Philadelphia - Service projects, advice on expanding volunteering, and recognition of superstar volunteers highlighted the second day of the National Conference on Volunteering and Service. The attendees, more than 3,000 strong, took advantage of opportunities to strengthen their leadership skills, network with their peers, and discuss new strategies for volunteer recruitment and model programs.

During the afternoon general session, Stephen Goldsmith, Board Chair of the Corporation for National and Community Service, thanked attendees for their role in bringing about historically high levels of volunteering in America, but noted that volunteer retention rates need to be improved. He challenged them to professionalize volunteer management to prevent volunteer dropout. “We are at a challenging moment in time, and we should make it a historical one to help leverage this work and help more Americans share in the opportunities this country was meant to stand for,” Goldsmith said.

Attendees received copies of a new publication, “Volunteering Reinvented: Human Capital Solutions for the Nonprofit Sector.” It was jointly produced by a dozen leading nonprofits with the goal of making a better case to other nonprofit executives about the value of volunteers and the potential return on investment when they plan as seriously for their human capital strategy as they do their fundraising campaign.

The general session also featured a panel of five speakers who discussed demographic changes among volunteers, ways to engage more people in volunteering, and the impact of technology. Dr. Stephen Post, the author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People, discussed research that revealed that volunteering leads to better health. “One study points out that if you start out in your teens with the nobility of purpose, not only will you do better in school, not only will you be shielded from destructive behaviors, but also over the course of your lifetime you will have consistently higher self-reported happiness. You will be shielded from certain high rates of depression, certain physical illnesses, and odds are you'll live a little longer. And so it is good to be good.”

Kathy Cloninger, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, noted that because girls of all ages spend a lot of time on the Internet, her organization is developing ways to capture their interest online. “The downside is that it’s isolating,” she added. Although the isolation can have a negative impact on volunteering, Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation, pointed out that sites such as VolunteerMatch have the potential for reaching would-be volunteers who would not be available through traditional means.

Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President of Bennett College of Women, accepted the George and Lenore Romney Citizen Volunteer Award from Neil Bush, incoming vice chairman of the Points of Light Foundation. Addressing the gathering, Cole remembered being told frequently while growing up that “I had a responsibility to make something of myself—and to lift others as I climbed.” Cole drew several lessons for the community service community, including the fact that “we make a monumental mistake whenever we ignore issues of diversity and inclusion. We have got to bring to the table folks who come from the range of attributes, experiences, and life styles that make up our nation. As I am fond of saying, if the table isn't big enough to accommodate all of these folks, then we'll just have to build a bigger table.”

David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, presented Spirit of Service awards to three service-learning participants: high school student Joey Bowman of Prescott Valley, AZ; Gail Robinson, manager of service-learning for the American Association of Community Colleges, Washington, DC; and service-learning instructor Kari Simon-Pieters of St. Johns, MI.

During an early morning forum, “The Double Bottom Line: Doing Good for the Community,” local business leaders offered attendees a glimpse into why the private sector stresses good corporate citizenship. J. William Mills III, regional president of PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., suggested that nonprofits “do a lot of homework” before approaching a business with a request for assistance or involvement, to make sure that the targeted business is receptive to addressing the issue being presented. Stanley Litow, President of the IBM Foundation, noted that good corporate citizenship pays off in a variety of ways, including good publicity. Last year, according to Litow, 20 percent of the media coverage IBM received was focused on its volunteering and community outreach efforts. Rosemary Turner, vice president of the Metro District of UPS, commented that UPS drivers are able to observe the needs of the communities they serve. They relay that information to the company, which makes decisions on community involvement based on these reports.

At three service projects, conference attendees pitched in to help today. Twenty volunteers from the conference met with eight park staff at Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. At 9,200 acres, Fairmount Park is the largest urban park in the country. The volunteers spent two hours clearing about a quarter of a mile of the Boxers’ Trail, so called because it was a favorite running trail for local boxers.

Back at the convention center, Hall D buzzed with activity as dozens of attendees sorted the children’s clothing, furniture, and other items that were donated to Cradles to Crayons, a new nonprofit in Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the organization’s second site; it originated in Boston five years ago. Jennifer Case, founder of the Philadelphia branch, estimated that enough materials have been donated—and now sorted—to benefit 3,000 children. She also predicted that the organization will attract 1,000 volunteers in its first year of operation.

Nearby, staff and volunteers of Philadelphia Reads sorted cartons of books that attendees brought to the conference, along with 400 more donated through local businesses. When the sorting was done, the organization was 2,947 books richer. The books will be distributed to schools and after-school programs in Philadelphia. The number of books and the sorting “makes our lives so much easier,” said Sarah Galbally, volunteer coordinator for Philadelphia Reads. “Summer is a great time for us to stock up,” she said, noting that the organization distributes nearly 90,000 books annually to benefit Philadelphia’s youngest readers.

The Corporation for National and Community Service improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Each year, the Corporation provides opportunities for more than 2 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousands of communities. Through a variety of programs and services involving 333 Volunteer Centers and a thousand corporate and nonprofit partners, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life — businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, youth, and older adults — to volunteer.

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