Points of Light Hires Experienced Nonprofit Executive Leader and Innovator to Expand Support for Nonprofits

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteering, is pleased to announce Vanessa Diamond as executive vice president, Global Network and Nonprofit Programs. Diamond will play a crucial role in expanding and strengthening Points of Light programs for nonprofits around the world.

Diamond brings on-the-ground experience in community and civic engagement, as being a nonprofit founder and executive leader. Her global leadership roles have also prepared her for the opportunity to grow the reach and impact of the Points of Light Global Network. For three years she chaired the Global Network leadership assembly, pioneering a successful shared leadership model for global programming and capacity building efforts. Her intimate knowledge of our programs gives her the unique opportunity to bridge her experience and our strategy to deliver on what nonprofits need most.

“Nonprofits around the world are responding to the toughest community challenges – hunger, education, supporting the elderly, just to name a few,” said Diamond. “Yet they themselves are struggling to recruit volunteers, facing unprecedented funding challenges and increased uncertainty. I’m excited to step into this role and advocate for their work while building bridges that strengthen the social impact sector.”

As Points of Light looks to deepen our capacity – building support for nonprofits and their volunteers – Diamond’s expertise brings innovation and lived experience to the team.

“Vanessa is the leader we need to help nonprofits meet this moment,” said Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO, Points of Light. “We know nonprofits are essential for meeting local community needs and 1/3 of their workforce is volunteers. Volunteering positively impacts people, communities and our society, but we only get there with healthy, effective nonprofits. I’m excited for her to join the team and drive forward our work to increase the number of people volunteering.”

Most recently, Diamond served as senior vice president of civic engagement for the Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond. In this capacity, she convened coalitions of community organizations, business leaders, institutions of higher education and government entities to help create a better ecosystem for civic engagement and nonprofit sustainability across the central Virginia region. She also led the Community Foundation’s Civic Engagement Team, which creates opportunities for people to learn about and engage with the Greater Richmond community, empowering individuals to give back with their time and voice in ways that feel meaningful and generate the most impact. Vanessa was a co-founder and director of HandsOn Greater Richmond, the region’s volunteer center which merged with the Community Foundation in 2018.

Prior to that, Diamond served in a variety of staff roles in national service programs, oversaw Virginia Commonwealth University’s Service Learning programming and was vice president of a regional nonprofit resource center, Partnership for Nonprofit Excellence. Vanessa received her bachelor’s degree from NC State University and her MPA from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Diamond serves on local, national and international boards and committees to support civic innovation, including chair of the Points of Light Global Network Affiliate Assembly, past chair and member of Virginia Governor’s board for Volunteerism and National service, board member of the Virginia Service Foundation, and board member of America’s Service Commissions (ASC). She is a proud AmeriCorps alumni.