Press Release
December 10, 1999
22,000 Volunteers Matched, 3,000 Left to Meet Goal
(PALO ALTO, CA) -- There is an enhanced spirit of giving as thousands of people turn to the Internet to find and sign-up for volunteer jobs this holiday season. Today, iVillage.com joins Snap and the AOL Foundation in their effort to help connect 25,000 people with volunteer opportunities through ImpactOnline's VolunteerMatch.
Since this campaign began on November 19, more than 22,000 volunteers have been matched with the nonprofits who serve those in need.
To use the service, interested volunteers and nonprofits simply go to www.volunteermatch.org, through AOL Foundation's Helping.org, Snap.com, or ParentSoup on iVillage.com. Would-be volunteers simply enter their ZIP code, the time they're available and their specific interests - such as helping kids or feeding the hungry - and a list of appropriate volunteer opportunities are presented. Volunteers can sign-up via e-mail on the spot. Nonprofits interested in listing opportunities simply go into the "post" section of the site to register their organization. Once registered, the nonprofit receives a password that enables it to post opportunities directly onto the service.
The service, which is free to both volunteers and nonprofits, offers the largest database of volunteer opportunities, with more than 20,000 volunteer listings from approximately 7,000 national, regional and local organizations.
"iVillage members tell us all the time they want to give back, but they feel time constraints, or they don't know where to begin," said Hannah Pingree, producer of Election 2000 at iVillage. "We believe there is huge potential in our community to help make a difference. VolunteerMatch helps our online community find meaningful ways to get involved, and makes these opportunities both convenient and accessible."
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About ImpactOnline and VolunteerMatch
ImpactOnline is a nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the power of the Internet to build stronger, more connected communities.
ImpactOnline's premier service, VolunteerMatch, makes direct linkages between people and organizations on behalf of specific local needs. Since it began 19 months ago, VolunteerMatch has connected more than 85,000 volunteer with nonprofits. The VolunteerMatch service saves money for non-profits by reducing volunteer recruitment costs, while increasing volunteerism by making it easier to get involved.
Internet companies such as Snap, America Online, iVillage, Looksmart,AltaVista and Go! are robust proponents of the service. VolunteerMatch's partnership with AOL, which commenced in October 1999, positions VolunteerMatch as the volunteering engine on AOL's Helping.org site. Agreements with other Internet portals work the same way, funneling volunteers to opportunities via the VolunteerMatch database.
Based in Palo Alto, Calif., ImpactOnline is supported by a staff of seven and, of course, the help of dozens of volunteers.
About Snap.com
Snap.com, the Internet portal service company from NBC and CNET (NASDAQ: CNET), operates the Snap.com flagship portal service and Snap.com For Higher-Speed Users, one of the first-ever rich media services of its kind. Snap.com's Internet portal services offer users powerful ways to organize and find anything on the Internet. Snap.com's Internet portal services feature content from over 100 leading Web publishers, and are distributed by more than 50 Internet Service Providers, telephone and communications companies, PC manufacturers
and third-party marketers. At the heart of Snap.com's portal
services is a directory of Web sites and over 500 resource centers, built by a team of editors and reviewers to ensure quality, freshness and usefulness. Users may either search the Snap directory by using keywords, or browse through the directory's 16 topic categories.
About the AOL Foundation and Helping.org
Helping.org is an easy-to-use, one-stop online resource center for people looking for giving and volunteering opportunities in their communities and beyond. Helping.org was developed by the AOL Foundation in collaboration with nine nonprofit partners, including Impact Online. The AOL Foundation was founded in 1997 to create and support programs that spark innovative uses of the interactive
medium to benefit society.
About iVillage.com: The Women's Network
iVillage.com: The Women's Network (AOL keyword: ivillage) is the leading women's network online providing practical solutions and everyday support for women between the ages of 25 and 54. iVillage.com is organized into branded communities that fos on issues of most importance to women and provide interactive services, peer support and online access to
experts through 16 content channels and shopping areas. Content channels include Parent Soup, allHealth, MoneyLife, Career, Work from Home, Relationships, Beauty, Diet & Fitness, Election 2000, Click!: Where Computers Make Sense, Pets, Travel, ParentsPlace, Food, Book Club and Astrology, and are complemented by stores such as iBaby and iMaternity and Shopping Central. Established in 1995 and headquartered in New York City, iVillage Inc. (Nasdaq: IVIL) is a new media company, recognized as an industry leader in developing innovative sponsorship and commerce
relationships that match the desire of marketers to reach women with the needs of iVillage.com members for relevant information and services.
Press Contact
Robert Rosenthal
Communications & Marketing
Phone: 415-241-6865
news@volunteermatch.org
