Press Release
1998-09-06 00:00:00.0
ImpactOnline's VolunteerMatch Service Announced as Finalist for 1998 Computerworld Smithsonian Award
(Washington, D.C.) -- ImpactOnline's VolunteerMatch (www.volunteermatch.org), a Web-based VolunteerMatching service, was named as one of five finalists in the Government and Nonprofit Organizations category of the 1998 Computerworld Smithsonian Awards (CWSA). VolunteerMatch is one of 52 finalists selected by a panel of distinguished judges whose work is included in the 1998 Smithsonian Institution Permanent Research Collection.
ImpactOnline's VolunteerMatch was nominated as an inductee into the Smithsonian Institution Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation earlier this year by Steve Case, chairman and chief executive officer of America Online. ImpactOnline's work is part of a collection that includes over 442 of the year's most innovative applications of technology from 40 states and 19 countries.
VolunteerMatch matches individuals nationwide to one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities within their communities. Individuals simply log on to the site, enter in their ZIP code and time frame they wish to volunteer, and a list of opportunities will appear within their neighborhood.
"ImpactOnline is a part of the community of innovators working hard to change and improve our society through the use of information technology," said Dr. David Allison, chairman of the National Museum of American History's Division of Information Technology and Society.
"No area in the world today is a more dynamic or a more powerful agent of change than information technology," said Dan Morrow, executive director of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program, "ImpactOnline is one of these agents, and the materials submitted on their behalf to the Smithsonian will aid in the chronicling of this change."
"We are truly proud to be nominated for such a prestigious award," said Jay Backstrand, president of ImpactOnline. "We never would have been able to achieve such recognition without the help from volunteers and nonprofits nationwide who continue to support VolunteerMatch."
CWSA finalists will be honored on June 8th at the tenth anniversary black-tie gala at Washington, D.C.'s historic National Building Museum. This year more than 900 industry leaders and professionals will attend the event, including past award recipients, chairmen, judges and leadership awards winners. On this night, awards are also presented to five individuals for their leadership, vision and commitment to spearhead revolutionary change.
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About the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards
The Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Chairmen's Committee nominates individuals who use information technology to improve society for inclusion in the Smithsonian's IT Innovation Collection. Founded in 1989, the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards Program searches for and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated vision and leadership as they strive to use information technology in innovative ways across ten categories: Business and Related Services; Education and Academia; Environment, Energy and Agriculture; Finance, Insurance and Real Estate; Government and Nonprofit Organizations; Manufacturing; Media, Arts and Entertainment; Medicine; Science; and Transportation. The collection is housed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
About ImpactOnline
Located in Palo Alto, California, ImpactOnline is a nonprofit organization utilizing the Internet to "turn good intentions into action." Founded in 1994, ImpactOnline's mission is to facilitate and increase community involvement by connecting individuals with volunteer opportunities nationwide.
At ImpactOnline's VolunteerMatch web site, nonprofit organizations can post volunteer needs. Individuals visiting the site can find one-time and ongoing volunteer opportunities, see descriptions of nonprofit organizations, and get tips and advice on volunteering. The site currently welcomes approximately 40,000 visitors per month and is quickly becoming the first stop on the Internet for those who want to make a difference in their communities.
Additional information on finalists and the entire 1998 Innovation Collection is available to the public, scholars and researchers on the Computerworld Smithsonian Innovation Network web site at http://innovate.si.edu. Visitors are encouraged to record their impressions of the information technology revolution for the historic record.
Press Contact
Robert Rosenthal
Communications & Marketing
Phone: 415-241-6865
news@volunteermatch.org
