HandsOn Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) issued the second round of a $1 million investment in 17 volunteer connector organizations and statewide agencies that manage and support volunteers, including state service commissions and associations of volunteer centers. Part of the "Volunteer Impact Retention and Expansion""initiative, this is the second round of capacity grants that will provide needed resources to recruit, equip, train and mobilize 800,000 volunteers.

"This investment in communities will fuel a tangible and compelling response to the call for service, extending volunteerism and volunteer leader capacity to help solve some of our nation’s most critical issues," said Amy Smith, President of HandsOn Network. Smith cited a range of community needs that an infusion of trained, managed volunteers could help address, including education, the environment and providing aid to economically-distressed families. She also noted that the grant recipients were selected through a competitive grant process and comprehensive review, resulting in grant support and investment in communities of all sizes across the country.

Over the last several months there has been an outpouring of Americans responding to the call to serve issued by President Obama’s United We Serve initiative, Mayor Bloomberg’s Cities of Service coalition, last week’s Points of Light Institute’s Presidential Forum on Service at Texas A&M University and now the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s iParticipate campaign.

According to Smith, the readiness of non-profit organizations to lead and manage an influx of volunteers resulting from these national campaigns is an important part of the successful response to the call to service.

"The Corporation for National and Community Service and HandsOn Network are providing a means to ensure that non-profit organizations can react and respond exceptionally to the nation's changing needs and new swell of volunteers," said Smith.

The grants are expected to help increase retention rates of new and existing volunteers by an average of 75%; recruit, train, mobilize and equip another 2,000 volunteer leaders and 1,600 skill-based volunteers; and develop 400 new volunteer engagement partnerships. Additional community investment will be realized as recipients will match the grants with support they receive from local businesses, government entities, non-profit organizations and foundation support.

2009 Second Round Volunteer Impact Retention and Expansion Grantees

Boston Cares "“ Boston, MA
Community Service Society - New York, NY
Duluth Public Schools "“ Duluth, MN
FIRSTLINK "“ Columbus, OH
Greater DC Cares "“ Washington, DC
Hands On Hartford "“ Hartford, CT
HandsOn Bay Area - San Francisco, CA
HandsOn Charlotte "“ Charlotte, NC
Massachusetts Service Alliance "“ Boston, MA
Nonprofit Center of Milwaukee, Inc. [Volunteer Center Association of Wisconsin], Milwaukee, WI
Northern California Presbyterian Homes & Services (NCPHS) - San Francisco, CA
Polk County Board of County Commissioners "“ Bartow, FL
United Way of King County "“ Seattle, WA
United Way of Olmsted County "“ Rochester, MN
Voluntary Action Center: Volunteer Macon, Inc. "“ Macon, GA
Volunteer and Information Center "“ Montgomery, AL
Volunteer Resource Center DBA: HandsOn Twin Cities "“ Minneapolis, MN

For more information, visit www.handsonnetwork.org.

About HandsOn Network
HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute, is the largest volunteer network in the nation and includes more than 250 HandsOn Action Centers that reach more than 83% of the nation’s population and extend to ten countries. HandsOn includes a powerful network of more than 70,000 corporate, faith and nonprofit organizations that are answering the call to serve and creating scaled impact. In 2008, the network delivered approximately 30 million hours of volunteer service valued at $615 million. For more information, visit handsonnetwork.org.

About The Corporation for National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. The agency engages four million Americans of all ages and backgrounds annually through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and is the nation’s largest grant maker to service projects. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.

Points of Light

Points of Light

Points of Light is a global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million volunteers in 16.7 million hours of service each year, contributing $498.7 million of value in people power into communities around the world. We bring the power of people to bear where it’s needed most. To learn more about Points of Light visit pointsoflight.org. 

Partnering with Points of Light means you’ll have the expertise and support you need to mobilize your colleagues and create community impact using all aspects of civic engagement. We've helped companies with a variety of needs including implementing large-scale employee volunteer events, tackling your larger social impact vision, expanding how you engage communities and consumers, infusing new ideas to your annual employee engagement programs, connecting with peers to bring the latest and greatest ideas on impact measurement, and getting company leadership investment and buy-in. Learn more today.

More from Points of Light