IMPACT In Action
We Make It Easy To Make A Difference
2025 certainly looked different than 2024 for most of us, and that was no different for HandsOn. We spent the year reimagining and recalibrating programs, strengthening our internal capacity, and leaning into our role as a sector wide convener. Early in the year, in the face of unprecedented attacks on the nonprofit sector and many of the communities and people we serve, we held a series of local convenings in partnership with The Winston-Salem Foundation, the NC Center for Nonprofits, and the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium. The energy sparked by those gatherings morphed into One Sector, One Voice Triad, (OSOVT) a sector-wide, non-mission-specific advocacy initiative that works to strengthen not only individual nonprofits’ advocacy muscles, but also elevates a more wholistic story about the nonprofit ecosystem as a whole: highlighting our role as key civic infrastructure in our communities, recognizing our responsibilities as large regional employers, and illustrating how significant funding disruptions—whether in public education or in SNAP and Medicare benefits —affect all of us. OSOVT has built significant momentum over the past year, and HandsOn is proud to continue serving as one of its backbone organizations, representing Forsyth County and the over 600 nonprofits in our broader regional network. OSOVT is just one example of how we spent time in 2025 making sure that our offerings remain responsive to the ever-changing needs of the nonprofits, volunteers, and partners we serve.
As always, we are humbled and gratified to be on this journey of community change with you—our partners, funders, and the volunteers that make our sector the powerhouse that it is. As we all come together to prepare to meet whatever 2026 may have in store for us, HandsOn is grateful to be doing this work alongside you.
Amy Lytle, Executive Director
HandsOn NWNC mobilizes the people and organizations that inspire community change in Northwest North Carolina. We envision a region where citizens and nonprofits are equipped and engaged in creating thriving, healthy communities.
ENGAGE
In 2025, Points of Light, the Global Affiliate Network of which HandsOn is a part, released a new research report-From Nice to Necessary: Unleashing the Impact of Volunteering Through Transformative Investment. This report validated what most of us had been sensing - that while the demand for services delivered by volunteers is soaring, the nonprofit organizations and systems that make volunteering possible are significantly underresourced. The report further showed the misalignment between the enormous social impact of volunteers and the funding that flows to volunteer engagement and infrastructure from institutional funders, as the top 10 U.S. foundations allocate just 0.07% of their portfolios to volunteer development. HandsOn is fortunate to have strong funding relationships with both corporate partners and institutional funders like The Winston-Salem Foundation, which supports the work we do to strengthen volunteer infrastructure through volunteer management training, subject-matter expertise, and technical support to respond to evolving volunteer infrastructure needs.
This past year, we further broadened our partnerships with companies, which led to mobilizing a record number of employee volunteers in 2025, and worked with FEMA, local emergency managers, and numerous local nonprofits to launch a long-term disaster-recovery group in Forsyth County, to ensure our neighbors can weather and rebuild from storms more effectively, both now and in the future, as well-resourced, well-informed, and well-managed volunteer engagement is key to thriving communities.
3,552 volunteers donated 10,334 hours of service.
Corporate volunteers created 3,994 kits, including youth snack bags, calm down materials, and feminine hygiene kits for those impacted by Hurricane Helene.
Participants would recommend our volunteer engagement programs to others – 4.7 out of 5 on a 5-point scale.
Honda
For more than 65 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. The company’s mission is to create products and services that help people fulfill their life’s potential, while conducting business in a sustainable manner and fostering an inclusive workplace. Advancing its corporate social responsibility, Honda and the Honda USA Foundation support this direction through giving focused on education, the environment, mobility, traffic safety, and community. By investing time, giving, and associate volunteer efforts, Honda helps address real-world challenges and open doors to opportunity, reflecting the company’s longstanding belief that strong communities and a sustainable future are essential to everyone’s ability to learn, move, and thrive.
This past year, HandsOn NWNC deepened their partnership with Honda, working with leaders from three of their locations in NC and SC to organize service events for their employees For example, Honda associates recently came together to make Youth Comfort Kits, which offered a hands-on opportunity for them to support children experiencing crises in our local community and aligned with Honda’s commitment to service, compassion, and community engagement. Associates worked together to efficiently pack 200 kits, which will be distributed to local police departments, fire departments, and social service organizations to support children during traumatic situations. While associates typically participate in volunteer efforts that focus on packing food bags to help supplement meals for children on weekends when not in school, the Youth Comfort Kit initiative allowed Honda to extend their impact in a different, but meaningful way, and created a strong sense of pride in giving back. Hosting the event on campus further made participation easy and inclusive, while creating an opportunity for associates across Honda business units to collaborate, meet new teammates, and work together toward a shared purpose.
“It is not always about monetary donations when helping someone in need. It’s rewarding to see how even the smallest time commitment can make a big difference, and people walk away feeling glad they participated.” Lori Younger
EQUIP
This past year brought significant challenges as many nonprofits experienced large funding cuts. The impact of lost revenue throughout the sector signaled changes for most organizations, including HandsOn NWNC. Specifically, this included the inability to offer several programs we had provided for years. While making this decision was difficult, it gave us a chance to reflect on the changes in the nonprofit landscape, prompting us to participate in an organizational assessment, the same one we offer to other nonprofits in our region. The purpose of the assessment is to provide a “snapshot” of an organization's overall health by identifying strengths and challenges that enable leadership and staff to prioritize areas to focus on moving forward, often laying the foundation for strategic planning.
We further remained responsive to the ever-changing needs of the nonprofits, volunteers, and partners we serve by spending time listening to the alums of our signature professional development programs—like Women’s Emerging Leaders and Nonprofit Essentials—and coimagining with them new ways of delivering critical content with methods and structures that will be sustainable for both participants and HandsOn NWNC going forward. The result will be a refreshing of several programs to better equip nonprofits to move from “surviving to sustaining” as they continue to lead their organizations and meet the needs of our community.
87% of training participants identified one new item they could implement immediately, in response to an open-ended question.
98% of participants reported that the training they received would help them be more effective in their work.
Participants would recommend training to others - 4.7 out of 5 on a 5-point scale.
Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC
As the regional food bank for an 18-county area, Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC (SHFB) is dedicated to food security and creating pathways for a stronger Northwest NC. With one in six people facing this issue, it has become a major crisis that requires the assistance of many volunteers to help SHFB fulfill its mission. Due to an organizational restructuring, management of their volunteer engagement was transferred to SHFB’s Philanthropy and Community Engagement division. The team realized improvements could be made to take their volunteer engagement from good to exceptional, including upgrading antiquated processes that were limiting functionality, since many components were siloed in different areas within the organization. While excited about the potential of giving their volunteers an improved experience, the team also realized that additional staff throughout the organization must be involved in developing a system that works for everyone, but they weren’t sure how to achieve this.
Service Enterprise, a national certification program offered by HandsOn NWNC, provided the framework to help SHFB navigate this process by providing basic training on organizational change, guiding the review of existing internal processes, and coaching SHFB in creating new ones to support effective volunteer engagement. Approximately 20 staff members from various departments participated in the program, brainstorming together to solve issues, which resulted in stronger internal team bonds and increased morale. As a result, SHFB was able to create a new position to help ensure a more cohesive volunteer experience, integrate a volunteer feedback survey into their volunteer engagement process, add impact boards to the end of each shift, and develop a volunteer newsletter that includes organizational updates to keep volunteers informed - ultimately encouraging them to become more deeply engaged with the organization.
“The results have been overwhelming...it is definitely A LOT of work, but if you are really trying to make changes from the ground up, it is well worth it.” Reedy Mensh
Piedmont Wind Symphony
For 37 years, the Piedmont Wind Symphony (PWS) has been “Bringing People Together Through Music” by delivering contemporary and traditional professional symphonic wind band performances to audiences and providing a creative platform for musicians and composers to entertain, educate, and grow. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, PWS faced significant leadership turnover across both staff and board, placing the organization at a critical crossroads. Despite these challenges, a core group of dedicated musicians and board members remained committed to preserving the ensemble’s artistic excellence and community impact. A working board, largely composed of musicians, stepped in to sustain operations, and Artistic Director/Conductor Mark A. Norman and future Executive Director Brianna Cantwell joined to help guide the organization forward.
As the symphony took on day-to-day responsibilities, it became clear that long-term sustainability would require stronger governance and strategic direction. Several board and staff members enrolled in HandsOn NWNC’s HandsOn Board Basics class in an effort to strengthen their foundation. Through this experience, PWS board and staff members gained essential clarity around board roles, responsibilities, and nonprofit best practices. With guidance from instructor Karl Yena, the organization refined its mission and vision, developed a transitional strategic plan, strengthened its board through targeted recruitment, and updated key bylaws. These steps laid the groundwork for a more stable and effective organizational structure.
Building on this progress, the PWS has since hired Brianna Cantwell as its full-time Executive Director, further advancing the organization’s growth and sustainability. PWS has also expanded its concert and educational programming, increased audience reach, and enhanced compensation opportunities for musicians. As Ken Nocito, Board Chair, shares, “Simply stated, we are effectively achieving our mission.”
“Your instinct is already telling you that you need help. Whether you have doubts about your organization’s stability, feel the need for a collective reset, or want board members to better understand their roles, this program will point your team in the right direction.” Ken Nocito
INSPIRE
Volunteers are the backbone of most nonprofits. Without their help, programs and services that our community relies on would not operate as efficiently or serve as many people.
To show our gratitude for volunteers, we are honored to host the Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Awards (GVSA) every spring on behalf of the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. This event publicly recognizes the contributions of volunteers within Forsyth County, especially those who have provided outstanding service, by honoring the time and talent they have faithfully contributed throughout the year. As a result, the event also fosters a stronger sense of community, attracts new volunteers, and inspires others to get involved to make a difference. Many who have attended GVSA in the past say that it not only reminds them of the significant work volunteers perform and the critical role they play in helping with the operations of the organizations they represent, but it also educates them on the diversity of nonprofits in our community.
There is something for everyone, and we invite you to thank the volunteers you know and consider submitting a nomination for someone next year. You can also learn how you can make a difference by viewing the list of current volunteer opportunities on GetConnected, our volunteer portal. For training and additional volunteer experiences offered by HandsOn NWNC, please visit Resources For Volunteers on our website.
24 Presidential Service Award winners were recognized for a total of 26,781 hours of service.
29 nominees and 12 category winners were recognized before 225 attendees.
Triad Restorative Justice
For Triad Restorative Justice, it was an easy decision to nominate one of their volunteers, Karen Dorr, for a Forsyth County Governor’s Volunteer Service Award (GVSA) last year. The nonprofit, a network of community members who actively encourage others to see and respond to conflict differently, “empowers people through restorative justice practices, advocacy, and community building to address conflict, minimize further harm, and honor dignity and belonging.” Like most nonprofits, Triad Restorative Justice doesn’t have the capacity to host many events, so GVSA provided the perfect opportunity for them to recognize and honor Karen, without placing additional strain on the organization’s staff time and budget. According to Valerie Glass, Executive Director, the process of submitting Karen’s nomination was not only fun for the staff to work on collectively, but also reminded them of the many benefits all their volunteers provide.
Especially rewarding was attending the event together as an organization and hearing Karen speak about what volunteering at Triad Restorative Justice meant to her, after learning about them on HandsOn NWNC’s GetConnected volunteer portal, and recognizing the impact it has had on others, the families, the youth, and the organization’s staff. According to her nominator, Karen embodies their core values of compassion, interconnectedness, humility, and consideration - the same values the GVSA event seeks to foster as the community comes together annually to celebrate the critical support that volunteers, like Karen, selflessly provide not only to the organizations they represent, but to the overall well-being of our community.
Sunnyside Ministry
“Opportunities like the Governor’s Volunteer Service Award (GVSA) are more than just paperwork; they provide a chance to reflect on someone’s service, putting into words the difference they make, to ensure their efforts do not go unnoticed...for the volunteer, it can be incredibly meaningful to know their time, compassion, and consistency are seen and appreciated,” states Sarah Sasamoto with Sunnyside Ministry, adding that these opportunities “remind our community that meaningful change does not always come from large institutions, but often from individuals who choose to give their time and compassion consistently over many years.”
As one of many local nonprofits rooted in compassion, Sunnyside Ministry supports families in moments of crisis, equipping them with the tools to move forward. In a community where one unexpected expense can disrupt stability, their mission to follow Christ by providing hope, service, education, and empowerment to those in need is more important than ever. “Sunnyside exists to ensure a temporary crisis does not become a permanent condition, ” Sarah says, acknowledging that when basic needs like food, clothing, or safe housing aren’t met, individuals and families can’t move forward.
Sunnyside participated in GVSA last year, nominating Mary Jane Dewees, and has nominated another volunteer this year, Ed Strait. Nominating both has been incredibly meaningful to their organization, allowing them to “pause and intentionally recognize the individuals who are the heartbeat of our mission,” Sarah said, while participating in the GVSA process has also helped strengthen the organization’s culture of gratitude and recognition.
“It has reminded us that while the numbers we report each year are important, it is the people behind those numbers who make the impact possible. Celebrating volunteers through opportunities like GVSA not only honors their service but also inspires others in the community to step forward and get involved.” Sarah Sasamoto
Thank You!
TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS AND PARTNERS. We cannot fulfill our mission without funding from or collaboration with these important organizations:
Allegacy Financial
Gilbarco Veeder-Root
Guilford Nonprofit Consortium
HandsOn NWNC Supporting Partners and Consultant/Vendor Partners
Honda
Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust
NC Center for Nonprofits
NC Counts Coalition
Points of Light
Salemtowne
The Winston-Salem Foundation
United Way of Iredell County
Wake Forest University Office of Civic and Community Engagement
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
HandsOn NWNC Board of Directors
Nikki Burris
Sarah Carter
Troy Dibley
Anna Donze
April Durr
Alexa Edwards
Naijla Faizi
Walter Farabee
Shawan Gabriel
Leslie Garvin
Bruce Haywood
Henry Hilston
Martha Larson
Duane Long
Daisy Rodriguez
Renee Rohrer
Shantele Williams
Email: info@HandsOnNWNC.org www.HandOnNWNC.org
