What Boston Cares does

Boston Cares is a nonprofit volunteer agency founded in 1991 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that functions as an intermediary between individual volunteers, corporate groups, and a network of more than 150 Greater Boston schools and nonprofit organizations. The organization operates an online volunteer management platform (HandsOn Connect) featuring a calendar-based scheduling system that lists approximately 350 service projects per month, ranging from 1 to 6 hours each, and supports more than 20,000 volunteer placements annually. Core programs include the Calendar Program for flexible individual volunteering, the Allies for Immigrants ESOL tutoring initiative (run jointly with English for New Bostonians since 2017), the Volunteer Leader training pipeline (150+ trained leaders), the Boston Cares Bed Project for corporate teams, and the Hands at Work corporate engagement program.

The organization monetizes through three streams: individual volunteer registration fees of $35 (one-time, with reduced rates and waivers available), corporate group event fees starting at $3,750 for up to 20 volunteers or $185 per person for larger groups, and grants and donations from foundations and corporate sponsors (e.g., a $50,000 grant from Citizens Financial Group). Its go-to-market operates through community-led volunteer recruitment, direct corporate sales for Hands at Work engagements (minimum 6-week lead time), and channel-partner-driven project intake from 180+ nonprofit and school partners (minimum 4-week advance notice). Tech infrastructure is a standard third-party volunteer-matching SaaS; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are evidenced.

As the largest volunteer agency in New England and a member of the Points of Light Global Network, Boston Cares has accumulated 1.5 million hours of community service over 35 years and currently staffs 11-50 employees alongside 150+ trained Volunteer Leaders. Customer concentration is spread across thousands of individual volunteers, dozens of corporate clients, and a handful of major grant funders, with moderate concentration risk on the grant side.

Name

Boston Cares

Legal name

Boston Cares

Website

https://bostoncares.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Boston Cares is a 35-year-old Boston-based nonprofit volunteer agency that connects individual volunteers and corporate groups with over 150 Greater Boston schools and nonprofits through an online calendar platform, filling 20,000+ volunteer spots annually across 350 monthly projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Volunteer Registration Fees: One-time $35 registration fee for new volunteers. Reduced rates available for college students, seniors, veterans, and unemployed. Fee offsets programming costs and supports services to nonprofit partners.
2. Corporate Group Event Fees: Corporate volunteer events priced at $3,750 for groups up to 20 volunteers, or $185 per person for groups larger than 20. Includes all supplies, project management, and logistics.
3. Grants and Donations: Funding from foundations and corporate sponsors (e.g., $50,000 grant from Citizens Financial Group). Individual donations also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Boston Cares is a nonprofit volunteer agency that operates an online calendar-based platform (HandsOn Connect) to match individual and corporate volunteers with more than 150 Greater Boston schools and nonprofit agencies. It offers a calendar program for flexible individual volunteering, the Allies for Immigrants ESOL tutoring corps, a Volunteer Leader training program, youth and MLK Day service initiatives, and the Hands at Work corporate engagement program with portable, on-site, and virtual projects.

Product overview

Boston Cares operates as a volunteer coordination nonprofit rather than a traditional product company. Its service portfolio centers on volunteer opportunity facilitation through multiple programs: the Calendar Program providing flexible individual volunteer matching; the Allies for Immigrants ESOL tutoring initiative; the Volunteer Leader training program; youth and MLK Day service offerings; the signature Boston Cares Bed Project for corporate groups; and corporate engagement via Hands at Work. The organization connects volunteers with over 150 Greater Boston nonprofit partners and schools to fill more than 20,000 volunteer spots annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Calendar Program Signature volunteer opportunity matching program enabling individuals to choose flexible projects serving nonprofit partners in areas including adult education, youth success, cultural and environmental vibrancy, and basic needs, with approximately 350 projects available monthly.
• Allies for Immigrants (ESOL Classroom Corps) Volunteer English for Speakers of Other Languages tutoring program run in partnership with English for New Bostonians, training volunteers to tutor adults and help prepare them for citizenship exams.
• Volunteer Leader Program Leadership development program that trains volunteers to lead projects and serve as liaisons between volunteers, nonprofit partners, and Boston Cares staff, offering early access to opportunities and resume-building experience.
• Hands at Work (Corporate Engagement) Corporate volunteer program offering Hands On Projects, Portable Projects, and Virtual Projects for companies seeking employee community service opportunities, priced at $3,750 for up to 20 volunteers or $185 per person for larger groups.
• Boston Cares Bed Project Corporate volunteer signature project where teams build twin bed frames for donation to agencies helping families transition out of homelessness, addressing family homelessness where children lack access to beds.
• Youth Volunteering Volunteer opportunities designed for young people to serve their community, with service hours tracked through the My Account section for school and club requirements.
• Boston Cares Service Champions Award

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• Artists for HumanitynotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Community mural project partnership as part of Boston Harborfest celebrating America's 250th anniversary. Artists for Humanity creates the mural with support from Citizens Financial Group sponsorship.
• English for New BostonianscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to operate the Allies for Immigrants ESOL tutoring program. Boston Cares and English for New Bostonians co-developed curriculum and volunteer training. Since 2017, over 500 volunteers trained to work with 2,300+ ESOL students.
• 150+ Greater Boston Schools and NonprofitscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner network of over 150 schools and nonprofit organizations that submit volunteer project requests and receive volunteer support through Boston Cares programs. Partners include St. Francis House, Community Servings, Catholic Charities, X-Cel Education, and many others.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VolunteerMatch: National online volunteer matching platform connecting individuals with nonprofit opportunities. Directly comparable as a digital volunteer intermediary; differs in geographic scope (national vs. Boston Cares' regional focus).
• Idealist (Action Without Borders): Online platform listing volunteer opportunities and jobs at nonprofits, schools, and social enterprises. Comparable as a volunteer opportunity aggregator serving individual volunteers and partner organizations.
• HandsOn Bay Area: Bay Area affiliate in the HandsOn Network that mobilizes corporate and individual volunteers to serve local nonprofits. Near-identical operating model to Boston Cares, serving a different metro region — a true peer in another geography.

Emerging players

• VolunteerHub: Volunteer management SaaS provider offering registration, scheduling, and reporting tools to nonprofits. Comparable as a technology peer supporting volunteer coordination rather than a direct competing program operator.
• Catchafire: Online platform matching professionals with nonprofits for pro bono service projects. Comparable as a volunteer matching intermediary but focused on skills-based/executive volunteering rather than general service projects.

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: Global nonprofit that convenes and supports a network of volunteer-mobilizing organizations, of which Boston Cares is a member. Comparable as the broader umbrella movement but operates at a higher, network-coordination level rather than as a direct service provider.
• United Way (Massachusetts Bay): Large regional nonprofit that funds and convenes a broad portfolio of social service programs, including volunteer engagement. Comparable as a large civic-sector institution serving overlapping Greater Boston partners and donor bases.

Others

• Network for Good: Nonprofit technology and fundraising platform providing donor management, online giving, and volunteer tools. Adjacent peer in the nonprofit operating stack rather than direct program competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bostoncares
• Facebookfacebook.com/bostoncares
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boston-cares

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boston Cares