Doubling Volunteerism: A Call to Action by Points of Light

Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, has set an ambitious goal to double the number of people volunteering by 2035. Currently, 28% of the U.S. population participates in volunteerism, but Points of Light aims to raise that rate to 56% over the next ten years. In numbers, that is increasing the number of people volunteering from 75 million annually to 150 million.  To achieve this monumental shift, the organization is committing to raise $100 million in funding to support its vision.

As volunteerism plays an essential role in strengthening communities, Points of Light is focused on making volunteer opportunities more accessible, impactful, and sustainable. In the words of Neil Bush, Chair of Points of Light, “Our mission is to make volunteering and service easier, more impactful, more sustained. Because, let’s be honest, the problems in our communities aren’t going to fix themselves.”

The organization has also recently released a report highlighting the need for transformative investments to elevate volunteerism from a “nice-to-have” activity to a strategic priority for nonprofits, businesses, and communities. This report underscores the importance of strategic planning and investment in volunteer programs to enhance their long-term effectiveness and impact.

At Good Strategies, we wholeheartedly support this goal and are working to ensure that our local nonprofits are equipped to engage volunteers in a strategic and meaningful way. We believe that volunteerism can and should be a critical pillar of community development, and we look forward to working with others to make this vision a reality.

Stay tuned as we continue to follow and share progress on Points of Light’s ambitious goal and how we can all contribute to increasing the impact of volunteerism in our communities.