Job Site Idealist and VolunteerMatch Are Joining Forces

Two nonprofit technology groups that help people find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities at social impact organizations have announced a merger.

Idealist, a job board, and VolunteerMatch, a platform that aggregates volunteer opportunities, were both founded in the 1990s and have become mainstays in connecting people with opportunities to do good. Leaders of the two organizations had floated the idea of a merger for years. After a conversation last summer, the timing was finally right.

“Nonprofits or any social impact organization should be able to go to one big hub and find all the people they need — staff, volunteers, and interns — in one place,” said Idealist’s founder and executive director Ami Dar.

Dar will lead the combined organization, which will be called Idealist. VolunteerMatch CEO Jude O’Reilley left the organization last year.

Not much will change for users of the sites. Both Idealist and VolunteerMatch are strong brands, says Dar, and “there will always be two entry points.”

But the underpinning technology will be consolidated and hosted by Idealist. Expect more cross promotion between the two sites to help raise the visibility of postings.

There have been some reductions in staff as merger talks have progressed, and Dar said further reductions may be on the horizon for the combined technology team. In their most recent tax filings, Idealist reported $10 million in assets and $6 million in revenue. VolunteerMatch reported $2 million in assets and $2.9 million in revenue.

As part of this merger, VolunteerMatch board members Meg Garlinghouse and Chris Masto will join the Idealist board. Garlinghouse is the vice president for social impact at LinkedIn, and Masto is a corporate investor and adviser.

The merger is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.