Business Volunteers Maryland

What Business Volunteers Maryland does

Business Volunteers Maryland (BVM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 and headquartered at 1201 S. Sharp Street in Baltimore, MD. The organization functions as a community engagement intermediary connecting three constituencies: regional businesses and corporations seeking to develop strategic corporate social responsibility and employee engagement programs, Baltimore-area nonprofits needing volunteer capacity, board members, and pro bono expertise, and civic-minded professionals pursuing leadership development through the GIVE Fellowship. Its offerings are organized around three pillars: BUILD (trainings and education, including the BUILD Training Series covering boardBUILD, skillBUILD, businessBUILD, and communityBUILD), CONNECT (experiences and engagement, including communityCONNECT team volunteer projects, skillCONNECT pro bono events, and boardCONNECT matching events held twice yearly), and CONSULT (impact and leadership, including businessCONSULT and boardCONSULT concierge board matching).

BVM's flagship product is the GIVE Fellowship, an eight-month (April-November) professional development program admitting 40-50 professionals annually at $3,500 tuition, with employer sponsorship and the Jim Brinkley Scholarship Fund for nonprofit employees. GIVE Advisory Projects match teams of 5-7 GIVE Fellows with nonprofits for six-month pro bono engagements, and the Turtle Tank competition (founded by GIVE alumni) awards grants to participating nonprofits through tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $25 (Painted) to $5,000 (Leatherback). The organization also produces the Doing Good Better Guide, a research publication drawing on the Doing Good Better Study with input from 100+ CSR leaders.

BVM's business model blends multiple revenue streams: corporate partnership fees from regional employers (50+ businesses engaged annually, with founding partners including T. Rowe Price, SC&H Group, and Brown Advisory, plus Activate/Connect sponsors such as Constellation Energy, M&T Bank, and BGE), GIVE Fellowship tuition ($3,500 per participant), event and program sponsorships, foundation grants, and individual donations. Services to nonprofits are provided free of charge. The organization operates with a small staff of 8 named personnel under President and CEO Alissa Ganser (effective June 1, 2024), and has reported cumulative impact of 230+ participating employers, nearly 700 GIVE alumni, 2,000+ professionals placed on nonprofit boards, 150+ nonprofits supported annually, 56,000+ service hours, and $9.1M+ in alumni-driven community investment, with a stated $3+ returned for every $1 contributed.

Name

Business Volunteers Maryland

Legal name

Business Volunteers Maryland

Website

https://businessvolunteersmd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Business Volunteers Maryland is a Baltimore-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that connects regional businesses and civic-minded professionals with local nonprofits through the GIVE Fellowship, board and pro bono matching, team volunteering, and corporate engagement consulting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Engagement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

Keywords

• Community engagement services
• Corporate volunteer programs
• Nonprofit board matching
• Pro bono consulting
• Civic leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships: Business Volunteers generates revenue through partnerships with regional companies who pay for community engagement programs and services. Companies engage Business Volunteers to develop and implement corporate community engagement strategies, manage volunteer events, and access professional development programs for employees.
2. GIVE Fellowship Tuition: The GIVE Fellowship charges tuition of $3,500 per participant. Many fellows receive sponsorship from their employers, and partial scholarships are available through the Jim Brinkley Scholarship Fund for nonprofit employees and those paying out of pocket.
3. Turtle Tank Donations and Sponsorships: Turtle Tank competition raises funds through corporate sponsorships at various levels (Leatherback $5,000, Green $2,500, Loggerhead $1,500, Snapping $250, Painted $25-$249) to award grants to participating nonprofits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit intermediary that strengthens the Baltimore community by making strategic connections between businesses, professionals, and nonprofit organizations. It delivers a portfolio of programs across three pillars (BUILD trainings, CONNECT volunteer engagement events, and CONSULT strategic advisory), including the GIVE Fellowship for civic-minded professionals, GIVE Advisory Projects, communityCONNECT team volunteering, skillCONNECT pro bono consulting, boardCONSULT and boardCONNECT board matching, businessCONSULT corporate strategy advisory, BUILD Training Series workshops, and the Turtle Tank nonprofit funding competition.

Product overview

Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit organization that operates as a community engagement intermediary rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of programs and services organized around three pillars: BUILD (trainings and education), CONNECT (experiences and engagement), and CONSULT (impact and leadership). The core offerings include the GIVE Fellowship (flagship professional development program for civic-minded professionals), GIVE Advisory Projects (pro-bono consulting), communityCONNECT (team volunteering), skillCONNECT (skilled volunteering events), boardCONSULT and boardCONNECT (board matching services), businessCONSULT (corporate strategy consulting), BUILD Training Series (educational workshops), Turtle Tank (nonprofit funding competition), and the Doing Good Better Guide (research publication). All services focus on connecting businesses and professionals with nonprofit organizations to strengthen Baltimore communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GIVE Fellowship: A fellowship and alumni network committed to accelerating the involvement of rising professionals in service with communities, with a focus on Baltimore. Each year 40-50 professionals engage in an eight-month experience of transformational personal and professional growth.
• communityCONNECT
• skillCONNECT
• boardCONSULT
• boardCONNECT
• Turtle Tank

Products and services

• GIVE Fellowship Premier professional development fellowship program for civic-minded professionals; each year 40-50 professionals from regional employers engage in an eight-month experience (April-November) of transformational personal and professional growth, with tuition of $3,500 per fellow, typically sponsored by employers.
• GIVE Advisory Projects (GAP) Multi-month pro-bono consulting opportunity where teams of 5-7 GIVE Fellows are matched with nonprofit organizations for a six-month period to address complex organizational challenges through collaborative, human-centered processes.
• communityCONNECT One-day team volunteer projects that bring groups of corporate volunteers (ranging from 10 to 1,000 volunteers) to nonprofit organizations for direct service activities including beautification, environmental work, supply sorting, tutoring, and meal preparation.
• skillCONNECT Highly structured pro-bono consulting events where business professionals provide expertise to nonprofit leaders facing business challenges in areas such as marketing, staffing, budgeting, technology, and strategic planning.
• boardCONSULT
• boardCONNECT
• businessCONSULT
• BUILD Training Series
• Turtle Tank Shark Tank-style funding competition founded by GIVE Fellowship alumni to provide monetary support, visibility, expertise, and funding to Baltimore-area nonprofits participating in GIVE Advisory Projects, with corporate sponsorship tiers ranging from Painted ($25-$249) to Leatherback ($5,000).
• Doing Good Better Guide

Quantifiable outcome

• For every $1 contributed, Business Volunteers returns over $3 in value back to the community
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, founding partner and supporting.

• Allegis GroupcoreOthersCorporate partner supporting Business Volunteers Maryland through employee volunteer programs and GIVE Fellowship participation. Allegis Group employees have participated in community engagement initiatives and board matching programs.
• Baker DonelsoncoreOthersLaw firm and strategic partner hosting the Light of Baltimore Incubator and co-hosting skillCONNECT events. Baker Donelson has partnered with BVM to deliver nearly $30,000 in pro bono services to social enterprises in a single day.
• Brown AdvisorycoreOthersInvestment management firm that is a leading corporate partner and has served as a sponsor for the GIVE Fellowship and Turtle Tank competition. Hosts GIVE Graduation events at their facility.
• T. Rowe PricecoreOthersMajor financial services company and founding partner of Business Volunteers Maryland (established 2003). Active participant in GIVE Fellowship, employee volunteer programs, and board matching services.
• Johns Hopkins Carey Business SchoolstrategicOthersEducational partner offering exclusive tuition scholarships for GIVE Fellows and Alumni through the Carey Business School Flexible MBA and executive education programs. Partnership announced in 2026.
• SECUcoreOthersMaryland State Employees Credit Union that partners with BVM for community engagement strategy development. SECU's partnership with BVM has elevated their outreach initiatives to the next level.
• Baltimore RavenscoreOthersNFL team and community partner participating in volunteer events and corporate engagement programs. Ravens employees serve as GIVE Fellows and participate in skillCONNECT events.
• SC&H Groupfounding partnerOthersOriginal founding partner of Business Volunteers Maryland in 2003. Long-term strategic partner engaging in consulting, Day of Service, board matching, civic leadership training, and GIVE Fellowship sponsorship.
• Constellation EnergycoreOthersEnergy company and Activate Sponsor of the Doing Good Better Summit. Supports BVM programs and employee volunteer initiatives in the Baltimore region.
• M&T BankcoreOthersRegional bank and Activate Sponsor of Doing Good Better Summit. Partner in community engagement programs and sponsor of volunteer events.
• BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric)coreOthersUtility company and Connect Sponsor of Doing Good Better Summit. Active participant in corporate volunteer programs and community engagement initiatives.
• Northrop GrummancoreOthersAerospace and defense contractor with employees participating in GIVE Fellowship and corporate volunteer programs. Supports board matching and skilled volunteering initiatives.
• Loyola University MarylandsupportingOthersJesuit university and community partner providing support for community engagement initiatives and educational programming.
• The Annie E. Casey FoundationsupportingOthersPhilanthropic foundation supporting programs that help build stronger families and communities in Baltimore.
• THB Bagelry & DelistrategicOthersTop Sponsor of Turtle Tank competition, joining BVM to support Baltimore charities. Partnership launched in 2024 for nonprofit storytelling competition.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Common Impact: National nonprofit that designs and delivers corporate skills-based volunteering programs — directly comparable to BVM's skillCONNECT and GIVE Advisory Projects in focus and delivery model.
• Points of Light: National nonprofit focused on engaging, equipping, and mobilizing volunteers through hands-on service programs; the closest model-level comp to BVM at scale, also offering corporate volunteer matching, board service, and civic leadership development.
• Taproot Foundation: Nonprofit that organizes pro bono consulting engagements between business professionals and nonprofits; a close model match to BVM's skillCONNECT and businessCONSULT services.
• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on nonprofit governance and board recruitment; comparable to BVM's boardCONSULT and boardCONNECT offerings in purpose and audience.

Regional players

• HandsOn Nashville: Nashville-area affiliate of the HandsOn Network serving as a regional volunteer connector and civic leadership developer; same operational model as BVM in a different U.S. metro.
• Boston Cares: Boston-region nonprofit volunteer connector with a similar model of mobilizing corporate volunteers and individuals to serve local nonprofits — analogous to BVM but operating in a different metro.

Broad incumbents

• VolunteerMatch: Largest online volunteer matching platform in the U.S.; a broader incumbent alternative for the volunteer-referral function BVM performs manually, with national scale and digital infrastructure.

Emerging players

• Catchafire: Online platform connecting professionals with nonprofits for pro bono, skills-based engagements — a digitally-native analog to BVM's skillCONNECT and GIVE Advisory Projects.
• VolunteerHub: Software platform that supplies volunteer management technology to nonprofits and corporations; an enabling tech layer that competes with parts of BVM's manual matching and event-coordination functions.

Others

• NetHope: Consortium of large international NGOs and tech companies collaborating on social impact; thematically related to BVM's nonprofit intermediary role, but at global scale and focused on technology-enabled development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYBKX8LrARMh98-D3WLZBpg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BusinessVolunteersMD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-volunteers-maryland
• Instagraminstagram.com/businessvolunteersmaryland
• Xx.com/BVMaryland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 Business Volunteers Maryland