How can nonprofits ensure that they’re providing a high-quality experience for their volunteers? How can volunteers connect with meaningful opportunities that generate real impact? Civic Engagement Managers Curtis Lee and Gail Cavallaro answer these questions and more.

Though she’s always lived in California, Allison knew her family roots extended back to Colonial Virginia. When her genealogical research uncovered her family’s history of enslavement, she decided to take her inheritance and invest it back into Virginia’s Black communities.

To celebrate the Black history being made in Greater Richmond right now, we asked four of our region’s Black leaders in philanthropy and service: “What issues have captured your passion, and how have you found ways to lend your time and talent to creating positive change?”

“We knew that we would see a shift towards virtual volunteering at the start of the pandemic, but what we’ve found is that that virtual opportunities are continuing even when in-person options are available again,” Christina Mastroianni said.

"People have been challenged by the pandemic — they’ve been pushed to their limits in lots of ways and they’re re-evaluating what’s important to them,” said Vanessa Diamond, Senior VP of Civic Innovations. “What we’re seeing is that volunteerism, or being a part of the solution for Richmond, is a way for us to continue to heal."