Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement

What Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement does

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA) is a 501(c)-style nonprofit intermediary organization founded on November 14, 2001, in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. It was formed from the consolidation of dozens of small volunteer-manager networks across Minnesota into a single statewide alliance, originally named the Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration. MAVA serves volunteer engagement professionals — coordinators, directors, managers, and administrators in nonprofit and government organizations — providing professional development, peer community, certification, and advocacy. Its core offerings include the Volunteer Impact Leadership Training (VILT) series, the History of Help Certification, two annual conferences (the in-person Volunteer Engagement Leadership Conference in June and the virtual Dismantling Inequities Conference in December), customized organizational training, the Excellence Awards program, MAVA Connections networking events, and the Service Enterprise Initiative delivered nationally in partnership with Points of Light.

MAVA operates its website and member-management infrastructure on the ClubExpress platform and does not disclose any proprietary technology products. The organization's product surface is content- and convening-led rather than technology-led. Its primary revenue streams are individual and organizational membership dues ($90/year individual), conference and training registration fees (typically $135–$300 per attendee depending on timing, membership status, and segment), corporate sponsorship and exhibit revenue from volunteer-management software vendors, and customized training engagements. Customer segments span individual volunteer engagement professionals, nonprofit and government organizations, AmeriCorps members and community volunteers, and a 20-member volunteer Board of Directors drawn from community, nonprofit, and business leaders. Sponsorship relationships with vendors such as Galaxy Digital, Bloomerang, Better Impact, VolunteerMatch, Volgistics, and Rosterfy tie MAVA's conferences to the broader volunteer-management software buyer base. Geographic footprint is anchored in Minnesota but extends nationally through conferences, virtual training, and the Service Enterprise Initiative.

The organization is governed by a 20-member volunteer Board and operates with a small 1–10 person staff including an Executive Director, Training Director, Program Managers, and a DEI Program Manager. As a membership-based nonprofit with no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no outside investors, MAVA's growth and program investment depend on membership revenue, conference and training fees, and sponsorship income. MAVA's positioning emphasizes equity, access, and justice as central values, integrated into both its programming (Land Acknowledgement, DEI certifications, Dismantling Inequities Conference) and its organizational identity.

Name

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement

Legal name

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement

Website

https://mavanetwork.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement is a Minnesota-based nonprofit founded in 2001 that provides training, certification, conferences, and peer community for volunteer engagement professionals across the state and nationally, in partnership with Points of Light.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Capacity Building and Volunteer Engagement Professional Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Training (EDABAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ)

Keywords

• Volunteer engagement training
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Professional development certification
• DEI training services
• Membership association services

Headquarters

HQ city

White Bear Lake

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. Membership dues: MAVA earns annual membership revenue from individual and organizational members. Membership provides access to member-only content, the membership directory, discussion boards, trainer documents, board documents, and discounted conference registration. Individual membership is $90 annually.
2. Conference and training fees: MAVA charges registration fees for its annual conferences (Volunteer Engagement Leadership Conference and Dismantling Inequities Conference), workshops, and certification series. Fees vary by membership status, early/late registration timing, and attendee type (AmeriCorps member, non-member, new member bundle).
3. Sponsorship and exhibit revenue: MAVA generates sponsorship revenue through its annual conferences, offering title, gold, silver, and bronze sponsorship tiers as well as exhibitor opportunities. This supports the organization's operational costs.
4. Customized training services: MAVA provides customized training engagements for organizations on DEI, volunteer engagement, and capacity building, generating fee-for-service revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MAVA is a nonprofit intermediary organization that provides professional development, training, certification, conferences, and advocacy resources for volunteer engagement professionals across Minnesota and beyond. Its core offerings include the Volunteer Impact Leadership Training (VILT) series, the History of Help Certification in DEI, the annual Volunteer Engagement Leadership Conference (in-person) and Dismantling Inequities Conference (virtual), customized organizational training, and the Service Enterprise Initiative delivered in partnership with Points of Light. Membership dues, conference fees, customized training fees, and sponsorship revenue fund the organization's operations.

Product overview

MAVA is a nonprofit intermediary organization (not a software product company) offering a portfolio of professional development services for the volunteer engagement field. The core offerings consist of training programs including the Volunteer Impact Leadership Training (VILT) series and History of Help Certification, annual conferences (the in-person Volunteer Engagement Leadership Conference and virtual Dismantling Inequities Conference), customized organizational training, and the Service Enterprise Initiative in partnership with Points of Light. Additional services include a member blog with equity-focused content, Excellence Awards recognizing sector leaders, and MAVA Connections Events for peer networking. Membership provides access to resources, discussion boards, and training discounts. The organization functions as an alliance providing field-based research, capacity building resources, and advocacy rather than a technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• MAVA's Service Enterprise Initiative has helped organizations strategically deploy volunteer talent to better achieve their missions and increase organizational capacity.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Points of LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAVA offers the Service Enterprise Initiative (SEI) in partnership with Points of Light, a national nonprofit. SEI is a holistic change management process that helps organizations strategically deploy volunteer talent to better achieve their missions. The initiative also provides volunteer engagement staff with professional development and leadership advancement opportunities.
• Galaxy DigitalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGalaxy Digital served as Title Sponsor of the 2023 MAVA Volunteer Engagement Leadership Conference. As title sponsor, Galaxy Digital receives prominent branding recognition across conference materials and communications, supporting outreach to volunteer engagement leaders.
• BloomerangmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBloomerang served as a Gold Sponsor of the 2023 MAVA VELC conference. Bloomerang provides volunteer management software to nonprofits and uses the sponsorship to build relationships with MAVA's attendee base of volunteer engagement professionals.
• Better ImpactmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBetter Impact was a Silver/Bronze Sponsor of the 2023 MAVA VELC conference and appears as a regular sponsor across multiple years. Better Impact provides volunteer management software solutions to nonprofits and government organizations.
• VolunteerMatchmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteerMatch was a sponsor at the 2023 MAVA VELC conference. VolunteerMatch is a major national online volunteer matching platform and engages with MAVA's network of volunteer engagement professionals.
• VolgisticsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolgistics was a Silver/Bronze sponsor at the 2023 MAVA VELC conference. Volgistics provides volunteer management software to nonprofits and government organizations.
• RosterfymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRosterfy was a sponsor at the 2023 MAVA VELC conference. Rosterfy provides volunteer and event management software used by nonprofits and event organizers.
• The McDowell AgencyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe McDowell Agency was a Silver/Bronze sponsor at the 2023 MAVA VELC conference. The agency provides marketing and communications services to nonprofits.
• AltruistminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAltruist was a sponsor of the 2023 Dismantling Inequities Conference. Altruist provides nonprofit software solutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Bloomerang: Nonprofit donor management and CRM software provider that is a recurring Gold sponsor of MAVA's VELC conference. Sells into the same nonprofit customers MAVA serves.
• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives): Trade association for association professionals, providing certification, training, and resources that MAVA's own staff and board could leverage. Comparable in being a membership association but serving a different professional segment.
• Better Impact: Volunteer management software provider that is a recurring MAVA conference sponsor. Sits in MAVA's vendor ecosystem serving the same nonprofit and volunteer-engagement customers.

Direct peers

• Points of Light: National nonprofit mobilizing volunteer service and MAVA's core strategic partner on the Service Enterprise Initiative. Highly comparable in mission, programming mix, and target audience.
• HandsOn Network: National volunteer mobilization network affiliated with Points of Light, focused on connecting people to volunteer opportunities. Comparable in mission and target audience of volunteer-engagement professionals and nonprofits.
• VolunteerMatch (part of Idealist): Major national volunteer engagement platform that is also a recurring MAVA conference sponsor. Operates in the same volunteer engagement ecosystem serving nonprofits and volunteer leaders.

Emerging players

• BoardSource: National nonprofit focused on nonprofit governance training and board leadership. Overlaps with MAVA's professional development and training portfolio for the nonprofit sector, though focused on governance rather than volunteer management.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Nonprofits: Largest U.S. network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, training, and resources. Operates in the same nonprofit-capacity-building space but at a much broader sector level rather than the volunteer-engagement niche.
• Independent Sector: National membership organization for nonprofits, foundations, and corporate giving programs. Comparable as a membership association supporting the charitable sector, though its scope extends well beyond volunteer engagement.

Regional players

• Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada: Canadian professional association for volunteer engagement managers with a similar mandate of training, certification, and advocacy. Direct peer in mission and programming, but operates in Canada rather than the U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MAVANetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/MAVANetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minnesota-alliance-for-volunteer-advancement

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 Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement