← We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits
677. Shift 7 — Volunteers as Core Capacity: Design Volunteer Systems for Growth - Jennifer Sirangelo
00:24:00
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- [00:01]
Host 1
Hey friends, we have exciting news. If you are looking to build capacity, clarity and momentum in the new year, we hope you'll join this community at our first ever We Are For Good Summit on February 12th.
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Host 2
It's a free one day virtual gathering for nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, marketers and the everyday change maker who's looking to elevate.
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Host 3
Good. Yeah.
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Host 1
You can expect more than 20 speakers across three tracks, plus live workshops and working sessions and roundtable conversations on building trust, partnerships, people power and what leadership really requires in 2026.
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Host 2
Save your free spot at weareforgood.com summit and let's learn together. Then turn that learning into action.
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Host 1
After the summit, we're returning to local by activating in local impactup meetups so the ideas shared during the day turn into action together. If you want to host a meetup too, all the details are over@weareforgood.com summit. Let's kickstart the year in community.
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Jennifer S.
If you're a CEO, an executive director, you're running a program, you're thinking about your funding your board, and you're thinking about achieving your strategic plan. I see us leaving on the table volunteers in all of those categories.
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Host 2
Welcome back friends to the 12 Shift series. These are our trends of 2026 and we are so excited for today's topic and to back a new friend in the house who we're pretty obsessed with.
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Jennifer S.
John.
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Host 2
I mean, we could say obsessed. Jennifer S. President and CEO of Points of Light, which is the world's largest organization dedicated to volunteer service. They're mobilizing nearly 4 million volunteers across 32 countries, but she also led 4H Council. She's held leadership roles at Boys and Girls Club of America. So she's really seen firsthand how community power fuels real growth. And today, y', all, we're talking about the shift from volunteers as extra support to volunteers as core capacity and how building participation into your organization is going to help you scale impact, it's going to strengthen belonging and it's going to grow support in these sustainable ways. And I just want you to know the volunteers are such a brilliant unlock because it's allowing you to rethink what's possible when community is treated as infrastructure, not just an add on. So let's get into it. Volunteers is the unlock. Jennifer, we're so glad you're back on the podcast. Welcome.
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Jennifer S.
Thank you. It's great to see you both.
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Host 2
It's so good to have you back and you are just such an expert in how we are not in this alone and when you look at non profits trying to grow right now, where are you looking at leaders who are unintentionally leaving capacity on the table when it comes to volunteers? I'd love your take on this.
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Jennifer S.
Well, my first thought is I really think about things from a, from really a leader perspective. So that's just kind of where, you know, I come from.
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Host 2
Perfect.
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Jennifer S.
And I think about, like I want to start with, what are leaders nonprofit leaders think about every day? They think about. I, I look at it as three things. If you're a CEO, an executive director, you're running a program, you're thinking about your funding, you're thinking about your board, and you're thinking about achieving your strategic plan. And so I actually see us, I put myself in this category, you know, I'm talking about. What I think I should be doing too is I see us leaving on the table volunteers in all of those categories. So, so glad when I the one that I really focus on a lot with volunteer managers or people that are leading a volunteer program, a programmatic lead is the strategic plan. So every organization, either you are getting ready to develop a new plan, you just launched a strategic plan, or you're in the middle of one. And so my first question would be, you know, where can volunteers put the acceleration in your strategic plan? What would that look like? Whether you've already got the plan, you're building a plan, or you are thinking about, you know, your next plan. I would make sure volunteers are part of that.
- [04:27]
Host 3
I love this reframe when we're thinking about volunteers and treating them as like a nice to have instead of like connecting them to core strategy and growth. That's leaving so much unlock on the table. And we've seen it in our work with We Are for good and certainly the work we did before this. So I'm asking, what is a sign that a leader may be stuck in that old school mindset and what could be a reframe for them from your standpoint?
- [04:51]
Jennifer S.
Well, as I said, I would be looking at those things that are critical to an organization's success. They're critical to how leaders are evaluated by their boards. So when you think about a strategic plan, your revenue stream, your business model, and when you think about even just your theory of change, those kind of things about who your organization is and how you impact the world, if you're not centering volunteers in those places, in those really critical parts of your organization, I think that's where you're missing out. An example I would say is one that I've been thinking about a lot at Points of Light is about our board. And we have an amazing board, by the way. They are so committed to our mission. They are so awesome. But I've been leaving so much on the table with them. One example is in perpetuating the board, so. And I've been doing board stuff a long time, but, I mean, all of us need to be reminded, you know, about how volunteers can really help. And so I've been leading on the table, having them help me identify new board members for the board. So I've been, like, striving away as a staff person, doing all my research, finding all the connections, working with our donors, all that. But I kind of left them out of the equation in the last year. And we started this new thing. You'll love this. We're calling it a board recruitment sprint. So over one quarter, I'm meeting with every board member and they are identifying other volunteers that they think could help serve on the board. And I've just realized how much they are an unlock. And I should have been asking them all along. It has been super fun. They love the sprint, by the way, too. You know, volunteers, like, our board members are volunteers, and they really like the sprint idea. They're all like. And every time I meet with them, they're like, how are we doing? How's everybody else doing? Are they getting unit? You know, so it's. It's like really engage them. So it's just a small example of at so many levels, our volunteers are an unlock.
- [06:54]
Host 2
I just think this is such a brilliant conversation because, you know, as a recovering major gift officer, I just think the way I was taught to fundraise was just so linear and it was so black and white. And you have your different phases that people go through. You go through your discovery, then you get into your cultivation, then you. You can. Anyone who's been in this field knows those in this reframe completely busts that 1, 2, 3, and says, oh, if you bring in volunteers as core capacity, you could be stewarding them while you're cultivating them, while you're doing research and discovery on them, it all comes together. And guess what? That is way more human. That is way more natural. We're getting volunteers in on the front lines of our mission, and they are truly moving the needle. I love this example about giving board members ownership, because guess what? When you do that, you already have an in to reach out to them. I got your name from so and so, and now all of a sudden, there's three people in this conversation. I just think everything you're doing over there is just brilliant. And I want to talk just about how leaders can plan for growth with volunteers this year. Like, what would you suggest to a leader who's trying to factor in volunteers into their plan from the start, early in the year? How can they do it thoughtfully, not as an afterthought.
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Jennifer S.
Well, first, I would say is to really think about. We can't think of volunteers as one. Just it's like everybody, like gen pop, you know, the general population. Think about first kind of where maybe your organization has some gaps. So for us, at points of light, I'll give you an example. From our point of view, is one of the areas that we really want to expand as we think about. We're leading an effort to build a coalition that will lead a national volunteer strategy to double volunteers in the U.S. by 2035, which we're calling reimagining service. 2035. So that number is moving from 75 million Americans to 150 million Americans volunteering. Whoa. By 2035. And you know what's awesome is so many like of our partners, companies, foundations, they're like, you know what? This is actually possible. I'm like, it is, it is because I have some great examples of what's. What is happening. You asked about kind of trends or where things. What are some of the shifts we're seeing? Let me share one that I think your listeners would really be interested in. And that is. And probably they're seeing it, we're all seeing it at our local level or, you know, with what our work is. And that is an increase in interest in volunteering organic from folks. And it's. We've seen some really like very stark evidence of that. I was talking to our affiliate volunteer action center called Boston Cares in Boston, and they told me last year in 25, they had a 22% increase in the people who became. They have a membership model where you sign up and you become them, you get trained and then you can volunteer in their activities. 22% increase in one year.
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Host 3
Dang.
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Host 2
I believe it.
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Jennifer S.
At Volunteer now in Westchester County, New York, they had triple the number of people engaging in their holiday volunteering activities. We saw the same trend, not necessarily triple, but a significant increase in LA and Chicago as well. So those are just some anecdotal. We're digging deeper to learn more what we're hearing. But that shift of people really making those choices to make an impact is something we've been obviously promoting. We've been working on, we've been thinking about there's a lot more to do. Like I said, doubling is gonna take a lot. But it's very encouraging to hear that in a world where it's crazy and people feel they can't control things, is a lot going on. It's amazing that our fellow community members are stepping up and saying, I may not be able to fix this or that, but I can help my neighbor and I want to. And so that shift is something we're really excited about seeing. So I would ask leaders to think about, where are you see? Are you seeing that yet? And if not, we probably want to be thinking about how you can tell the story of how people can make an impact. There's a lot that happened in 25 that really had in the conversation and the conversations nationally and locally, needs were really apparent, and we were talking about them as a society and that people needed help. There was a way to make an impact. And that's one of our theories about why are we seeing this. And so the lesson learned for a nonprofit leader is when we show volunteers the impact they can have and that the need is there, it's amazing to see that they begin to step up.
- [12:09]
Host 3
I think that the call to action is often missing. You know, sometimes we are great storytellers in the space, but we never say the, okay, that's great, but now what? I just think that if you are inspired by what you just said, if you're listening and you're like, I want to be part of that change, what would it look like to double your volunteers at your organization? You know, how are the places and spaces activated to, like, even welcome that many people more in? And I think I want to keep going on this idea of the shift we're unlocking this year is saying starting to treat volunteers as core capacity. You know, not really thinking. Is this afterthought? What's a move that a leader could make to shift volunteer, you know, action into a more core capacity function? Jennifer, for somebody that's trying to connect the dots for their own org.
- [12:58]
Jennifer S.
Right, Right. Well, I would say every leader really knows where their gaps are. I was talking about, you know, gaps on a board, you know, where we need skill sets, things like that. And, you know, probably in your organization, where could you use more firepower? Bottom line, you know, if you want to accelerate your strategic plan or move the needle on the cause or issue, you're impacted in your community. You know, where you could use more firepower, it might be social media. It Might be I need a stronger strategic plan. I need a plan that's more, you know, action oriented or something. Or yeah, I need a better relationship with my local governments. I need to build those relationships. Every one of those examples. I might even need more revenue. You know, I need, I need to expand, diversify the way I bring in revenue. Whether it's I need to build some earned income opportunities or maybe I need more philanthropy, you know, whatever the case may be. And in every single one of those cases, I can give you an example. You probably know examples where volunteers are an accelerant. They are that rocket boost to those goals that you may have for your organization. So leaders know where their gaps are and thinking about just being open to being creative about. Instead of everything is I need a consultant or everything is I need, I need to hire a new full time staff that needs a salary and benefits. And it's a lot. But there are really opportunities where volunteers can step in and partner alongside you and your paid staff to make a huge difference. We have a couple of those right now at Points of Light where we have some volunteers that are really filling some critical gaps for us and it's moving our plan forward.
- [14:54]
Host 2
I just think this is such a powerful reframe and I want to give a, I want to give two examples because they really tie back to these themes that we think are, but not think. We are seeing them right now bubble up. You talked about it right now, which is this return to local. So what can we do? Well, we can reconnect by doing something for my local community. We are seeing that as a massive trend. So I'm telling you right now that people are waiting to be called in. But I also just think this reconnection and stepping in and helping your neighbor is a theme for this year. One example that I heard this week from someone in our community is an immigration nonprofit and they are based in Minneapolis right now. And they are trying to deliver food and basic goods, which is their mission to immigrant families. Two people who typically do that. I started following them. So now they called for 20 extra volunteers and now 20 volunteers are doing the work of eight to get basic resources to people. So that is a very real example. The other one that I think is a beautiful one is Purposity. And if you've ever, if you've not heard of Porposity, please Google it. But it is this incredible app and community that creates local needs and sources them with local people. And it could be writing letters, it could be helping deliver something. I mean, it could Be telling a story. And so I think what you're saying, Jennifer, is so powerful about reimagining how volunteers show up. It's not just to put together the Chavari chair covers and to do the centerpieces for the luncheon. Like we are calling in our volunteers to be a critical part of who we are. And so when we talk about like investing in a volunteer infrastructure, what does that look like in practice for a very lean nonprofit team, where would you tell them to start?
- [16:53]
Jennifer S.
Yes, I mean, believe me, I've run very lean organizations. My first job was a non profit with less than a hundred thousand dollar budget. So I've done it all. You know, I've written the newsletter and I've, you know, hired all the volunteers. I've done the taxes and everything. And how it looks in for me in a very lean team is thinking about, because we know that really to do new work, we need new funding. I mean, there's no doubt about it, we don't. None of us has anything sitting around, right, waiting to be used. So what I have been really obsessing over a little bit is thinking about how we elevate the volunteering infrastructure, which is, you know, the recruitment, the information on the website, it's the background checking, it's the recognition, it's the maintenance, it's the communication, all of that, that keeps a volunteer program healthy, vibrant, bringing in new volunteers, thanking volunteers, all of that. Elevating that to the same level in a nonprofit structure as the evaluation framework, as the technology stack, as the HR infrastructure, as the finance infrastructure, and elevating that. When you think about how you write a grant and in a grant, I remember the day we started adding like 10% for marketing. Oh, that was awesome. Because we're like, okay, we can't just do the marketing without any investment. So the donor, okay, you're going to talk about and tell the story of our success of our program. We need to help fund that. Right? And we know we have them help underwrite the operations of the organization through, you know, indirect, et cetera. How do we also elevate that volunteering part of the mission? Because we all know the mission can't happen without the volunteers. How does that get built in? Almost like we add in the amount for the percentage for evaluation or the percentage for marketing. To me, it's elevating volunteering to that. It's an essential element of achieving our mission. Not possible without the volunteer. So it's really, it's not possible to not include it in the grants. And in the opportunities for new investment.
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Host 3
I agree it feels like you are doing this, but we're trying to help you out here. We need a new PR campaign for this. You know, we need this to be front and center.
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Host 2
I was thinking.
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Host 1
So we're thinking about that, right?
- [19:28]
Host 3
So we're so excited to have this convo today. And I'm curious because there's so much intention, especially in the nonprofit space. If you talk about donor pipelines, you know, like we could talk for hours about how we map people through moves, management, especially as you get into these bigger organizations or even like a tech stack. I can picture these really complex org charts. But then volunteers feels like there's this gap of like what do we even do? How do they move through our system? How do we include them in different touch points throughout the year? If you could design a system differently for, for really engaging volunteers with that same level of intention, what do you think should be true of how that works at an organization?
- [20:08]
Jennifer S.
Well, I think for sure it has to be digitally enabled, number one, it has to fit into our lives. So for me, I've always been thinking, what is the Amazon of volunteering where I can literally, I'm signed up, I don't have to keep signing it, right? And I don't mind paying for prime, right? I don't mind paying a little bit, so it makes it easier for me. But it has to be technology and so it has to fit our lifestyle. You know, every day I get my doctor appointments, they're sending me those text to not forget and press the one and the yes and the like. And then after I'm getting the do the Google review, like we need that level of technology engagement with volunteering. So frankly, it is like the rest of our lives. And so to me, that's what I'd be thinking about is how that experience that they have in person, which is what happens at my doctor, it's what happens with my physical box from Amazon showing up. It's what happens from going to a restaurant and getting that Google review. But we haven't thought about volunteering in that experiential from the volunteer experience point of view. We've thought about it being honest from being a volunteer, a nonprofit leader. I've thought about it from what services do I need that they are helping me with. And I haven't always thought about it from what is their on ramp, what's their the welcome map for them and then what's the going to keep them coming back? So technology can really help us do.
- [21:44]
Host 2
That I just, I know there is a programmer, an engineer out there who can build this for Jennifer and for this world. Because I do think when you have set certain systems set up in place, it's going to help you understand how to meet the needs of that volunteer better. You can thank them more easily. You can see where they're giving their time. You can see where their preferences are. So we gotta round this up with a one good thing, maybe a little bit of homework. So to close out, what is that homework, maybe that you would give nonprofit leaders one good thing to focus on maybe in the next 90 days and a shift to make over the year ahead. What. What would that be, Jennifer?
- [22:25]
Jennifer S.
Yes. Well, I. I would really think about how you. About the invitation you would like to make to volunteers to your organization. What is that invitation going to look like? How will they receive it? What we know about volunteers is that the number one reason people volunteer is because they are asked.
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Host 2
Yep.
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Jennifer S.
So that is totally in the control of us as the organization's leaders to ask. And so I'd ask you to think about that invite and what it looks.
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Host 3
Like here for this entire convo. Love the simplicity of the cta, friend. I also know you're sitting on so many resources that Points of Light has. And so I just want to open up to say, what do you all have that could maybe help someone listening with all of this? Where can they pour in and connect to the work that y' all are doing?
- [23:17]
Jennifer S.
Great. Well, they can certainly go to our website, pointsoflight.org so that is the, you know, mothership of everything that we have to share. We hope you will sign up for our newsletters as well. So we have very rich newsletters that have all that come out once a month that have all the resources and connect to all the trainings and the webinars and things that we do. And you'll also see in there the resource pages. So. And we have some exciting things to come this year. So I hope you will sign up because we have more to come and it's going to be a big year for volunteering. So we hope you'll. You'll join our family atpointsoflight.org so grateful for you.
- [23:57]
Host 3
Thank you, friend.
- [23:58]
Host 2
Thank you, my friend.
- [23:58]
Jennifer S.
Thank you. Thank you.