Volunteer Iowa
Volunteer Iowa is a state government agency that administers AmeriCorps programs and operates statewide volunteer and mentoring infrastructure across all 99 Iowa counties, serving individual volunteers, nonprofits, employers, and educational institutions free of charge.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersDes Moines, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Volunteer Iowa does
Volunteer Iowa is a state government agency operating under the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS), headquartered at 200 E. Grand Ave., Suite 113 in Des Moines, Iowa. It serves as Iowa's designated state service commission, administering federal AmeriCorps State, VISTA, and Seniors programs, and operating the Iowa MENTOR platform for youth-mentoring certification. The agency serves individual Iowa residents, nonprofit organizations, employers, and educational institutions across all 99 Iowa counties, providing all services free of charge. Its customer base includes adults aged 55+, youth, mentor practitioners, and grant-funded community programs.
The agency's core technology consists of the Galaxy Digital volunteer matching platform, which functions as a statewide database connecting volunteers with opportunities. It also operates the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame recognition program (active since 1989) and the Governor's Volunteer Awards, alongside promotional toolkits and the annual Capitol Day advocacy event. No proprietary software, mobile app, or AI capabilities are disclosed; the technology footprint is limited to this third-party matching platform plus standard web/marketing infrastructure.
Volunteer Iowa's revenue model is a public-sector appropriations-and-grant model. The agency is funded through state appropriations plus federal AmeriCorps grants, with the $8M AmeriCorps National Service Programs allocation (June 2026) and $289,737 Volunteer Generation Fund grant (July 2026) representing the principal recent inflows. Federal AmeriCorps allocations primarily function as pass-through funding to sub-grantee programs across the state, while state appropriations and the Volunteer Generation Fund support the agency's 18-person operational core. Services are delivered free of charge, with no pricing model, subscription, or fee-based revenue stream.
Volunteer Iowa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Volunteer Iowa
- Legal name
- Volunteer Iowa
- Website
- https://volunteeriowa.org
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Volunteer Iowa is a state government agency that administers AmeriCorps programs and operates statewide volunteer and mentoring infrastructure across all 99 Iowa counties, serving individual volunteers, nonprofits, employers, and educational institutions free of charge.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Volunteer Iowa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Volunteer Service Programs
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Environmental Conservation & Sustainability Volunteering (EDAIAGAB)
Keywords
Where Volunteer Iowa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Des Moines
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Volunteer Iowa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- State Government Appropriations: Volunteer Iowa operates as the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS), a state government agency receiving funding through state appropriations.
- AmeriCorps Federal Grants: Manages AmeriCorps State and National funding, including AmeriCorps VISTA for poverty elimination and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. Awarded $289,737 in AmeriCorps funding (July 2026) and $8 million for AmeriCorps National Service Programs (June 2026).
- Volunteer Generation Fund: Grant awarded by AmeriCorps to support volunteer engagement infrastructure across Iowa.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free volunteer matching services for all Iowans |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Volunteer Iowa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Volunteer Iowa is the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, a state government agency that administers AmeriCorps programs (State, VISTA, Seniors), operates Iowa MENTOR for mentoring quality assurance, maintains a free statewide volunteer opportunity database through the Galaxy Digital platform, and delivers recognition programs such as the Governor's Volunteer Awards and Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame. All services are provided free of charge to individuals, nonprofits, and employers across Iowa's 99 counties.
Product overview
Volunteer Iowa (also known as the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service or ICVS) is a state government agency that operates as a platform of volunteer and national service programs. The core offerings include AmeriCorps programs (State, VISTA, and Seniors), Iowa MENTOR for mentoring services, and various recognition programs (Governor's Volunteer Awards, Volunteer Hall of Fame, What's Your 50? campaign). The organization provides supporting resources including the volunteer opportunity database via Galaxy Digital, communication toolkits, monthly newsletters, and annual advocacy events like Day at the Capitol. The portfolio connects volunteers with organizations, supports youth service projects, and recognizes outstanding volunteer contributions across Iowa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Iowa MENTOR: Program that promotes, supports, and builds quality mentoring relationships by elevating programs across Iowa
Products and services
- AmeriCorps National service program that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering. Includes AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps VISTA (focused on poverty elimination), and AmeriCorps Seniors programs operating across Iowa. Members receive education awards for college and student loan repayment.
- Iowa MENTOR Program that promotes, supports, and builds quality mentoring relationships by elevating mentoring programs across Iowa. Provides certification and training for mentoring programs, recognition through Excellence in Mentoring Awards, and statewide advocacy for youth mentoring.
- Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Prestigious state-level recognition program honoring volunteers who have freely given their time and talent to benefit others. Inductees are recognized at the Iowa State Capitol and names are engraved on a permanent plaque at the State Historical Museum. Nearly 200 inductees have been honored since 1989.
- Governor's Volunteer Awards Recognition program providing a way to honor dedicated volunteers, including individual awards, group awards, Length of Service awards (5, 10, 15, 20 years), and Youth Service awards. The 2026 ceremony was held July 14 at Urbandale High School.
- What's Your 50? Campaign encouraging Iowans to volunteer at least 50 hours per year. Research indicates 50+ hours is a tipping point for maximizing both individual volunteer benefit and recipient impact, compared to the current Iowa average of 34.2 hours per year.
- Youth Service Program offering resources and opportunities to engage youth in volunteer service, including the What's Your Why Service Project Toolkit, which provides a five-step IPARD process (Investigation, Planning, Action, Reflection, Demonstration) for designing and implementing youth service projects.
- Volunteer Generation Fund Grant program awarded by AmeriCorps to support volunteer engagement infrastructure across Iowa, helping organizations build capacity for volunteer programs. Volunteer Iowa was awarded $289,737 in July 2026 under this grant.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 200 Iowans inducted into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame since 1989
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Volunteer Iowa
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Volunteer Iowa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Volunteer Iowa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- AmeriCorpscoreAmeriCorps is the federal agency that provides funding and oversight for national service programs. Volunteer Iowa serves as the state commission managing AmeriCorps State, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps Seniors grants in Iowa. This is the primary federal funding relationship enabling Volunteer Iowa's operations.
- Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (IDPH)coreIDPH recognizes the preventative nature of high-quality mentoring programs. Funding opportunities provide concrete collaboration between IDPH and Iowa MENTOR. Mentoring programs applying for IDPH grants must first become certified through Iowa MENTOR.
- MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership)coreThe national unifying champion for expanding quality youth mentoring relationships. MENTOR serves the mentoring field by providing public voice, developing resources for mentoring programs nationwide, and promoting quality standards through research and tools.
- America's PromisesecondaryIowa MENTOR is committed to mobilizing Iowans to fulfill America's Promise - specifically the first of Five Promises (Caring Adults). America's Promise works to ensure each of the Five Promises for children are met: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Healthy Start, Marketable Skills, and Opportunities to Serve.
- Million Women Mentors IowasecondaryStatewide initiative to get at least 5,000 male and female volunteers to serve as mentors to girls and young women in STEM across all 99 Iowa counties. Part of national Million Women Mentors program goal of providing one million STEM mentors.
- Galaxy DigitalcoreTechnology platform provider for Volunteer Iowa's statewide volunteer database (volunteeriowa.galaxydigital.com). The platform enables organizations to post volunteer opportunities and individuals to search and register for volunteer activities across Iowa.
- Iowa Department of Natural ResourcessecondaryPartnership supporting Iowa Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), the largest annual river cleanup event in Iowa. DNR collaborates with county conservation boards and tribal partners on environmental service initiatives.
- Ho Chunk NationsecondaryTribal partner collaborating with Iowa Project AWARE and other Volunteer Iowa environmental service initiatives, strengthening cultural connections in conservation efforts.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Volunteer Iowa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Points of Light: Large, established national nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement. Operates HandsOn Network affiliates across the U.S., overlapping directly with Volunteer Iowa's statewide volunteer infrastructure and recognition programming.
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest youth mentoring organization in the U.S., operating affiliate programs in Iowa and across the country. Comparable to Iowa MENTOR's mentoring portfolio and operates within the same national mentoring ecosystem.
- AmeriCorps (Corporation for National and Community Service): Federal agency that funds and oversees national service programs, including the State and National grants that Volunteer Iowa administers. Direct upstream funder and program framework provider; comparable in mission but not in scope (national vs. Iowa-only).
Direct peers
- HandsOn Network: National volunteer-mobilization network affiliated with Points of Light, connecting volunteers with local service opportunities. Directly comparable to Volunteer Iowa's statewide volunteer opportunity database, though operating at national scale.
- Serve Washington: Washington state's commission on national and community service. Direct functional peer administering AmeriCorps programs in a single U.S. state, providing a comparable model for state-level service commission operations.
- VolunteerMatch: National nonprofit operating the largest online volunteer matching platform in the U.S. Directly comparable to Volunteer Iowa's Galaxy Digital-powered statewide volunteer database, with overlapping mission of connecting individuals to nonprofit volunteer opportunities.
- Serve Minnesota: Minnesota's state commission on national and community service, administering AmeriCorps programs in Minnesota. Direct functional peer to Volunteer Iowa as a state-level service commission managing AmeriCorps State, VISTA, and Seniors grants in an adjacent Midwestern state.
- MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership): National organization championing youth mentoring relationships and providing resources, training, and standards to mentoring programs. Directly comparable to Volunteer Iowa's Iowa MENTOR program, which operates as an affiliate state chapter.
- CaliforniaVolunteers: California's state service commission, one of the largest in the nation. Direct peer in function (state service commission administering AmeriCorps and managing statewide volunteer infrastructure), though operating at much larger scale and budget.
Emerging players
- Idealist (Action Without Borders): Global nonprofit operating a volunteer and job-matching platform for social-impact organizations. Comparable to Volunteer Iowa's Galaxy Digital database with overlapping volunteer-matching functionality, though operating at broader (national/international) scale and including paid roles.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Volunteer Iowa social profiles
Digital presenceVolunteer Iowa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Volunteer Iowa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Volunteer Iowa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Volunteer Iowa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Volunteer Iowa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Volunteer Iowa
What does Volunteer Iowa do?
Volunteer Iowa is the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, a state government agency that administers AmeriCorps programs (State, VISTA, Seniors), operates Iowa MENTOR for mentoring quality assurance, maintains a free statewide volunteer opportunity database through the Galaxy Digital platform, and delivers recognition programs such as the Governor's Volunteer Awards and Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame. All services are provided free of charge to individuals, nonprofits, and employers across Iowa's 99 counties.
Is Volunteer Iowa a public or private company?
Volunteer Iowa is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Volunteer Iowa founded?
Volunteer Iowa was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Volunteer Iowa based?
Volunteer Iowa is headquartered in Des Moines, United States, in the North America region.
How does Volunteer Iowa make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. State Government Appropriations are the primary driver. The others are ameriCorps Federal Grants and volunteer Generation Fund.
Who are Volunteer Iowa's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Points of Light, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and AmeriCorps (Corporation for National and Community Service). Direct peers are HandsOn Network, Serve Washington, VolunteerMatch, Serve Minnesota, MENTOR (National Mentoring Partnership) and CaliforniaVolunteers. Idealist (Action Without Borders) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Volunteer Iowa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Volunteer Iowa.
What industry is Volunteer Iowa in?
Volunteer Iowa's product category is Public Volunteer Service Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAGAO, Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support, with a secondary code of BPAGADAD, Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.