M Powered Strategies Helps Points of Light Plan for MLK Day 2018

Every year in January, millions across the country follow the example of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and come together in service. Points of Light (POL) will honor the occasion on January 15, 2018, by calling on community leaders and volunteers for a nationwide Day of Service. To help get their multi-pronged effort off the ground, POL called on M Powered Strategies’ MPS Assists program.

MPS consultants Sarah Dawn Miller, Maria Perez, and Jeremy Faircloth worked with the POL team throughout the summer months to come up with a project plan that incorporates the four key components of the program. First, in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, POL will distribute a series of grants which support local service initiatives across the nation. Second, POL will host America’s Sunday Supper, a program that provides community leaders with the tools and resources to come together to share a meal and discuss issues that affect their communities. Thirdly, communities across the nation will host Local Sunday Suppers, where community thought leaders come together to discuss issues impacting their constituents. Finally, POL partners with Project Management for Change and local PMI chapters to produce Project Management Day of Service (PMDoS). This day-long event connects local project managers with nonprofits for a full day of scoping and planning to help the organizations better serve their communities.

The MPS team facilitated working sessions to identify necessary activities and corresponding dependencies. They sequenced the activities and built a complete project management plan, with defined scope and schedule, for POL to reference as they work through the preparation and implementation of this ambitious initiative.

“We were thrilled to help Points of Light pull together this amazing plan that unites organizations and communities across the country,” remarked Sarah Miller. “The project plan we built should serve them well for replicating this event for many years to come.”