VolunteerMatch and Idealist Announce Merger

OAKLAND, Calif., January 14, 2025 /3BL/ - VolunteerMatch and Idealist, two nonprofits that pioneered the use of technology to empower people to take action for social good, today announced a merger to expand opportunities for individuals and organizations to make a difference in their communities.

Pending regulatory notices, the merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. While "VolunteerMatch" and "Idealist" are used for shorthand in this announcement, Impact Online, Inc. d/b/a VolunteerMatch, the California nonprofit corporation which owns and operates the web site Volunteermatch.org, will be merging with and into Ideamatch, Inc., a Delaware nonprofit corporation of which Idealist.org, Inc. is the sole member.

Idealist, founded in 1995, serves millions of people looking for ways to build a better world, through full-time jobs, internships, volunteerism, and connecting with neighbors to address local problems.

VolunteerMatch, founded in 1998, is the largest network dedicated to connecting nonprofits with individual and corporate volunteers through its website, API, and syndication partners.

Over their combined histories, Idealist and VolunteerMatch have:

• Connected more than 250,000 organizations with over 40 million people seeking a way to get involved in their communities.
• Delivered billions of dollars in social impact into the nonprofit sector.
• Engaged hundreds of thousands of people with educational opportunities, free webinars, and career and grad-school fairs.

As Idealist and VolunteerMatch join forces, the merged organization will be known as Idealist and will be led by Idealist’s founder and Executive Director Ami Dar. “For decades, VolunteerMatch has led the way in online volunteer recruitment, while Idealist has helped millions of people find jobs in the nonprofit sector,” said Dar. “Both of us have done this by bringing an entrepreneurial approach to our work, developing a variety of earned income models, and serving hundreds of thousands of organizations. Together, we will offer these organizations a place to find all the people they need—volunteers, interns, and staff—while inviting individuals everywhere to take action on the issues that concern them.”

Following the merger, the combined organization will continue to support all of its current constituents with the core capabilities they have today. Organizations and individuals will be able to continue to access the platform at Idealist.org and VolunteerMatch.org, as well as through their respective API and syndication partners. “For people wanting to make a difference, we’ll bring you many more opportunities and a global reach; for nonprofits searching for staff or volunteers, we’ll offer a much deeper talent pool; and for all of the other constituents and partners we serve, we’ll provide more support and faster innovation,” added Dar.

“We’re excited to combine VolunteerMatch with Idealist to best serve our community of volunteers, nonprofits, and corporate partners,” said VolunteerMatch’s Board Chair Robert Savage. “Our Board believes that the combined scale of these two mission-aligned platforms will ensure we have the talent and the financial resources to build an even more valuable network. In a world that has truly become a global village, we are inspired by the possibilities of connecting millions of people with a wide variety of ways to do good—from helping someone in a few seconds on their phone, to working or volunteering in another country for a month or a year.”

“Idealist and VolunteerMatch have long been essential engines of the nonprofit world,” added Idealist Board Member Bob Giannino. “By coming together, we are poised to make it easier than ever for people to take action at a time when so many are hungry for change, yet may need help taking that first step.”

As part of this merger, VolunteerMatch board members Meg Garlinghouse and Chris Masto will join the Idealist board. Garlinghouse is the Vice President of Social Impact at LinkedIn, and Masto is a long-time investor, advisor, and board member of entrepreneurial growth companies.

“This is so exciting, and it shows what can happen when two mission-driven organizations seize an opportunity to come together to more ambitiously scale their impact,” said Masto. “These organizations have both done so much good by helping people find their own most meaningful opportunities to serve others. I have no doubt that this merger will result in something far bigger and more impactful than the sum of its parts.”

About Idealist

For close to 30 years, Idealist has worked to bridge the gap between intention and action by connecting more than 150,000 organizations with millions of people in 180 countries.

About VolunteerMatch

Since 1998, VolunteerMatch has connected inspired people with inspiring causes. As the largest volunteer engagement network, VolunteerMatch empowers nonprofits, government agencies, and businesses—including leading workplace giving platforms—to make a difference through volunteering.

Cooley LLP and Sherman Atlas Sylvester & Stamelman LLP provided pro-bono services for this transaction, for which the parties are deeply grateful. 

Media Contact Emily Hashimoto: [email protected]

For more information visit https://info.volunteermatch.org/2025