643. How to Build a Volunteer-Centric Culture + Mobilize Your Volunteers (Jennifer Sirangelo) | Otter.ai

643. How to Build a Volunteer-Centric Culture + Mobilize Your Volunteers (Jennifer Sirangelo)

Sabrina Li40min

Jonathan McCoy

00:00

Hey, Becky, what's happening? I'm already grinning. I know we've like found a kindred spirit here. And I mean, we're always talking in our community. And I think what keeps coming up is this need and desire to like pour into our volunteers this year. I think when everything's changing, it's like we're looking for our believers. We're calling them in and figuring out, how can we activate them in a really meaningful way, how can we mobilize with more purpose? And we brought in, like, creme de la creme, right?

Becky Endicott

00:23

Oh, it's like the goat, like I sit here and look at points of light, and we are just so lucky and honored to welcome their president, Jennifer sarangelo. She's the president and CEO to the podcast today, and I just got to say this organization. I'm sure many of you have heard of this organization. You may not fully understand it, but you will, after we get through this conversation and you are going to be on fire to go find those rabid fans, those believers, activate them, and have them lead the movement that your mission has been waiting for. But first, before we get into that, you've got to meet Jennifer, because I'm pretty sure she's my sister from another mister for the short amount of time that we've spent together, but she is really inspiring and empowering individuals, while championing the volunteering and civic civic engagement activities worldwide, she's been leading other major nonprofits that you already know About in organizations like the National 4h Council and Boys and Girls Club of America and really honing her expertise and fundraising and leadership. But this organization, y'all, they work and partner with nonprofits and companies and social impact leaders to really galvanize volunteers to meet whatever the critical need is. And y'all, I'm talking about like, 4 million volunteers across 32 countries that are creating healthy, equitable communities where everyone can thrive. Have we ever needed that in our lifetimes more than right now? Jennifer, we are so excited you're here. We can't wait to learn from you. Welcome to the we are for

Jennifer Sirangelo

01:58

good podcast. Thank you. It's wonderful to be here. Well, you

Becky Endicott

02:03

are such an interesting individual. You're coming to us from Kansas City, and we know that you must have a story of Little Jennifer growing up, who had a heart maybe for this work. Talk a little bit about those formative years and how they led you to today. Sure.

Jennifer Sirangelo

02:18

Well, probably, like a lot of people, I did grow up in Kansas City, I happen to be home visiting my family today, so I'm coming to you from there. I live in Washington, DC, but I'm here today, and just probably, like a lot of your folks listening today, my journey and nonprofit started when I was really young. From volunteering. I was a campfire girl volunteering through there, through my church, but I didn't know it was called volunteering, you know, like That wasn't why we did it. And I didn't know my mom was a volunteer, you know, like that, those sort of things. But I'll tell you, really, probably what was the most formative was my first job, my first job out of college. They must have been really desperate, but I was the executive director of a very small homeless shelter that had a $100,000 budget, and it was a, it was a specialty shelter for families. So we had old, an older home that they had broken into apartments and so that families wouldn't be broken up. Like most shelters, you'll have men and women or women or women and children, and so a family wouldn't feel they had a family unit. And this was designed to serve this for a short time, a temporary shelter for families that had fallen on something and could get back on their feet. And my office was literally in a garage. This sounds like classic, but it really was a garage. It was the old garage, and then they, you know, closed the door and my window looked out onto the driveway, and it was, like I said, $100,000 budget. We had like four apartments, and it was all run volunteers, except we had like three staff, and the day we were full, and I had a family drive up into that driveway that my window looked out on, and we didn't have any room, and I saw them, they had to leave in their car, and I didn't know where they would sleep or what would happen to them, that was the day I became a fundraiser because I wasn't trained in it. I There wasn't fundraising stuff. When I graduated, we didn't have those kind of things. But I was like, How do I don't want this again? This isn't why I wanted to be a nonprofit. How do I change that? I better figure out how to get resources, because we need another house, you know, we need another place, and so that I was self taught, like I didn't know fundraising was a thing. I didn't know. I never heard of anybody or met anybody who did it, but that's where I grew. How I grew up in nonprofits was I realized I was there to make an impact on people. I wanted to help people, and that's why. I volunteered as a kid, and that's why I went into nonprofits as an adult, but I realized I couldn't do that if I didn't have resources, and that's how I realized the importance of fundraising. And I taught myself. I went to classes on grant making, I joined the professional association, and I went to all kinds of professional things, and I basically taught myself to fundraise. And I'm happy to say we were able to buy another house and get we bought two houses and were able to expand. But that was when I realized the how fulfilling fundraising like I never would have thought of it. But when I realized, you know, dollars equal impact, I'm about impact, and that was to me, how I became a fundraiser, and then from there, I grew and I was able to become a leader and an executive and nonprofit. So I went from a local to a regional to a national and and then had a great mentor who mentored me to become a CEO at 4h where I was for nine years the CEO 17 years at 4h and so then I, after really doing what I came to do with 4h i i decided to Move to points of light where I really believe in the importance of more people giving and volunteering in our country and around the world, and so I'm excited to be here with you guys today, but that's my story. That's my story.

Jonathan McCoy

06:34

I feel like it's just kind of you, kind of trip into this thing, and then it catches your heart, and then you can't get out of it. So many of us, that's so much of our story. And I love that you're just attitude of figuring things out as you go. And I also caught leaning into mentors in our life, like what a call out to people that are a couple steps ahead of us that can really shepherd us through times of transition, transition and growth. So I love that part of your story so much. Okay, your work at points of light, though, is insane, like truly. I mean, y'all have activated 4 million volunteers across 32 countries. I'm sitting with those numbers and recognizing those it's just an unbelievable amount of people that are mobilized. But we've heard you talk about what you call the dawn of a civic century. Can you kind of set the stage for our listeners? What does that mean in tangible terms,

Jennifer Sirangelo

07:20

sure, and so probably should start us a little bit with about points of light. So we are you talked about the countries we're in and the network we lead. So part of what we do is leading a network of nonprofit organizations around the world, NGOs around the world, that are either their country leader in volunteer mobilization, or they're the leader here in the US, in their city or region. And so those volunteer action centers are, they're truly the heroes to me. They are the ones activating those 4 million volunteers. They're totally connected to the communities they probably haven't. Each one of them would have a network of three to 400 nonprofits that they support in training, mobilizing, recruiting, motivating their volunteers. They also do things at a community level. So many of our volunteer action centers are on their their city's disaster recovery team. So they're they're planning in advance, so that network is a really important part of what we do, and they're the ones. They're the heroes, those volunteer managers who no one ever talks about. They're on my mind every day, because they are the ones that really exponentially allow nonprofits to achieve their mission through volunteers. When I was a 4h we had about 10 we were in every county in America with children serving children with the 4h clubs, and we had about 10,000 paid staff, maybe a little less, maybe eight and 600,000 volunteers that made that possible. And And 4h isn't the only one. Many organizations are truly powered by volunteerism, so that's a part of what we do is really build that network, strengthen those leaders, provide training, professional development, and tools and everything to those nonprofits so that they can support that family of nonprofits in their area, and our numbers show that that network that reaches that 4 million serves about 70,000 NGOs, helping them get their volunteers. The other part of what we do is we work with companies, and we help them with their corporate social impact. So we support them connecting to those volunteer centers to activate their employees, to learn how to listen to the community and how to build a meaningful experience for their employees. So it's not just a day in a T shirt, but it's it's you're learning about your community or solving a local problem that your community has is at. Asking you to do, so that's very important, that meaningful and purposeful volunteerism, and then we do things where we advance the field of volunteering in the US and around the world through a conference we hold, and those kind of things. So that's a little bit about points of light. We are truly the global leader in volunteer mobilizing, and we're the largest network there is, and it's just an honor to be a part of that. So you mentioned the Civic century, and for us, that is really, we are 35 years old this year. And that, for us, looking ahead, is how do we build the volunteer I would call apparat, you know, infrastructure for the future so that it's easy for people to volunteer. Nonprofits are getting what they need, and we can fulfill our mission, which is to ensure the value and impact of volunteering is reaching every

Becky Endicott

10:56

person. Wow. I mean, I just think about you all being the wizard behind the curtain, not in a negative way, conducting such a massive grassroots effort that helps community by community. I'm very obsessed with it, and I love that it's expanded into companies, and that there's training there and understanding, and you are helping people discover their passions, and that's what I think. You know, it seems like such a step one or step zero is like identifying that passion and then aligning you have this audacious goal to double volunteering by 2035 you're gonna get eight. You're gonna move to 8 million in the next decade. Holy crap, like, what is the strategy to inspire this at scale, and where did that come from? And please tell us what you're learning.

Jennifer Sirangelo

11:48

Sure, sure. Well, we'll start with what I call, we call our North Star, and that is, we exist to really help people find their meaning and purpose through volunteering and civic engagement, and we were started in 1989 in the White House by President George HW Bush. You may have heard or read about his speech and his inaugural address, and in his acceptance speech when he was nominated to run for president, where he talked about 1000 he envisioned communities with 1000 points of light, and that's where Points of Light came from. And he saw that as people and organizations in community solving local problems. And I can tell you more if you want to know about that, those stories about our founding, but it's that North Star of helping people find their meaning and purpose through volunteering. That's the through line to today. And we look at volunteering as really having kind of a triple bottom line impact. And this isn't something that we hear that I think we normally hear people talk about volunteering. We are on a mission at points of light to in order to double we need to change the perception of volunteering from something that's nice to something that's necessary. And that's because we see the impact of volunteering on the people who serve, on the community whose needs are getting met. All those nonprofits we're talking about, where those 4 million people are providing essential, you know, human capital to achieve the mission. And then the third part of that impact is the corporate part of that, or the collective of that, which is when you have more people, when you have those people in community volunteering, it changes the nature of the community. It transforms the community. When you're more connected, you have empathy, you understand, and so person by person, block by block, that's how we will help our communities and our society hopefully heal through some of these divides and some of the challenges we're having. We believe that volunteering is one of the key levers, and we're not the only ones. You know, you remember, our Surgeon General talked about a crisis of loneliness and prescribed

Becky Endicott

14:10

volunteering about that extensively, yeah,

Jennifer Sirangelo

14:13

yeah. And we're not the only one, but there's it is volunteering is kind of a hidden accelerator, and we really see our role as telling the story of volunteering too, so people can understand and realize it's it impacts the people, the communities and our society.

Jonathan McCoy

14:37

I love that y'all have accepted the mission of that front because, like, you know, the big headlines every year is that donors are declining and there's fewer people giving, and Becky and I just deeply believe in this narrative that's it's showing up in different ways, and volunteership is a massive way that people are showing up that's not tracked easily in these metrics. Sometimes they get out there. And so I'm. Curious. You know, so many people listening to the podcast have organizations that they want to tap volunteers. They want to mobilize people in really meaningful ways. Could you get really practical with this in terms of, like, what are maybe some mindsets that we need to start with that we could shift to having a maybe a better attitude toward volunteers, building this volunteer centric culture that I see very present in y'all work. What does that look like?

Jennifer Sirangelo

15:21

Well, a couple things I'll bring up, and this is also coming from my practitioner point of view. I've worked in, like I said, local, regional, national nonprofits, you know, my whole career. And one of the things that hit me the most when I came to points of light was that it felt like we weren't talking enough about what it takes to meaningfully engage volunteers in those ways that accelerate missions. There are some missions that do and need that, like, great example, Big Brothers, Big Sisters. That's literally the mission. Is the volunteer connected to a youth, right, so that you see and understand that. But one of the things I've seen in my almost 30 year career in nonprofits is us be better about talking with our investors about the infrastructure or the foundation that we need in order to achieve our mission. So we're, we're getting better all the time at including in our grants marketing, including in our grants evaluation, you know, a percentage, including in our strategic plans, the operational improvements we need to make. You know, in your strategic plan, it's not just about those things we'll do externally, but how do we strengthen our organization so we can achieve our mission? I've seen that build over the decades, but a piece that feels missing to us at points of light is the courage to talk about the volunteer part, because people think they're free. Yeah, but when we ask nonprofits, what does it cost to have a volunteer? It's from between $25 to almost $2,000 depending on what type of volunteer and the training they need and the background checks and all of that and what they're doing. So we did a we commissioned a report earlier this year, which is out called from Nice to necessary, and we talked about that dichotomy of the the need there is for volunteers. What it actually takes to engage volunteers is this meaningful and purposeful way, and the fact that there's a really low level of across the board investment in that volunteer infrastructure, in those volunteer managers who are critical to the role of achieving the mission, what they do and then what all those volunteers do. So I would love anybody wants to find that report. You can go on points of light.org but it hopefully has some of the tools you might need. If I could do one thing with the nonprofits that are listening, is to say, don't be afraid to think about what it takes to have volunteers and to include that in your fundraising. And I hope that any funders and folks that are listening, that are investors in nonprofits, will be thinking about, well, just like I need to invest in technology, I need to invest in human capital, I need to invest in the buildings. I also need to invest in the human capital in this mission. I can't solve hunger in my community without volunteers. You can, and I would love to see us elevating the Volunteer Centers to that essential set of nonprofits like every community needs its youth organization, it needs its art center. It needs its food and feeding programs. It needs a place for people that are in a shelter crisis. It also needs, every community needs a strong volunteer center.

Becky Endicott

18:54

I just think you're asking a bigger question here, and it is making all the difference. And, you know, just a quick personal story, I can remember the first time my family and I went and volunteered at our local food bank. And they, they will tell you at the end of your your session, your volunteer time, exactly what metrics matter most to them. First, they thank you for showing up. They make it so fun. There's so much music, there's good snacks. It is a vibe to come in. But at the very end, they don't just tell you how many pallets you packed and how many pounds, but at the end they tell you, because there are 220 of you here today, you saved us $120,000 in staff salaries by the work that you did today. And that is incredibly poignant when you think about the value of your volunteering for three or four hours. That really means something to your community. And I want to get into what are the challenges here. Overcome because you've got recruiting, you've got training, you've got retention. And for us as believers, you know, we have a core value number five, that we want to cultivate and mobilize those rabbit fans, and we want them to stick around forever with us, because they are the ones that are so much shepherding the movement, we're just kind of again, like you Jon, like you're in the background, orchestrating all of it. So I would love to hear what are some of those common challenges that you all run into, and how can other organizations learn from those challenges and get better as they're working through their volunteer programs?

Jennifer Sirangelo

20:40

Sure. Well, first, I'll just kind of do a little framing, and that is that, you know, the stats and the research show that about 1/3 of the workforce in the US, of our nonprofits, are volunteers. 1/3 believe it. And our data on our affiliate organizations in the US indicates that of all the volunteer opportunities that you know we work on and source from the nonprofit that they bring to us, only through our network, only about half of those get filled. So this is a serious issue. What you're saying here? How do we the challenge and the numbers for the big numbers of volunteering in the US have been kind of steady, going down during covid. They've ticked up a little bit, but it's not nearly where our nonprofits need it to be. So that's what you asked me earlier about what motivated us, or how do we, you know, get to and think about doubling it's really based on what we're seeing the needs are in communities. And our board said, if that's what we need, we need to say that. We need to go out and say, as a country, we need to in the US, double volunteering around the world, we need to double volunteering and and at points of light, we're going to build the coalition that will build the plans to do that. So this is not Points of Light doubling. This is points of light in our leadership role, providing that coordination, that inspiration, that planning and that structure for us to build the plans to double, volunteering your question about what are some of the challenges are, as I mentioned, there's not enough volunteers yet. We have a couple of big things. We know that there's, let me tell you an interesting thing that we're discovering through our network. One of the challenges is actually getting and you said, your food bank said, first, thank you for showing up. They are right to do that, because our affiliates tell us the rate of people signing up but not showing up is significantly up since the pandemic.

Becky Endicott

22:52

Okay, I'm so glad you're pointing this out. We have seen this as well. Keep going,

Jennifer Sirangelo

22:58

yes, so that's one of the things. So this is where I believe our nonprofits may not have the some of the technology tools and things that we need. And this is what we're thinking about through our coalition and our strategic plan, how do we support some changes in the technology we have? Think about so think about why folks might not be showing up. One is it could. It could be so many things, right, right? But think about the technology we have now for our doctor appointments. You get, what, 510, efficient that's telling us voicemail, okay, and the address is there, and click here, and you can sign up early, and you can fill out the form, and you won't have to wait in line. You know? How do we get that for volunteering. So it's like, and then after you're there, they want you to do the Google review, you know, at your doctors. So those are the kind of things that we're exploring. How do we apply that, those things that are working in other settings where people need to get out and go and do how do we learn from that? How do we apply that in the nonprofit setting? The other big thing we know, and the stat, the research, has shown this for a long time. You all know this, the number one reason people volunteer is someone asked them to someone either asked them to come with or they invited them. You know, they either said we're going to go together, or they told them about it and suggested it, you know, and asked them. So the role of the current volunteers is critical, and the role of each of us, even if we're if we even if we're not involved, we work in the nonprofit, or anything like that. We work around nonprofits. We each have a really big role to play, and how do we amplify that? The last thing I would say is the other big thing we are thinking about, and that we're working on through our coalition, is truly engaging Gen Z in shaping the future of what a volunteer what the volunteer mobilizing infrastructure will. Be in the future. What we have today is about interested, 35 years old. It was started back in late night, early 90s, late 80s. All the stuff, all the stuff we have today, and some of it's even older. You know, the volunteer matching goes way back, but it is not in at all like I just again being kind of new. I was like, Whoa, this is not necessarily engaging Gen Z in more of the leadership decision making and power in organizations, like points of light that are going to be shaping the future. So we're changing that.

Jonathan McCoy

25:40

I mean, it goes back to such like Hallmark things that we talk about all the time on the podcast, like you have to center the solution in the community. So if we're talking about planning the future, why would we not center those that are going to inherit the future? Exactly? It makes so much sense on paper, but I realize this is a disruptive thought that you're bringing here, and I appreciate it.

Becky Endicott

25:59

But people are also saying that Gen Z is the most generous generation that we've seen yet. They're activators. They are connectors. They know they're very good with tech. And it's like, why would we not want to tap into that inherent desire to do good? And I think we are, in a lot of ways, in the sector. I think we're setting up, you know, like recurring giving and things that, you know, that Gen Z is just used to having, but I do think having the infrastructure, the tech and the right conversation with how to be mobilized is really, really smart. I'm really obsessed that you guys are doing this.

Jonathan McCoy

26:37

Can I also give a call out to asking people to volunteer. Because, at least in the entrepreneurial space, everybody talks about, how do you grow passive income? And it's like, what's really passive? Everything takes stoking. And I think it's the same thing. It's like, putting up one page on your website is the most passive thing you can do, but inviting somebody, asking somebody to do something like that's a meaningful action for them too. You're inviting them into a bigger part of their story and meaning and purpose. We've seen that with activating the believers around we are for good.

Jennifer Sirangelo

27:08

And that's one of just really quick to add on. That really quick, is that's one of the reasons corporate volunteering is so important, because it's a rare case that volunteering is required at a company, they at scale, invite 10,000 people, you know? I mean, it's like, it's important because, like, people like, oh, well, of course, they're doing it because they're, you know, it's a part of their job. Well, they don't have to say yes, and it is volunteer and but that opportunity for people that may not have had the chance like I did to volunteer as a kid this or they may have moved to a new city, they don't know where to get started. It's so important that there is an invitation, and companies are a big part of making that happen. That's one of the reasons we have a big set apart, about 122 corporate partners that we work with, because we see the importance that they play in the big picture of inviting people to volunteer

Jonathan McCoy

28:02

so good. What are your thoughts around really empowering volunteers to take on leadership roles, specifically like, how do you challenge them into that? And what kind of impact do you see downstream as they step into more leadership?

Jennifer Sirangelo

28:14

Well, that's something I have a number of being in youth development. You have a lot of experience with that in an organization is distributed of a leadership model is 4h. I got a chance to see that really in action, and I will tell you what I saw as the number one result was longevity. Everyone talks thinks about, oh, will the volunteers come back? Will they stay? Will I lose that intellectual capital? It's fascinating that the ones who stay are the ones who give the most and lead. So it's in 4h it was the volunteer leader. It was the people who ran the 4h club, and we had, you'll love this, a 70 year pin.

Jonathan McCoy

28:59

What? Gosh,

Jennifer Sirangelo

29:03

is that amazing. So I just want to when you ask about how we move into leadership, I think that just I want to talk about why that's important. Second is, there is a huge opportunity now and in the next 10 years, and that is our extremely talented and healthy retirees. They have so much less to get left, to give, so much to offer, and I will just share that is one of the big conversations I have, with our board, with our corporate partners, with our investors, is really thinking about, how do we make that easy? We have a great partnership with AARP as an example. And that is critical. I think, when I think about the future of volunteering around the world, is that, you know, people are living longer it is, and we know. And that changing from a workplace can add to the susceptibility to loneliness and isolation. So volunteering is really critical, and that's, I would say, one of the things Jon, we're really focused on.

Becky Endicott

30:13

It's brilliant. And I'll give you even a personal example. My father is one of those, hi dad. I mean, he's a retiree. He's a boomer. And when he retired, he went from working, you know, 60 to 70 hours a week to not. And he was like, I'm gonna align on the stuff I care about. I love books. I want kids reading. He's retired pediatrician. I want kids fed, and I want kids to have vaccines in third world countries. And it's like he aligned there. He has certain things he does every week around those my dad is so joyful, and he talks about them, you know. And I've seen him to your point with light light up as a result of being on the front lines of this and having these interaction with these kids and with these families. And so I really do think, I mean, we're talking about this intergenerational play here, where everyone has some level of currency to bring to the table. And I'm not just talking about financial currency. I'm talking about how people can show up in service of the thing that they really care about. So I love that you're doing this. And I would we would love a case study. And I'm curious, you've got 70,000 nonprofit organizations. Can you tell us about one that really successfully transformed through a strategic volunteer engagement process?

Jennifer Sirangelo

31:37

Sure, I'll talk about one of my favorite stories is our affiliate in Atlanta, Georgia, and they're called hands on Atlanta. They are a part of the global Points of Light network, Affiliate Network, and they have a strategic partnership with their food bank, set of Food Banks, 65 locations, and hands on Atlanta helps that food bank by recruiting the volunteers, training the volunteers on the issue of hunger in Atlanta, helping people understand and really supporting that whole hunger fighting machine in Atlanta with the human capital to both invest, certainly invest time and energy, but those volunteers also begin to understand the mission. They become advocates and storytellers. You said your dad lights up. Don't you know that every one of them that is volunteering in those 65 food banks is they go home at night, they tell the story. They put it on socially. It is, it is contagious, and that's what we talk about, why the importance of doubling the number of people volunteering is that changes a community. So you know that the feeding community in Atlanta is different because of that set of volunteers that are together, and thanks to our hands on Atlanta affiliate for their leadership in something like But that's an example that

Jonathan McCoy

33:02

I love that, because you're also reminding me that doubling sounds really overwhelming, if it was just you and your team, but it's doubling, yeah, everyone brings one friend, and it's done, like, it's it's very simple at the end of the day, is sharing and spreading that belief that one person matters. And it's like, if you can get that out there, what's possible? I have chills thinking about that.

Jennifer Sirangelo

33:23

Well, Jon, I'm glad you brought that up too, because I think, and I want to go back, you know, Becky, what you said about your dad and what I see in the volunteers, we know, we call them Daily Point of Light. You know, it's really important in this time when things can feel like I don't, you know, things are changing quickly, and I can't predict what's going to happen. I don't know how they're going to change and impact me, but in the middle of that that's going on around your dad, but he knows every day or every week, these things he's doing are impacting things he cares about, that we call that in the industry, having agency, meaning I have independence. I can, I can change the world through my actions. I'm not just it's not just happening to me. I'm an active participant in my society. And that changes mindsets, and it does make us more resilient, especially in difficult

Jonathan McCoy

34:22

times, my friend, we could definitely talk to you all day about this, and I love your enthusiasm for it. Can I just say that it's fun to talk to people about that are just so enthusiastic about the work they do, and it just shines through you. We like to ask all of our guests about a moment of philanthropy that has stuck with them over the years. And I know you've been adjacent to this work for a long time, but was a small or big moment that has really stuck out to you?

Jennifer Sirangelo

34:45

Well, I'm going to share a small moment, if that's okay, and I don't think I've ever told this publicly, so I hope that's okay. I'm gonna come back. Heard it here. I'm gonna go back to my my first roots in nonprofit, and I told you how. I had to kind of self teach or learn, you know, on the job. And when I was at the homeless shelter, I had a wonderful board, and I didn't know anything you know about fundraising. And I was very green. I mean, I was like, literally, 23 just right out of college. And I remember the day that my board chair wrote a check for $5,000 as a board member to the organization,

Becky Endicott

35:28

5% of your budget, right there. And you can

Jennifer Sirangelo

35:32

imagine what was in my checking account. And I remember thinking, someone can write a check for 5000 like they have that much that they can write a check for that. That's when I realized that I could be a fundraiser, that I wasn't bound by what I knew I wasn't. It didn't require me to ask people like me for 5000 there was there was a bigger world and that people wanted to to invest. And so I just, I know there's a lot of nonprofit people on that listen to this nonprofit my people, and I just want to share that I have found so much joy in a career, in giving people like my board chair that mo that opportunity to give or volunteer and volunteer for him, and that's how I look at what I do is not that I'm ever twisting anyone's arm to volunteer or give or anything, but it's it's my job to I believe in my mission. I put it out there, and then it's their choice to make that decision. But that check was something I'll never forget, because it just showed me what was possible, and that if I hadn't asked, he wouldn't have had that chance to serve in a board role and to give. So I hope I can just encourage people who are listening and participating in this to have the courage and not be really comfortable welcoming people asking them to join your mission, that that's your role. What they say back is not on you, it's it's you sharing your mission, and if it's there, if it aligns, it'll happen. It'll

Becky Endicott

37:17

happen. That was a beautiful story. So we wrap up with a one good thing. And we wonder if you could leave a one good thing with the audience. It could be a piece of advice, something that's really lifting for you today. What's on your heart? Jennifer, sure.

Jennifer Sirangelo

37:33

So the one good thing I'd love to share is, is asking. Is really asking everyone to think about what gives you the most joy and what you do, and how can you connect that to how you give your time so making sure you make those connections that bring meaning and purpose for you, I want you to take care of yourself that way, and while we also invite others. And we do so much in our industry that is for others. I want to ask you for that good thing for yourself and make sure you're finding that meaning and purpose

Jonathan McCoy

38:10

for yourself. Oh my gosh, there's so much abundance in this conversation, so much hope. Just really excited for our community to get to know Points of Light. How can folks find you online? How can they find the organization? How can they get involved? Point us to all the stuff. Sure,

Jennifer Sirangelo

38:24

sure. Well, I hope you'll, you know, definitely connect with me on LinkedIn. I'm Jay, sir Angela J, sir Angelo. It's like, sir Angelo. It's pretty easy to be a rapper or something. Yeah, it is. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, a little and then you could also find me. I'm on, you know, all the social, Instagram and everything with that handle, J sir Angela. But also, if you want to learn, like, find a connection to one of our affiliates, if you want to find out in your community, if there's one of our volunteer centers, but there's a lot of volunteer centers too, everywhere. But definitely, you can go to our website called Points of Light. It's all one thing, lowercase, points of light.org. You can find both a volunteer center, you can also find volunteer opportunities. So all of that is available there. If you want to jump in right away, and we would welcome you into our community,

Becky Endicott

39:18

go be the light in your community like I just, I just have this image of you looking out the window, watching this family drive away, and being the person who stepped forward and said, Nope, not on my watch. And what has, you know, been expressed from that, from that moment, is just a beautiful legacy of love and hope and connection and community. So thank you for coming in, sharing so much wisdom with us and friends. This is such a call to connection. If you're not feeling much control in your life right now, which I can tell you, I sure am not, there is something you can. And control and the connectivity and the way you show up in your community is one way that we can be that light. So thank you. Jennifer, want to give a shout out to Christopher and all the people at Sunshine media. Appreciate you also giving us this incredible pitch today, because we have loved every minute of it. Jennifer,

Jennifer Sirangelo

40:18

So Becky, last thing is we call people to be a light. So I hope thank you for the light that you all are, and I encourage everyone to be a light in their community. So thanks. Let's go do it. What a way to wrap you?

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