VolunteerMatch is the nonprofit, online service that helps interested volunteers get involved with community service organizations throughout the United States. Volunteers enter their ZIP code on the VolunteerMatch web site (www.volunteermatch.org) to quickly find local volunteer opportunities matching individual interests and schedules. This simple, effective service has already generated hundreds of thousands of volunteer referrals nationwide.

1. Why should our organization join VolunteerMatch?
To recruit more volunteers! VolunteerMatch offers nonprofits a free, innovative volunteer recruitment tool, and increased local and national exposure through VM's network and partnerships. Together, with thousands of local nonprofits, VolunteerMatch has become the web's largest database of volunteer opportunities, connecting hundreds of thousands of volunteers with nonprofits nationwide.

2. Can any organization join your site?
VolunteerMatch encourages all tax-exempt organizations to register on our site including all charitable, civic, social, educational, governmental, and political organizations. We require organizations that register on our site to submit their employer identification number (EIN) to verify their tax-exempt status.

3. What fees are associated with the VolunteerMatch service?
The basic VolunteerMatch service is free for both volunteers and nonprofits. If you are interested in learning more about the fees associated with our National Nonprofit Partnership Program, please contact Sonali Arurkar at sarurkar@volunteermatch.org.

4. How do I register my organization and list our volunteer opportunities?
Registering on Volunteer Match is a simple, 3-step process that takes about 15 minutes. To register your organization, go to the Register page. Gather the necessary information before getting started and then (1) enter information about yourself as the account administrator, (2) enter information about your organization, and (3) enter information about your volunteer opportunities. If you have any questions during the signup process, please contact us at respond@volunteermatch.org or by phone at (415) 241-6872.

5. What is an Employer Identification Number (EIN)?
An Employer Identification Number (EIN) a nine-digit number assigned to you by the IRS. This number can be found on your tax-exemption letter from the IRS, in the upper right-hand corner of your 990 form, or on any other forms you organization files with the IRS. We use this number to verify your organization's tax-exempt status. Click here for more information about EINs.

6. How do I add new opportunities or change my organization's information?
To update your account information, go to the Home page and either enter your username and password or click on "Click here to access your account". From your administrator menu, you will be able to edit personal information, edit organization information, and add/edit volunteer opportunities. Your tracking report outlines your organization's volunteer opportunities and referral numbers and can help you effectively track and manage volunteers.

7. What do I do if I forget my username and password?
If you forget your username and password, click here and type in the email address you registered under as an account administrator. Your username and password will be emailed automatically to that address.

8. We have a new volunteer coordinator. How do I update the contact information?
If you would like to add a new administrator to your account, please contact us at respond@volunteermatch.org and include the following information about the new administrator: full name, organization name, phone number, ZIP code, email address, preferred username and preferred password (at least 4 characters each). If you would simply like to change the contact name/info listed on your organization page, go to the Home page and either enter your username and password or click on "Click here to access your account". From your administrator menu, click on "Organization Info" under "Edit Your Account," update the contact information, and click on "Save."

9. Can we have more than one administrator for our account?
Yes, one organization may have multiple administrators for their account on VolunteerMatch. This allows different individuals from the same organization to update their organization information and add volunteer opportunities. To add a new administrator to your account, go to the Home page and either enter your username and password or click on "Click here to access your account." From your administrator menu, click on "Administrator" under "Add" and select the organization to which you want to add an administrator. If the administrator already exists in our system, simply enter the administrator's username and click on "Add Administrator." If the administrator is new, enter the required information and click on "Submit."

10. How do I keep track of volunteers who have emailed me through VolunteerMatch?
Each organization registered on VolunteerMatch has access to a tracking tool for managing volunteer referrals. This report outlines referral numbers, the most popular opportunities, and volunteer contact information. To access this report, go to the Home page and either enter your username and password or click on "Click here to access your account".

11. How can I set up a link from my web site to my opportunities on VolunteerMatch?
A variety of links can be found here. Simply copy the html provided to create a VolunteerMatch link on your web site. You may be especially interested in the VolunteerMatch DirectLink, which gives visitors to your site direct access to your opportunities listed on VolunteerMatch.

12. Can you include a link to my web site from the VolunteerMatch web site?
When you register your organization on VolunteerMatch, you can include your web address on the registration form. A link will automatically be created to your web site from your organization's listing on VolunteerMatch.

13. What if my organization does not fit into the available categories?
The categories listed on VolunteerMatch are based on the National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities - Core Codes (NTEE-CC) Classification System and are intended to describe a wide variety of organizations. We encourage you to select the categories that best describe your organization and volunteer opportunities. Please note that you can select up to five categories to describe your organization, and up to three categories to describe each opportunity. You may also want to describe your opportunities as specifically as possible so that volunteers will be able to find them through a keyword search.

14. Why have we not received any volunteer referrals lately?
It is possible your volunteer opportunities have expired because the opportunity end date has passed. This means that potential volunteers cannot see your opportunities when they search the VolunteerMatch database. To renew your opportunities, go to the Home page and either enter your username and password or click on "Click here to access your account". From your administrator menu click on "Existing Opportunities" under "Edit Your Account." Then click on "EDIT" next to the appropriate opportunity, update the date information and click on "Save."

15. What is VolunteerMatch's privacy policy?
VolunteerMatch is committed to your privacy. You can view our privacy policy by clicking here.