Save the Date for the 2027 Points of Light Conference!

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

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?

Moments & Milestones that Drive Year-Round Volunteer Impact

Key Takeaways

  1. Find the right moments and milestones that will rally employees and will be relevant culturally, provide shared or additional resources, amplify impact, and support your desired outcomes.
  2. Be intentional with planning whether that’s when you start the process, the internal teams and employees you tap to scale and support the initiative, and the types of projects or activities that you integrate.
  3. Gain buy-in from all stakeholders including all levels of leadership and your community partners as they’ll be integral to your success.
  4. Select different inflection points throughout the year to build a consistent rhythm that strengthens your company’s culture of service and sustains momentum.
  5. Incorporate celebration along with recognition of volunteers and their accomplishments. This focus on volunteering can elevate the importance of your company’s social impact strategy and be a source of employee pride.
  6. Don’t be afraid to evolve the initiative. Take time to assess whether the alignment with a key moment or milestone is still serving your program’s goals, business priorities, employee interests and, above all, the needs of the communities where colleagues live, work and volunteer.

Resources

Featured Speakers

  • Nicole Jacobs, corporate social responsibility manager, TCS Canada
  • Stefanie McCall, corporate social responsibility lead, TCS U.S.
  • Courtney Meadows, social impact manager, Phillips 66

Policies that Enable Employee-Powered Change

Imagine a workplace where every employee feels empowered to drive positive change in their community. Many companies achieve this by establishing policies that create opportunities for impact. These policies align a company’s culture and core values with daily operations, setting clear expectations and creating an environment where employees feel supported.

Discover how codifying practices such as Volunteer Time Off (VTO) can foster a culture of service, enhance employee engagement, and secure buy-in from all levels.

Top Takeaways:

  • Having a volunteer time off policy demonstrates a company’s commitment to creating positive social impact while also providing value to the business and to employees.
  • When designing a policy, clearly define what is in scope including who can take advantage of the policy and what activities are eligible.
  • Think about the end user when making VTO decisions. You want the benefit to be as accessible and frictionless as possible.
  • Understand the audience who will need to weigh in on the policy and any updates; bring them along with you as you design or revise.
  • Position the policy in different ways when driving awareness so employees can fully realize the benefit being offered.

Additional Resources:

Planning Impactful Fall Employee Engagement Activities

  • Discover the latest trends and innovative approaches in employee volunteering.
  • Learn from real-world examples and success stories to inspire and inform your organization’s community engagement efforts.
  • Explore strategies to make volunteer efforts inclusive and accessible to all employees.

Guest Speakers

  • Jennifer Nash, SVP, Corporate Activation, Points of Light
  • Michelle Dee, COO, Jersey Cares

Top Takeaways

  1. Start now. Although the second half of the year seems far away, for your sake and for your community partners’ sake, remember that meaningful impact takes time to plan. Think about the steps you can be taking now so that you offer a mix of varied opportunities that align with both employee and community needs.
  2. Trust your partners. Nonprofit leaders understand community issues and how volunteers can best support them. Your volunteer champions and ambassadors can ensure colleagues are ready and able to serve.
  3. Co-create solutions. Know the interests, skills and capacity of your volunteers, and work together with your nonprofit partners to put them to best use to meet community needs.
  4. Infuse learning and deep thinking. No matter what type of activities you plan, ensure that volunteers comprehend the community issue they’ll be addressing and provide time post-project for reflection.
  5. Be flexible but strategic. Understand the reasons behind the goals you’re setting yet stay adaptable and open to new ideas.

Resources to support your planning

Building the Case for Investment: Why Employee Community Engagement Matters Webinar

As corporate social impact practitioners, we know that employee community engagement programs can foster a sense of community, boost employee morale and productivity, combat polarization and ultimately contribute to the bottom-line. But how do you illustrate the value in a way that garners program and infrastructure investment?

Join us to explore the benefits of employee community engagement and its impact on business success. In this session, we will dig into recent research from Ares Management and additional proof points that not only demonstrate the intrinsic value of employee community engagement and how it aligns with broader business goals but also showcase how forward-thinking companies have successfully secured financial investment from senior leadership.

Top Takeaways:

  • Know your audience. Tailor your messaging, format and timing in order to have the best reception.
  • Preparation is key. Start collecting data now that can be useful when you need to build a case.
  • Look for opportunities. Know what’s happening in the short and long term and use it to your advantage.
  • Stay relevant. Connect social impact work to the challenges your leadership is facing and how it can help them achieve business or their professional goals.
  • Try testing first. Experimenting can give you proof of potential enterprise-wide outcomes and can be an easier sell.

Resources Mentioned: