering. One of my favorite moments of the year was sharing this renewed strategic vision with our board and hearing from our Board Chair, Neil Bush, “My dad would be so happy about Points of Light’s future.”

The truth is there are increasing threats impacting individuals, communities and society. As record numbers of individuals around the world suffer from anxiety, depression and social isolation, we see that we need to catalyze social connection through volunteering because it brings people together and improves their overall well-being. Today, 47% of nonprofits in the United States struggle to recruit volunteers. When there aren’t enough volunteers, communities are threatened, and many needs go unmet. Volunteering also has the power to heal society by creating empathy and equity, increasing meaningful connections that bridge divides. Volunteering is a solution that can help solve all three of these complex problems. In short, volunteering is essential for our personal and communal well-being.

Changing Culture Together

Partnerships are the most powerful way we can work to influence culture and create positive change. In the past year, our long-time partners and supporters became even more engaged, and new partnerships have blossomed. For instance, we’re working with More Perfect on an ambitious shared democracy goal for national service and volunteering and we recently announced that Points of Light is a national resource partner to America250’s America Gives initiative. Together we will lead a national effort to reinvigorate a year-round culture of service leading up to 2026. Our partnerships aim to achieve the largest-ever national service initiative in American history, as both are nonpartisan groups working to protect, renew and commemorate our democracy as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

It’s hard to imagine anything topping this first year at Points of Light, but I know that working with our affiliates and our partners, the best is yet to come. As we look to the future, what I learned this year will guide us toward creating a world where everyone sees the benefits of volunteering for themselves, their community and our society. Please join us! You can find a volunteer opportunity at Points of Light’s Engage or with a Global Network affiliate near you.