VolunteerNow Awarded $250,000 Matching Grant From Lyda Hill Philanthropies

 VolunteerNow, a technology nonprofit, received a $250,000 challenge grant from Lyda Hill Philanthropies, in recognition of the organization’s 50^th anniversary this year. 

The grant will match dollar-for-dollar all donations directed towards a $500,000 capital campaign to celebrate the anniversary and fund 10 different projects needed to maintain and enhance the organization’s innovative VOLY.org platform. 

As part of the 50^th Anniversary celebration, Tammy Richards, CEO of VolunteerNow, hopes to mobilize 1 million volunteers in the next five years and partner with 100 school districts through their volunteer management system. VolunteerNow’s work spans across cause areas including education, health, hunger, social services, homelessness, animal welfare, the arts, and the environment – among others.

“Through this generous grant from Lyda Hill Philanthropies, we will celebrate VolunteerNow’s 50^th anniversary milestone by continuing to upgrade and extend our reach to the organizations who need volunteers most,” said Richards. “Miss Hill has been a transformational partner in developing the VOLY.org platform, which has allowed us to provide the K-12 school market, municipalities and nonprofits with volunteers needed to support their missions. We hope you will help VolunteerNow achieve our goal of fundraising $250,000 to receive the matching grant.”

VOLY.org is VolunteerNow’s web-based volunteer recruiting, management, reporting, and matching platform. 

Since VOLY.org’s inception eight years ago, VolunteerNow has increased its volunteer ranks from 10,000 to 310,000. School districts across the country totaling over 400,000 students have licensed the VOLY.org software, and expansion continues nationally. The platform drives a $46 million economic impact for the region and serves nonprofits of all sizes.  

“It is an honor to support VolunteerNow as it celebrates its history and prepares for its future with critical technology and infrastructure investments,” said Hill.

Through previous impactful funding from generous donors, VolunteerNow has introduced innovations such as the recently updated VOLY.org mobile app, which allows school and community volunteers to search for opportunities with greater ease. Other features include the option to check-in for service opportunities and opting in for notifications to remind volunteers of their upcoming commitments and thank them when they complete their service.

In addition to the grant, VolunteerNow will be able to host training sessions for other nonprofits and social impact organizations through the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park initiative sponsored by Lyda Hill Philanthropies in partnership with J. Small Investments.

To contribute to VolunteerNow’s matching campaign and learn more, visit their website.