L.A. Works Uses Social Media During Global Volunteer Month for Volunteer Recruitment and Recognition

We’re in the final stretch of

2023, and continuing to celebrate individuals and organizations around the world affecting change and advocating for social good. We’ve been featuring a handful of

Points of Light Global Network

affiliates who are positively impacting their communities through volunteer recruitment, recognition and special events throughout April. The Points of Light Global Network operates with a network of innovative volunteer-mobilizing organizations that serve more than 145 affiliates across 39 countries around the world. Together, we are inspiring, equipping and mobilizing more people to use their time, talent and resources to create positive change in their communities.

L.A. Works

is a member of the Points of Light Global Network and is Los Angeles’ largest volunteer action center. The organization aims to unite Angelenos and inspire action for a more equitable Los Angeles. We spoke with Samantha Wheeler, director of communications at L.A. Works, to talk about why volunteering matters and how the organization utilizes its resources to uplift volunteers and the overall mission.

How is your organization recognizing Global Volunteer Month this year?

L.A. Works has volunteers across many different categories and programs, and we intend to highlight them across social media this month. We have reels and posts planned to highlight corporate volunteers, volunteers who are over 55, FAVE volunteer families, climate action/disaster preparedness teams, VISTA members and general volunteers.

What resources or tools are you providing to volunteers to help them get involved in their community?

We utilize our website, social media, tabling events and canvassing to get people involved.

How are you recognizing and thanking volunteers for their contributions during Global Volunteer Month?

We are using a social media campaign to thank all of our volunteers – from corporate volunteers to family volunteers and all in between – for their service.

What role does volunteerism play in your organization’s overall mission and objectives?

Volunteering is the heart of what we do. Our purpose is to make sure that Angelenos work on local needs through hands-on service and feel empowered to address the most critical needs in Los Angeles.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who’s looking to get more involved in their community through volunteerism?

Volunteering is a great way to follow your passion. We have so many volunteers come to us because there’s a specific area that they care about but maybe they don’t get to explore because of work obligations. Volunteering is an excellent way to engage in something you care about. It’s also a great way to discover a new interest. We’ve also had volunteers who discovered they had an interest in something new nurtured by a few hours of service in a specific area, not to mention the benefits of volunteering: meeting new people, learning new things, lowering blood pressure to name a few.

Volunteer Recruitment Strategies for Global Volunteer Month

When anyone embarks on planning a volunteer project or initiative, sufficient v

olunteer recruitment is often a concern that tops their list

. As

Global Volunteer Month

approaches, you will want to consider what you can do to ensure you have enough people power to truly make an impact in the cause area you’re supporting. Whether you’re leading a team of CSR professionals or simply trying to enroll others in your volunteer project at work, you can use these volunteer recruitment strategies to maximize your impact.

Plan Ahead for Volunteer Recruitment

To maximize your results, you’ll want to start planning your Global Volunteer Month project or initiative now. Determine which cause area(s) you’ll choose to support, who will lead the efforts and what supplies you’ll need. If you’re partnering with a nonprofit organization for an event, you’ll need to establish this relationship and ensure logistics are overseen. Where and when will your event or project take place? How many volunteers will you need? What will you need to prepare in advance? Will the partner organization take care of supplies, or is this something you’ll need to supply? Consider food, transportation, parking and scheduling as well.

“In addition to addressing basic community needs, companies should also consider how they can collaborate effectively with community partners to help create the next generation of their workforce to help strengthen local communities economically, educationally and socially. If your company is creating partnerships that foster opportunities to expose, train and educate the next generation for employment in your industry, then everyone wins.” — Jennifer Nash, Senior Vice President, Points of Light Corporate Solutions

Communicate Early and Often

One of the best ways to boost volunteer recruitment is to ensure that people know about your event and how they can participate. So as early as possible, begin to promote your project in internal communications materials like emails or newsletters. Be clear about who the project lead is and how employees can sign up to volunteer their time and talent. You might even promote the event on your social media channels. You can reference Points of Light’s

Global Volunteer Month toolkits

for inspiration on your communications strategy. These resources include translated logos, social media graphics and sample messages to easily share your participation with your audiences. They’re tailored to four audiences: nonprofits, companies, government officials and individuals.

Provide Ample Resources to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment

Your employee volunteers will need to know as much as possible about the project or event, and how to plan effectively for it. So provide them with a detailed schedule as well as a list of things they should prepare, pack or wear. Will you be providing food? If not, make that clear in your communication. Incentivizing volunteers can go a long way in recruiting employees for your project. You might be offering a catered lunch, a certificate of completion, a small gift card or something else as a “thank you” for their time. If you’re offering paid volunteer time off (VTO), make this clear in your communication strategy – it can be one of the best ways to incentivize employees.

Celebrate Your Project and Volunteers

Want to increase employee engagement for your program or initiative, or ensure that next year’s Global Volunteer Month efforts have a great turnout? One method to help promote volunteer recruitment is to celebrate the efforts from this year’s volunteer activities. Some recognition ideas are to have a shoutout in your company-wide newsletter, host a luncheon for volunteers or nominate an outstanding employee volunteer for the

Daily Point of Light Award

. When volunteers feel seen and recognized, they’re more likely to participate again in the future, and recognition can help you attract new talent too. If you’d like more support rolling out your employee engagement program or finding ways to recognize your employee volunteers, Points of Light’s

Corporate Services and Solutions

can help. Our team of experts equips you with best-in-class tools, frameworks and customized support to streamline your program and increase your impact.

Volunteer Management Best Practices: Tips for Your Nonprofit

Your

nonprofit organization

may see tens, hundreds or thousands of

volunteers

come through your doors. Depending on the number of paid staff members you have, managing volunteers can become tricky. After all, you’re juggling different schedules, personalities and needs, all while trying to increase volunteer turnout at your organized events. Points of Light is here to help. That’s why we’ve put together these volunteer management best practices to

equip your nonprofit

with tips and tools for managing volunteers efficiently and effectively.

Lead Volunteers Through Challenges

Whether you’re addressing volunteers one-on-one or in groups, as a leader you’ll need to know how to well…lead, whether you’re navigating different

personalities

or situations. In times of crisis or

disaster response

, this skill is particularly crucial because your volunteers are champions of your mission and want to know how to support your efforts.

Empower Your Volunteers

Empower those volunteers who have

leadership potential

. Many of these individuals may be looking for ways to spread their wings and use their skills. Recognizing the qualities of “

social intrapreneurs

” can help you identify which volunteers you’d like to spend a little more time mentoring and offering new opportunities to grow at your organization.

Leverage Social Networking

Rallying volunteers for your planned events and encouraging donors to use their

purchase power

for good takes a lot of effort. In these times, when

social media

reigns supreme, nonprofit marketing doesn’t have to rely on internal staff alone. Call on your supporters and volunteers to spread your message, like promoting your annual toy drive or

Family Volunteer Day

Look to Skills-based Volunteers

For clear, consistent marketing, you’ll need to take the time to

establish your mission,

find your voice

and hone all of your external communication into a cohesive and unified effort. If you don’t yet have a marketing liaison or team to strategize around your content, consider establishing positions for this effort alone. And if you don’t have the capacity or budget, consider engaging a

skills-based volunteer

to take on this responsibility.

Recognize Your Volunteers

Feeling appreciated is integral to volunteer engagement, so make a plan for how to

show your volunteers some love

. Nominate them for a

Daily Point of Light Award,

which honors volunteers who are driving real and sustained change in their communities, or become a certified organization that offers the

President’s Volunteer Service Award

to help recognize your most exceptional volunteers based on annual hours served.

Build Trust Among Volunteers, Communities and Donors

Finally, your organization’s efforts amount to little if you don’t receive buy-in from all parties involved. Whether you’re working with

families

who want to volunteer together,

communities

that rely on your organization’s people power or

donors

who help keep your lights on, you’ll need to build trust among your stakeholders.

Two key activities can help with this effort:

listening and learning

from your stakeholders and communicating openly with them. First, you’ll need to understand the interests, challenges and values of each group, then address them with authenticity and transparency. Ensure that you have ongoing dialogue with all parties involved in your organization. Seek to understand where they’re coming from, and consider how you can bridge any gaps in trust through communication about your efforts.

3 Ways to Leverage Volunteer Leaders to Build Capacity

There are many factors that influence the number of volunteers you should plan to have involved with your organization’s service projects, including budget, supplies and space. However, if the barrier to hosting a larger project is staffing, it’s time to think differently about how you manage projects.

Leveraging volunteer leaders is a great way to increase the size and scale of your projects while also building your organization’s capacity and community impact. As you explore adding volunteer leaders to your projects, consider these three ways to make the most of volunteers who want to impact their communities as well as your own organization’s capacity opportunities: .

1. Create a Position Description

It’s important to know what you’re looking for in a volunteer leader and which role you want them to play. What experience do they need to have? Do they need to be comfortable with public speaking? Should they have a specific skill or certification? Be clear on the profile you’re targeting when searching for volunteer leaders, as well as their roles and responsibilities, and then capture the details in a position description.

2. Recruit Volunteer Leaders Strategically

Sometimes you need to look no further than your existing network of volunteers to find great leaders. Most of us have that group of rock star volunteers who bring a lot of energy to projects, demonstrate great leadership and are dependable. Let these volunteers know that you recognize their contributions to your organization by sharing the opportunity with them.

Consider other ways to recruit volunteer leaders:

Post the position on your website.
Promote the position on your organization’s social media channels.
Reach new potential volunteers by posting the position on Points of Light’s volunteer database.
Share the position with local professional groups, civic engagement organizations and community service clubs of local universities.
Ask those rock star volunteers to share the position with those they think would be a good fit.

3. Offer Training and Support for Volunteer Leaders

Volunteer leaders are still volunteers, and it’s important to maintain a personal connection with them. After orientation and training, you will still want to coach and mentor them to help individual leaders grow their thinking and capacity to lead.

Provide clear guidelines, due dates, reminders and clarification of requirements. More importantly, know your their strengths, as well as opportunities for growth, so that you can better help them develop their skills. If you foster their development as you do for staff, your organization is more likely to retain a strong and growing body of committed, qualified volunteer leaders.

Decide whether you want to support volunteer leaders formally or informally. Formal support can include regularly scheduled meetings and task-specific training. Informal support occurs as it is needed rather than at scheduled times and can include calls or emails to check in.

Provide opportunities for volunteer leaders to share best practices and learn from each other, such as casual gatherings at a coffee shop or a virtual meetup. Recognize outstanding and dedicated volunteers by nominating them to be a Daily Point of Light or become a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.

Through this continued support, you are preparing volunteer leaders to take greater responsibility, and in doing so, engage even more volunteers.

Top 5 Reasons to Attend the Points of Light Conference 2023

The

Points of Light Conference

, an annual event that draws global nonprofit, government, business and civic leaders from all over the world, is the premier civic engagement, volunteer and CSR conference to keep you educated and inspired. Here are five reasons you should attend the Points of Light Conference in 2023.

What sets this civic engagement conference apart?

There’s no better way to access compelling professional development and CSR networking opportunities. A post-event survey from The Points of Light Conference 2022 showed that 81% of respondents left with new knowledge that they were able to apply in their work. One attendee said the conference “…was terrific – friendly, inspiring and educational!” Another leader reported, “We had team members from several different departments attend and everyone gained something!”

“There was a great diversity of perspectives and strategies about the subject matter, volunteering and the devotion to civic improvement that transcended a variety of international cultural perspectives. Additionally, everyone was very driven and practical in regards to outlining strategies for success that can be applied to a daily lived experience and can be scaled up or down.” — Points of Light Conference Attendee

According to

recent research

, “58% of employees feel that their employers should lead in initiating higher standards to address various social justice issues affecting their communities,” while “64% of Millennials are not interested in working in companies that don’t value social responsibility” and “97% of past volunteers are more motivated in their duties” since the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s no doubt about it: The Points of Light Conference is sure to provide a rich experience to aid you in the important, impactful work you do.

1. Get inspired by top speakers

Each year, Points of Light hosts inspiring speakers and presenters from across the globe who are making massive impacts in their spheres. Whether you’re a

business leader

, a nonprofit employee or a passionate

volunteer

, you will hear from some of the leading voices in the CSR and ESG fields. Past conferences have welcomed news anchors, bestselling authors, actors and entertainers, and leaders of some of the largest organizations in the world to the stage. Expect to hear inspiring stories from this year’s cohort and gain insight into steps you can take to increase and sustain your own impact.

2. Grow your network

One of the top reasons to attend this civic engagement conference is for the networking opportunities. Not only will you have the chance to meet inspiring leaders working toward the common good, but you get to rub elbows with like-minded people doing similar work. Want to exchange successful marketing strategies you’ve been using? Catch up on new initiatives your colleagues have implemented this past year? Have lunch with a friend from last year’s conference? Now’s your chance to build and sustain your own professional network.

3. Get equipped with the latest research and tools

Attending this CSR conference can open the door to ideas and resources that will transform the way you work. Explore the

research and trends

shaping the social sector and deepen your impact with new tools and solutions to current problems. As the landscape has shift due to COVID-19, you can’t rely on pandemic-era methods of volunteer or employee engagement. At the Points of Light Conference, you will dive into the topics and tools most relevant to where you are now.

“The Points of Light Conference is a place for both bold civic engagement strategy conversations and re-energizing reflection to fuel your day-to-day work. It’s an investment of time and budget that pays off tenfold in new ideas, fresh inspiration, and relevant connections” — Katie Stearns, Chief Global Corporate Solutions Officer, Points of Light

4. Revitalize your passion and commitment

Keep burnout at bay by stoking your passion for civic engagement. When times get tough, how do other leaders and their teams handle the hurdles? What are the key moments that keep them engaged and committed to the work over the course of decades? Reconnect to the reasons you started on your civic engagement journey in the first place. From Main Stage moments to workshops and presentations, you’ll experience moving stories of both successes and failures. You’re sure to find a story you can personally relate to and draw on later through good times and challenges.

5. Make the most of your time in Chicago

This year’s conference provides a brand-new opportunity to explore a major metropolitan area: Chicago! We’re hosting the Points of Light Conference in the middle of June, which is the perfect time to explore the beautiful weather of the Midwest. Snap a selfie at Cloud Gate, (aka “The Bean”) at Millennium Park. Grab your group and head to The Garfield Park Conservatory or the Art Institute of Chicago, cultural staples of this bustling city. History buff? Take a 90-minute cruise along the Chicago River to hear about the origins behind the stunning Chicago architecture.

“We are thrilled to welcome the global Points of Light community to Chicago!” said Points of Light Conference Co-host Ellen Ray, CEO of Chicago Cares. “We look forward to the Points of Light conference serving as an opportunity to celebrate and strengthen the ways our beautiful and complicated city brings the power of people to the work of change.”

Register for the Points of Light Conference 2023

Whether you’re in the corporate world or the social sector, leading teams or new to your organization, don’t miss this powerful conference. The Points of Light Conference is your chance to refine your skills, revitalize your passion and network with other people making waves in the world of civic engagement. Head over to our

2023 Points of Light Conference page

to sign up for updates and stay abreast of announcements.

4 Ways to Make an Impact Together this Holiday Season

The holidays are an opportune time to slow down, reflect on the past year, enjoy quality time with loved ones and contribute meaningfully to our communities.

From using our purchase power to shop responsibly to exploring in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities, there are myriad ways for you and yours to get more civically engaged this holiday season. Points of Light’s Civic Circle is a framework that helps connect individuals to opportunities and show that doing good comes in many forms.

Here are some ways to get involved this holiday season.

Use your purchase power to make more informed decisions when shopping. Whether it’s shopping local, buying BIPOC-owned brands, supporting small businesses, or seeking out sustainable goods, where you choose to spend your dollar matters. You can greatly impact the causes you care about by doing a little upfront research and selecting products and brands that reflect your values.
Find in-person or virtual volunteer opportunities. Volunteering around the holidays can benefit everyone involved – the volunteer, the recipient, the nonprofit organization and the larger community. While some may opt to use their time and talents in person, like at a local food bank, others may feel more comfortable volunteering virtually. Fortunately, there are plenty of formal volunteer opportunities out there – and don’t forget about informal ones too, like shoveling snow on your neighborhood sidewalk or grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor.
Contribute with monetary or in-kind donations. Donating is one way to support the welfare of others, and donations don’t have to be large to be meaningful. You can choose to give money, goods (like coats, toiletries or food items) or services (helping with childcare, cleaning, car care or cooking).
Listening and learning about issues and cause areas is a year-round effort, but the holidays typically provide some extra opportunities. First, consider using some of your downtime to research the issues you care about. Listen to podcasts, read the news, watch conversations with experts. When you gather with friends or family, don’t avoid these topics. Dive in and discuss what you’re learning, listening to others’ perspectives respectfully as well. Often, it’s those times around the table that can help move us forward on an individual level, which then naturally extends outward.

At the back of each of our

Civic Life Today magazines

, we’ve included a personal action plan. These worksheets are tailored to each facet of the Civic Circle and they help readers discover which causes they care most about, research organizations helping to solve these issues and then plan and prioritize their involvement.

Whatever ways you choose to get involved this year, sharing your light inspires others to do the same, and that collectively light can transform the world.

Points of Light Engage Makes It Easy to Share Volunteer Opportunities: New Registration Features for Nonprofits, Schools, Government Agencies and More

According to Points of Light’s civic engagement research, one of the top barriers for people to get involved in their communities is not knowing where to go to find opportunities or not being able to find something near them that fits their interest.

To help solve that problem, Points of Light Engage, the world’s largest digital hub for volunteering and community engagement, was launched in January to allow nonprofits to post volunteer opportunities and make it easy for individuals to find ways to volunteer that are interesting, relevant and local to them.

New Upgrades for More Opportunities

We’re excited to expand our registration process beyond nonprofits to also include public and private schools, government agencies and more specialized nonprofit organizations like faith groups and school PTAs, so that more organizations will be able to connect with more individuals who want to make a difference.

Additionally, we know that many organizations deliver their services and need volunteers in multiple locations. For example, a metro-area YMCA may have an administrative address of record downtown, but dozens of branches across the city with distinct, local volunteer needs; a Salvation Army may have multiple thrift store operations, soup kitchens and donation centers; and a local Friends of Our City Parks nonprofit may organize volunteer projects at sites around the community.

Our new registration process allows nonprofit users to organize those multiple locations under the umbrella of their nonprofit, whether they are as large as the American Red Cross or a neighborhood Community Development Corporation with multiple service sites in the community. Users can then create and manage their volunteer opportunities under each of those locations, making it easier to connect with the individuals who want to get involved with a cause they care about.

These new features take us one step closer towards our more comprehensive vision of meeting volunteers where they are most commonly starting, a Google search of “volunteering near me,” and helps even the smallest organization showcase their opportunities to the motivated volunteers in their community.

4 Ways to Make Volunteering More Inclusive for All Abilities

Throughout October, we recognize the opportunity for all people in all walks of life to give back. This month is Disability Employment Awareness Month, and also recognizes Invisible Disabilities Week, so there is no better time to highlight how every person should have the opportunity to use their talents to volunteer. Small and strategic changes to how programs are run can produce substantial positive impacts for organizations, volunteers, and the people they aim to serve. Organizations can significantly benefit from hearing new ideas and solutions from fresh perspectives, understanding challenges faced by other individuals, and increasing confidence in the community by showing an accurate representation of themselves. Moreover, diversity in volunteers will inevitably make a program more sustainable with a significantly broader pool of potential volunteers. By being more inclusive, every person can have the opportunity to give back and allow their unique talents and abilities to shine. Having an inclusive volunteering program may also better reflect a demographic that an organization is hoping to serve, which will provide more insight into the program’s needs, actions, and aims. There is a

vast array of research

into why volunteering should be made more inclusive, including some from our Global Network affiliate

VolunteerCanada

. Here are four ways in which your volunteer program can be more made inclusive.

Limit barriers to access

NCVO Knowhow

, which provides support and advice for voluntary and charity organizations, found that individuals with different abilities and those needing extra assistance are 7% less likely to volunteer than people with no disability. Unfortunately, many people who require additional support are excluded from contributing to volunteer efforts because of a lack of opportunity and access barriers. Ask yourself what barriers your organization faces – is the volunteer space handicap accessible? Does the project require full mobility or sensory input? Then ask yourself and your team how you can solve them.

Offer mentorship support

The individualized needs of people with different abilities may be easier to tackle by providing a dedicated point of contact within the volunteer organization. This mentor can provide support from the recruitment stage through the induction process and be available for regular check-ins on an on-going basis. By nurturing open dialogue between a mentor and volunteer, any specific additional needs that may arise can be more quickly overcome in confidence with the least amount of bureaucracy.

Focus on the individual

There is a lack of publicly available information regarding what support people with different abilities require to volunteer. However, every person’s abilities are unique, and as such, there cannot be a one-size-fits-all method for engagement and facilitation of more inclusive volunteer programs. By embracing a person-centered attitude and helping remove the barriers faced by each person involved, it is easier to move forward in a positive direction and adjust where needed.

Prioritize investing in inclusivity

There are a variety of benefits that inclusive volunteering can have for the organization, the volunteer and the community. Volunteer organizations need to

provide sufficient investment and engagement

so that the skills, resources, time, and experience is available to provide people with additional needs the opportunity to volunteer. Being a functional, inclusive volunteer program is easily attainable if all organization levels are committed to it.

8 Strategies for Creating a More Inclusive Volunteer Program

By Lisa Joyslin, Inclusive Volunteerism Program Manager, Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration

Do volunteers at your organization represent the racial and ethnic diversity of the community you serve?

The answer, for most governments and nonprofit organizations, is “no.”

But this can change.

The Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration has spent the last year researching the challenges, barriers and best practices for volunteers from immigrant and diverse communities. While this project focused particularly on government organizations, the findings can largely be applied across both government and nonprofit entities. To reach these findings, MAVA built on several previous initiatives and conducted new research to more deeply explore questions such as:

How is the concept of volunteerism understood and perceived in racially and ethnically diverse communities?
What barriers currently exist to engaging diverse and immigrant populations as volunteers with government organizations, and how can these barriers be overcome?
What outreach or recruitment strategies are most effective in immigrant and diverse communities?
Are there particular volunteer roles that are more appealing to people of diverse backgrounds and, if so, how can governments or organizations develop these roles?
What efforts have organizations found successful in engaging diverse and immigrant volunteers, and how can other entities replicate these efforts?

The result of this research is a set of eight strategies for engaging diverse and immigrant volunteers, which governments and organizations can develop into an action plan for change.

Some of the strategies are relatively simple. For example, we heard from a number of people new to this country that the word “volunteer” is not well understood in their community. Framing volunteerism in terms of how they can help their neighbors is a more effective way to discuss how they might be involved. And focusing on how someone might help their community, as opposed to how they will help your organization, will be a more compelling recruitment message.

Other strategies are much more difficult, like building relationships with communities of color and creating an inclusive organizational culture. While employing these strategies will not happen overnight, starting today by taking small steps forward will slowly build inclusion into your volunteer program in the months and years to come.

All eight strategies are represented in the infographic below, and the executive summary of MAVA’s report (featuring a brief overview of all eight strategies) is available at www.mavanetwork.org/inclusive.

If you would like to receive the full report or discuss MAVA’s work, contact Lisa Joyslin.