We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits · We Are For Good

677. Shift 7 — Volunteers as Core Capacity: Design Volunteer Systems for Growth - Jennifer Sirangelo

·23 min·1 clip

Points of Light is pushing to double U.S. volunteers from 75 million to 150 million by 2035.

1. We Are For Good Podcast’s "Shift 7" episode focuses on volunteers as core capacity for nonprofit growth. 2. Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of Points of Light, joins as the guest, and John and the hosts frame her as an expert on volunteer service, 4-H Council, and Boys & Girls Club of America. 3. The episode asks how nonprofits can move volunteers from an add-on to part of strategy, belonging, and sustainable support. 4. Jennifer says nonprofit leaders usually think about three things every day: funding, the board, and the strategic plan. 5. She argues that volunteers are often left out of all three categories, even when they affect board evaluation and organizational performance. 6. Her first strategic question is where volunteers can add acceleration to a strategic plan that is being built, launched, or revised. 7. She uses Points of Light’s board work to show what that looks like in practice. 8. Jennifer describes a "board recruitment sprint" over one quarter, where she meets with every board member and asks them to identify other volunteers who could serve on the board. 9. She says she had previously done the research and donor outreach herself and had "left them out of the equation." 10. The conversation connects volunteer management to fundraising logic, including discovery, cultivation, and solicitation. 11. Jennifer says volunteers can be stewarded while they are being cultivated and researched, which makes the process more human. 12. She gives a national example through Reimagining Service 2035, which aims to increase U.S. volunteering from 75 million to 150 million Americans by 2035. 13. Jennifer says partners like companies and foundations have told her that the goal is possible. 14. She cites Boston Cares in Boston, where membership-based volunteering increased by 22% in one year. 15. She also cites Volunteer Now in Westchester County, New York, where holiday volunteering participation tripled. 16. Jennifer says local need and a desire to help neighbors are driving people to step up. 17. The episode’s style is a practical interview, with back-and-forth prompting, concrete examples, and repeated reframes from the hosts. 18. The tone stays operational and optimistic, with frequent references to grants, infrastructure, technology, and board systems. 19. Listeners running nonprofits, volunteer programs, or community engagement teams will get the most value. 20. Listeners looking for a highly narrative or entertainment-driven episode may skip it.

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