A new app from the Montgomery County Leadership Academy seeks to make volunteering in the community as easy as ordering pizza or booking an Uber.
The free app, which is called POINT, allows users to follow causes they care about and sign up to volunteer with a tap.
“Montgomery County is blessed with an amazing community of both volunteers and nonprofits but finding the right opportunity at the right time isn’t always easy,” said Rachel Zachary, president of the MCLA’s board of directors. “We want to eliminate that barrier and encourage more people to serve our community.” Nonprofits can use the app to easily post events, manage volunteer signups and groups, and automatically report on community engagement.
“We’re partnering with POINT because of how easy it makes giving. I simply open the app and am presented with local events tailored to causes I care about,” Zachary said. I’ll also receive automatic app notifications whenever local organizations post upcoming events where I can volunteer.”
Organizations posting to the app include the Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County, Volunteers for Mental Health in Montgomery County, 4-H and Crawfordsville Main Street.
“We’re excited to make volunteering as easy as getting an Uber in Montgomery County — this is what POINT was built for,” said POINT CEO Mikhail Bush.
Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton said the platform “will make it easier than ever for those in our community who wish to volunteer to do so in a seamless, yet impactful, way.”
The opportunities don’t stop at nonprofits and volunteers. Local businesses can get involved as well.
Hoosier Heartland State Bank joined POINT as a business.Their subscription helps keep the platform free for nonprofits, but also gives HSHB leaders the ability to co-host volunteer opportunities with local organizations, coordinate their own private corporate service events, amplify employee volunteerism, and easily report on their team’s overall volunteer hours and investment in their community.
“We’re excited about the impact POINT’s user-friendly technology will have on the HHSB team and our mission to give back our time and talents to the communities we serve,” said Trey Etcheson, HHSB board chairman.
“So many non-profits that rely on fundraising and volunteerism struggle to reach the broader community to solicit donations and engage volunteers,” Etcheson added. “They just don’t have the time or resources to research and utilize different engagement tools.”
Local businesses can find more information at pointapp.org. Prospective volunteers can also visit volunteer.54leadership.com to find service opportunities.
