VolunteerMatch.org
The Solution
VolunteerMatch defined and categorized target deals into four partnership types:
- Corporate Channel Partners
- Non-Profit Community Leaders
- Non-Profit Preferred Partners
- Marketing Partners
More than 40 Corporate Channel Partners (e.g., Charles Schwab, Dell Computer, and Target) outsource local and national volunteer initiatives to VolunteerMatch — anchored by a personalized, co-branded version of VolunteerMatch that runs on their corporate intranets. VolunteerMatch charges a base rate for a "standard" service package, with premium charges for optional upgrades and higher service levels.
Non-Profit Community Leaders pay a modest annual fee ($75) for enhanced features when posting volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch.org. VolunteerMatch continues to improve its fee-based recruiting features to encourage a higher proportion of the 42,000 non-profit members to switch from basic (free) accounts to Community Leader (paid) accounts.
For Non-Profit Preferred Partners with a national presence and multiple local affiliate offices, VolunteerMatch provides a volunteer-recruiting search module that makes it easy for website visitors to find volunteer opportunities at their local offices. The American Red Cross, America's Second Harvest, and Keep American Beautiful are among VolunteerMatch's 10 Non-Profit Preferred Partners. These partners pay VolunteerMatch a one-time set-up fee ($4,500) and an annual subscription ($35 - $85) per affiliate.
Would-be Marketing Partners are typically internet portals that seek to make their websites "stickier" by offering a wide variety of helpful resources, such as volunteer matching, without having to pay for the content. VolunteerMatch continues to entertain proposals from would-be marketing partners, but only if these arrangements contribute to the growth and sustainability of VolunteerMatch.org, typically with no limitations on how VolunteerMatch may promote itself to newly registered users.
Once the partnership types were standardized, VolunteerMatch built turn-key "web appliances" and modular toolsets that could be easily personalized without requiring custom development for each new partnership.
