HandsOn NWNC strengthens our community by building the capacity of local nonprofits and increasing volunteerism. We make it easy for both nonprofits and volunteers to make a difference in our community.

• Enable the nonprofit sector to be effective and efficient.
• Build a culture of engagement for the greater good of the community.
• Enable volunteers to connect with meaningful service opportunities.
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Civic Engagement and Community Volunteering

HandsOn works to increase the level of civic engagement in our community by primarily building a strong infrastructure around community volunteering. At the same time, we work to ensure transformational service opportunities for both volunteers and the organizations that engage volunteers. We do this by:

• Operating a web-based volunteer matching portal that allows organizations to update current service opportunities and potential volunteers to find opportunities that match their time, interests, and talents.

• Working to raise the visibility of volunteering and the power of volunteers to change communities. This new website is part of a comprehensive marketing and community education campaign. We'd love to come speak to your company, church or civic organization about our work!

• Organizing community-wide volunteer recognition events that share inspirational stories of how volunteers can change communities.

• Offering training classes and workshops that encourage the effective use of volunteers in helping organizations meet the challenge of their missions.

Nonprofit Capacity Building
HandsOn also works to create a strong nonprofit sector that enhances the quality of life in our community primarily by providing a variety of resources, training and other opportunities aimed at increasing individual nonprofits’ capacity to meet their mission more effectively. Examples include:

• Providing information, assessment tools, and referrals on a wide variety of topics related to development, support, and capacity-building for individual nonprofits here. We also encourage nonprofits to list their activities on our nonprofit calendar, to help reduce the scheduling of conflicting events in our community.

• Sharing information about nonprofit training opportunities, as well as creating workshops through community partnerships with local nonprofits, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit consulting experts. We also facilitate mentoring and peer-to-peer learning through convening of local nonprofit leaders.  To make sure you're getting all of our updates, be sure to sign up for The NonProfit Connection, our montly e-newsletter. (See sign-up box on the left side of the page.)

• Collaborating with local nonprofits and nonprofit networks to leverage and concentrate resources, advocate for the nonprofit sector, and build relationships with other sectors of the community for the benefit of nonprofits and those they serve.

Amy Lytle became the first Executive Director of HandsOn Northwest North Carolina in October 2007, bringing with her over ten years of professional nonprofit management experience. Amy came to HandsOn from The Volunteer Center of Greensboro, where she served as Assistant Director for over eight years and was the lead staff member providing training and technical assistance to the nonprofits with which the Center worked. She has developed and presented workshops throughout the state of North Carolina on a variety of volunteer management and nonprofit governance topics. In the past, Amy served on the board of ncyt , a statewide organization of young, non-profit professionals, and as President of NCAVA, the North Carolina Association of Volunteer Administrators. She currently sits on the Alumni Board of Guilford College, where she graduated with double honors in 1995, and on the board of After Gateway, a local nonprofit that serves individuals with disabilities. Amy is also proud to be a founding member of the Fondue Fund, a Triad-wide giving circle comprised of diverse young women. For all of these efforts, Amy was honored to be recognized in 2006 as one of the Forty Leaders Under 40 by the Triad Business Journal. Amy received her CAVNC (Certified Administrator of Volunteers in North Carolina) credential from NCAVA in 2001 and graduated from Duke University‘s Certificate Program in NonProfit Management in 2003.

Kathy Davis started with HandsOn NWNC as Program Director in October 2008. A Winston-Salem native, Kathy has an MPA from UNC-Chapel Hill and came to HandsOn from the Winston-Salem Street School, a nonprofit, private school that works primarily with at-risk students. She has extensive experience building capacity with small nonprofits and governments from nine years of community and economic development work in upstate South Carolina where she wrote grants and managed infrastructure, housing, building renovation and construction projects.  Kathy also has experience in budgeting and program evaluation from her tenure with the City of Charlotte.  She has a certification in community development from the University of Central Arkansas's Community Development Institute and spent several years helping local nonprofits in the Charlotte area with grant writing and project development. 

Michelle Bennett joined HandsOn NWNC in November 2009 as an AmeriCorps VISTA Days of Service Member. She is assisting with all aspects of planning for our new Days of Service program. Michelle comes to HandsOn after working with UNC’s Center for International Understanding’s Latino Initiative program where she assisted in the planning, evaluation, and support of various programs relating to immigration, Latino culture and mutual understanding. In addition, she provided support to the China International School Partnership, a program that encourages joint international school-to-school partnerships and learning from one another. She also participated in an internship with Peace with Nature, a Costa Rican presidential initiative that is a political commitment to protecting the environment. Michelle translated documents from Spanish to English as well as provided climate change research relating to crops in Costa Rica. She has a Masters of International Studies with a specialization in International Development from North Carolina State University anda BA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in International Studies and Political Science.

HandsOn NWNC is the new name of an organization that actually started as two separate organizations – NonProfit Connections and Volunteer Connections. In 2007, the two organizations merged to become NonProfit and Volunteer Connections (NPVC). Then, in August 2008, NPVC adopted the HandsOn name, to more closely align with one of its national networks.

NonProfit Connections was originally created to help build and strengthen the capacity of nonprofits in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County area. Its goal was to provide area nonprofits with the tools to fulfill their missions and ultimately enhance the vitality of our community. NonProfit Connections provided information, assessment tools, and referrals on a wide variety of topics related to development, support, and capacity-building for individual nonprofits and the local nonprofit community as a whole.

Volunteer Connections evolved out of the work of the volunteerism committee of the ECHO (Everyone Can Help Out) Council, which was founded by the Winston-Salem Foundation in 2003 to work as a promoter, incubator, facilitator, and advocate for social capital. Volunteer Connections’ mission was to serve as a focal point for mobilizing and connecting both new and established volunteers and leaders and for engaging them in activities that strengthen and unite our community. In February 2007, Volunteer Connections launched its web site designed to match volunteers and nonprofits in Forsyth County .

Combining the two organizations created a single entity devoted to building a stronger and more engaged community by improving the effectiveness of nonprofits and connecting volunteers with opportunities for meaningful community service.

HandsOn’s offices are located inside the American Red Cross building at 690 Coliseum Dr. in Winston-Salem, near the intersection of Coliseum Dr. and University Parkway. Please call and make an appointment before visiting to ensure that staff will be available to meet with you. Workshops and meetings are held at a variety of locations including the Red Cross, Senior Services, 2895 Shorefair Dr, Winston-Salem, and Salemtowne, 1000 Salemtowne Dr., Winston-Salem.