Volunteer Ireland

What Volunteer Ireland does

Volunteer Ireland (legal name: Volunteering Ireland) is the national volunteer development organisation of Ireland and the statutory support body for the country's network of local Volunteer Centres. Registered as a charity (CHY 15474 / Charity Registration 2005 3505) and a company limited by guarantee (CRO 362625), it is headquartered at Carmichael House, 4 Brunswick Street North, Dublin 7, and operates with a paid staff of approximately 13 alongside an 11-member voluntary board of trustees. Its mission is to promote, support and advocate for accessible, inclusive volunteering across the country, delivered through a network of 26-27 local Volunteer Centres that cover every Irish county and provide volunteer matching, training, advice and Garda vetting processing at no cost to users.

The core technology asset is I-VOL, a national online volunteering database and matching platform (i-vol.ie) that allows individuals to register and search for roles and lets organisations advertise opportunities and manage applicants. Around this platform the organisation has assembled a product portfolio including a 32-module Volunteer Management Masterclass Series, an annual National Volunteer Management Conference, the Institute of Volunteer Leadership (a joint professional membership body with Volunteer Now), a Resource Library, a Quality & Impact Assessment Framework, a Garda Vetting Service, and a structured Corporate Employee Volunteering Programme (Calendar Projects, Team Impact Days, Large-Scale Partner Programmes). 2025 operational data show 7,287 volunteers engaged, 3,603 organisations supported and 136,090 hours of volunteering facilitated.

The business model is overwhelmingly grant-funded. Primary income comes from the Irish Department of Rural and Community Development and from Pobal under the Scheme to Support National Organisations, supplemented by project-tied revenue from the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme. Commercial income is small but diversified: €50-€100 annual IVL memberships, paid training and masterclass delivery, conference attendance and corporate partnership fees tied to ESG/CSRD-aligned employee volunteering engagements. Volunteer Ireland holds the Investing in Volunteers quality standard (achieved November 2020), is a member of CEV, IAVE and Points of Light, and is the designated national lead for International Volunteer Year 2026.

Name

Volunteer Ireland

Legal name

Volunteering Ireland

Website

https://volunteer.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volunteer Ireland is Ireland's national volunteer development organisation, running the I-VOL online matching platform and a network of 26-27 local Volunteer Centres that connect volunteers with non-profits and corporate employee volunteering programmes. It is a charity funded primarily by Irish government grants plus EU Erasmus+ project revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Management Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Federated Giving Organizations (e.g., United Way-type) (BPAGAKAG), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Volunteer matching platform
• Volunteer management training
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Corporate employee volunteering
• Volunteer centre network

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

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. Government Funding - Department of Rural and Community Development: Primary government funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development to support national volunteering infrastructure and operations
2. Pobal Funding - Scheme to Support National Organisations: Funding through Pobal under the Scheme to Support National Organisations
3. European Union Erasmus+ Programme: European projects part-funded by the European Union Erasmus Plus Programme, working with volunteer infrastructure organisations across Europe

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Volunteer Ireland is Ireland's national volunteer development organisation, operating the I-VOL online platform to match individual volunteers with volunteer-involving organisations. It supports a national network of 26 local Volunteer Centres, delivers volunteer management training, runs corporate employee volunteering programmes, processes Garda vetting, and advocates for volunteering through national campaigns and the Institute of Volunteer Leadership professional body.

Product overview

Volunteer Ireland operates as Ireland's national volunteer development organisation with a platform-plus-services portfolio. The core platform is I-VOL (National Volunteering Database), an online system that connects volunteers with organisations and manages the matching process. This is complemented by direct service offerings including a Community Volunteers Programme for local urgent needs and events, and a Corporate/Employee Volunteering Programme offering Calendar Projects, Team Impact Days, and Large-Scale Partner Programmes. Training and professional development are delivered through a Training & Events Calendar, 32-module Volunteer Management Masterclass Series, and the annual National Volunteer Management Conference. The Institute of Volunteer Leadership (IVL) provides professional membership and peer support for volunteer managers. Supporting tools include a Resource Library with guides and templates, Volunteer Management Software Support, Garda Vetting Services, and the Volunteer Charter framework. The organisation also coordinates national campaigns including National Volunteering Week, the Volunteer Ireland Awards, and International Volunteer Year 2026. Quality is maintained through the Quality & Impact Assessment Framework. These services are delivered through a network of 27 local Volunteer Centres across Ireland, with European collaboration via Erasmus+ projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Institute of Volunteer Leadership (IVL): A professional body dedicated to developing, supporting, and recognising volunteer managers and leaders, while championing high standards across the volunteer management profession. Provides peer support, external guidance, mentoring schemes, and professional development resources for leaders of volunteers across the island of Ireland.
• I-VOL

Products and services

• I-VOL (National Volunteering Database) Online platform that connects individual volunteers with volunteer-involving organisations across Ireland, allowing volunteers to register, search and apply for roles and organisations to advertise opportunities and manage the matching process.
• Corporate/Employee Volunteering Programme Structured employee volunteering programme for companies, offering pre-planned Calendar Projects, company-led Team Impact Days, and customised Large-Scale Partner Programmes that match corporate employees with non-profit community projects.
• Institute of Volunteer Leadership (IVL) Professional membership body for volunteer managers and leaders of volunteers, offering annual membership tiers, peer support, mentoring schemes, competency frameworks, and professional development resources across the island of Ireland.
• National Volunteer Management Conference (NVMC) Annual volunteer management conference held in Ireland providing best practice sharing, professional development, and networking opportunities for volunteer managers from Ireland and overseas.
• Volunteer Management Masterclass Series Comprehensive training suite of 32 masterclasses covering all aspects of volunteer management, delivered in-house or online as half-day or full-day sessions for volunteer managers and leaders.
• Training and Events Calendar Calendar of training sessions, workshops, networking events, and masterclasses for volunteer managers including topics such as Fundamentals of Garda Vetting, Volunteer Charter discovery sessions, Skills Summary training, and Leaders of Volunteers networking.
• Garda Vetting Service Processing of Garda (police) vetting applications for volunteers through local Volunteer Centres, facilitating the background checks required for many volunteer roles in Ireland.
• Community Volunteers Programme Pilot programme that bridges communities needing support with volunteers wanting to help, focusing on local events, festivals, urgent community needs, and crisis response including COVID-19.
• Quality and Impact Assessment Framework Quality standards framework and impact assessment tools that help Volunteer Centres and volunteer-involving organisations embed continuous quality improvement into their volunteer programmes.
• Resource Library Online library of how-to guides, templates, factsheets, and best practice documents covering volunteer management topics such as flexibility, role design, recruitment, and retention.
• European Projects / Erasmus+ Programme European research and advancement projects on volunteering, part-funded by the EU Erasmus+ Programme, working with volunteer infrastructure organisations and Volunteer Centres across Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,287 volunteers engaged in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre for European Volunteering (CEV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliation with CEV as part of Volunteer Ireland's commitment to European volunteering networks and best practice sharing.
• International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliation with IAVE, the global network for volunteer leaders, providing access to international best practices and networking.
• Points of LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational affiliation with Points of Light, a network that celebrates and promotes volunteering worldwide.
• ComhlámhcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partnership for international volunteering guidance. Comhlámh supports volunteering grounded in solidarity and global justice. Volunteer Ireland refers people considering overseas volunteering to Comhlámh's resources and code of good practice.
• MyMindminorOthersFree counselling service partnership offering support to people affected by the war in Ukraine, including volunteers supporting people arriving from Ukraine.
• Volunteer NowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint governance partner for the Institute of Volunteer Leadership (IVL), acting as equal partners in all decision-making for this professional body.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NCVO (National Council for Voluntary Organisations): UK-wide membership body for charities and voluntary organisations. Comparable as the analogous national umbrella supporting volunteer-involving organisations, providing training, advocacy, and infrastructure — essentially Volunteer Ireland's UK counterpart.
• VolunteerMatch: US-based online volunteer matching platform connecting volunteers with nonprofit opportunities. Direct functional peer to I-VOL in terms of online volunteer-organisation matching, though serving the US market.
• Reach Volunteering: UK charity focused on skilled/professional volunteering and connecting volunteers with trustee and board roles. Comparable as a UK-based intermediary platform supporting volunteer-involving organisations, overlapping with Volunteer Ireland's volunteer management and capacity-building remit.
• Volunteer Now: Northern Ireland's volunteer infrastructure organisation and joint governance partner with Volunteer Ireland for the Institute of Volunteer Leadership (IVL). Operates the closest comparable mandate and product set (volunteer matching, training, corporate programmes) in the adjacent UK jurisdiction.
• Do-it.org: UK's largest online volunteer matching platform, allowing volunteers to search and apply for roles. Direct functional peer of Volunteer Ireland's I-VOL platform, sharing the same volunteer-involving-organisation recruitment and matching model.

Regional players

• Comhlámh: Irish-based organisation supporting international volunteering grounded in solidarity and global justice. A peer in the Irish volunteer infrastructure ecosystem and an explicit referral partner of Volunteer Ireland for international volunteering guidance, making it both a peer and a collaborating organisation.

Broad incumbents

• United Way Worldwide: Global federated network of local United Way organisations raising and distributing funds for community impact. Conceptually analogous to Volunteer Ireland's 26-Centre network model of federated local volunteer infrastructure, though operating at vastly greater scale and with a fundraising focus.
• Points of Light: US-headquartered global volunteer network with which Volunteer Ireland holds an international affiliation. Operates a much broader portfolio of programmes (civic engagement, service enterprise, disaster response) at global scale, functioning as both a peer and a strategic partner.

Emerging players

• GoodGym: UK-based platform combining running with community volunteering. Represents a niche, design-led volunteer-matching entrant competing in a similar space to Volunteer Ireland's community volunteering programmes, though with a more specialised use case.
• Benevity: Canadian corporate volunteering and grants SaaS platform powering employee volunteering, matching, and CSR reporting for global enterprises. Comparable to Volunteer Ireland's Corporate/Employee Volunteering Programme from the corporate-buyer perspective, and a potential competitor as multinational employers standardise on it.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VolunteerIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volunteer-ireland?trk=jobs_jserp_job_listing_company_name
• Xx.com/voluntireland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Volunteer Ireland