Understanding Community-Centered Volunteerism

Thanks to our guest speaker Breauna Dorelus, Founder and Cause Consultant at Connecting the Cause.

This live event is part of the Volunteering & Social Impact Live Learning Series, which introduces topics that will be discussed further at the 2025 Points of Light Conference.

Virtual Event Resources

• A 23-page guidebook for those in volunteer engagement who desire to co-create with communities on developing volunteer opportunities: Designing for Dignity: Co-Dreaming for Volunteer Opportunities
• Join the COMMUNITY+CAUSE Newsletter list
• Volunteer Nation Podcast: Getting Back to Neighboring with Breauna Dorelus
• Connect with Breauna Dorelus on LinkedIn

Top Takeaways

• Behind every volunteer opportunity is a root cause of an issue and a system that perpetuates the necessity of the volunteer opportunity itself.
• We must first understand the truth of why problems exist and ensure the volunteer work is aligned with the community’s needs.
• “Centering community” does not mean dismissing volunteers. It means that communities are an integral part of the process, not just recipients of aid, which creates harm. Too often communities are on the receiving end of a volunteer’s charitable acts instead of seen as an interdependent ecosystem where everyone has a role.

Reflection Questions

• What is currently in my power to repair and rebuild?
• Understand and recognize power dynamics within volunteerism. Where does the volunteer hold the power in engagement spaces, and where does the community hold the power? Do shifts need to be made?