105 years of volunteering services and leadership
We believe that the most powerful force in the world is the individual who has realized their power to do good.
Mission
To realize a thriving, equitable community through purposeful engagement.
Vision
To inspire, equip, and mobilize a movement of people to make a positive difference through community engagement and service.
Our Story
1919 The Volunteer Service Bureau/Voluntary Action Center is formed to “better mobilize the latent volunteer forces in the community.”
1942 The Volunteer Bureau of St. Paul was also created in response to World War II needs to administer similar programs as those being delivered in Minneapolis.
2000 The Volunteer Resource Center was formed, combining the Volunteer Center of St. Paul and the Minneapolis United Way’s Volunteer Center.
2005 The Volunteer Resource Center joined the global HandsOn Network and was renamed HandsOn Twin Cities.
2007 Points of Light Foundation and the HandsOn Network merge to become Points of Light, creating the largest volunteer management and civic engagement organization in the nation.
2011 HandsOn Twin Cities was chosen as one of ten Innovation Hubs in the nation by Points of Light.
2019 HandsOn Twin Cities celebrates our 100-year anniversary with year-round activities, and publishing of the book 100 Years of Volunteers. In June we helped host the Points of Light conference in St. Paul.
2020 In March, the world stops as the COVID pandemic leads to a shutdown and HandsOn shifts to help nonprofits adjust their volunteer infrastructure and starts providing volunteer projects to people at their homes. In May, civil unrest unfolded after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. HandsOn helps co-create the Twin Cities Community Rebuilding Coalition and quickly expands pro bono programming to support BIPOC-led small businesses and nonprofits.
2021 Seeking to realign strategic perspective, HandsOn Twin Cities partners with Creative Catalysis to begin a refreshed strategic plan in August.
2024 One hundred and five years later, HandsOn remains the central source for volunteerism in the Twin Cities, as the oldest surviving - and thriving - volunteer center in the country.
Our Equity Statement
At HandsOn Twin Cities, we understand that systemic racial inequities have led to the need for the creation of nonprofit organizations. To that end, we participate in active efforts to work against racism's multidimensional aspects.
To actively acknowledge systemic imbalances, we work to ensure that individuals have the opportunities, resources, and support that suit their unique circumstances. We are constantly striving to create an environment where everyone is a valued, respected, integral part of the whole. We make space for varied lived experiences and want people to feel comfortable and confident to be themselves. We are committed to understanding and engaging with difference in all of its many forms.
We continually work to identify and oppose racist ideas, actions, and ways of being throughout the volunteer ecosystem and beyond.
Meet the Team
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Blair Halperin
Senior Relationship Manager, Pro Bono Advisory Program
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Denny Yang
Marketing and Communications Manager
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Diane Senjem
Relationship Manager, Pro Bono Advisory Program
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Joy Altmann
Managing Director, Pro Bono Advisory Program
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Katie Walsh
Program Director
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Matthew McDonald
Corporate Project Planner
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Nolan Isaacson
Corporate Project Planner
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Rachel Taran
Corporate Project Planner
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Sandy Yang
Corporate Projects Planner
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Sheila Her
Director of Operations and Signature Events
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Tori Hansen
Director of Corporate Projects
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Tracy Nielsen
Executive Director
Board
Our Board of Directors is committed to leading HandsOn Twin Cities according to high standards of integrity and accountability. They represent the broad diversity of our community and stakeholders and contribute significantly to furthering the mission, maximizing our impact, and incorporating many points of view. Interested in joining the HandsOn board? Learn more here.
Board Members
Yvette Butler: Facilities Management Analyst, Minnesota Department of Health
Halle Huff: Event Planner, Breck School
Danielle Igbanugo: Founder, Coated in Love
Raven Jones: Manager of Talent Acquisition, Early Talent & Partnership, Andersen Windows & Doors
Julie Laven: Consultant, Pepper Foster Consulting
Christine Page, External Engagement Manager, Achieve Twin Cities
Bryan Thompson: Senior Product Manager, Recast Software
Adrian Wilson: CEO and Filmmaker, Bryson Studios LLC.
Board of Directors
Chair: April Riordan, COO, Bolder Options
Vice Chair: Traci Norum: Community Relations Specialist, Andersen Corporation
Secretary: Mary Sellke, Executive Director – Surly Gives a Damn
Treasurer: Chris Fischer, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development - US Bank
LDC Chair: Ann Knuttila: Strategic Growth Consultant, Owner, Ann Knuttila LLC
Follow Us!
With gratitude, we share that our website was made possible by the pro bono efforts of The Makery Group.