Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse

What Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse does

Cambridge Volunteers (formerly Cambridge Senior Volunteer Clearinghouse, founded 1993) is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a community-led volunteer clearinghouse connecting individual volunteers with local nonprofit agencies. The organization was co-founded by Robert (Bob) S. Hurlbut Jr. and education researcher Bev Cassara as a retirement project to connect Cambridge's underutilized pool of retiree talent with nonprofit opportunities; it rebranded to Cambridge Volunteers in 2017 to broaden its mission across all community demographics. Cambridge Volunteers is fiscally sponsored by NOPI INC (EIN 81-5089505), which provides fiduciary oversight and tax deductibility for donations. Operations are run by a small staff of 1-10 employees led by Executive Director Laurie Rothstein, with Board Co-Chair Kavish Gandhi, and the founder remained active on the board until his passing in 2025.

The organization's core product is a free, public, website-based volunteer opportunity database serving Cambridge and surrounding communities, with filtering by remote options, teen programs, group-friendly opportunities, and weekends/evenings. Complementary products include a member agency directory (175+ nonprofit listings), a remote monthly workshop series covering nonprofit orientation (Find Your Mission) and board governance (Board Member Basics, supported by The Boston Foundation), and citywide volunteer fairs. Distribution channels include the website, a monthly email newsletter, and active organic social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Cambridge Volunteers generates revenue through individual donations processed via the Zeffy platform and a tiered corporate partnership program (Gold $10,000+, Silver $5,000+, Bronze $2,500+, Sponsor $1,000+, Small Local Business $500+, Small Business Supporter $250+) that offers logo placement, newsletter recognition, and Lunch & Learn employee workshops. Named institutional sponsors include Eastern Bank/Cambridge Trust, MIT, Google.org, Cambridge Community Foundation, The Boston Foundation, and others. The service is offered free of charge to both volunteers and member agencies; the organization does not charge for placement, and revenue is solely contribution-based.

Name

Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse

Legal name

Cambridge Volunteers

Website

https://cambridgevolunteers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cambridge Volunteers is a Cambridge, MA-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects community volunteers with local nonprofit agencies through a free online opportunity database, member agency directory, workshops, citywide fairs, and a tiered corporate partnership program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Volunteer Matching and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Volunteer matching services
• Nonprofit volunteer platform
• Community engagement programs
• Volunteer opportunity database
• Civic engagement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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. Donations and Fundraising: Cambridge Volunteers operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals and corporations. Donations are processed through Zeffy platform and are tax-deductible through fiscal sponsor NOPI INC.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Multi-year corporate partnership program with tiered sponsorship levels (Gold $10,000+, Silver $5,000+, Bronze $2,500+, Sponsor $1,000+, Small Local Business $500+, Small Business Supporter $250+) offering logo placement, press releases, website recognition, and Lunch & Learn employee workshops.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cambridge Volunteers runs a free, public volunteer opportunity database that connects community members with 175+ local nonprofit agencies. It supplements the database with citywide volunteer fairs, a monthly workshop series, a member agency directory, a corporate sponsorship program, and storytelling content such as volunteer spotlights and a monthly newsletter. The organization serves Cambridge, MA and surrounding communities as a knowledge-sharing hub for civic engagement and nonprofit volunteer recruitment.

Product overview

Cambridge Volunteers (formerly Cambridge Senior Volunteer Clearinghouse, launched 1993) is a volunteer matching and nonprofit support organization serving Cambridge, MA. The organization operates as a centralized volunteer clearinghouse connecting community members with local nonprofit agencies through a free public database of volunteer opportunities, citywide volunteer fairs, and monthly workshops. Its core portfolio consists of a Volunteer Jobs Database, Member Agency Directory, Workshop Series (including Board Member Basics and Find Your Mission), Citywide Volunteer Fairs, a Corporate Partnership Program with sponsorship tiers, and a Volunteer Spotlight storytelling feature. The organization also publishes a monthly newsletter and maintains archived newsletters and in-the-news coverage. CV serves as a knowledge-sharing hub for agencies that rely on volunteers, champions equitable and inclusive volunteerism through workshops, and offers bespoke guidance to small and mid-sized businesses seeking to engage with their host community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Volunteer Jobs Database A free, public searchable database of volunteer opportunities serving Cambridge and surrounding areas. Supports filtering by availability (groups, remote, one-time, weekends/evenings, teen options), organization type, program area, and activity type, displaying opportunities from member nonprofit agencies.
• Workshop Series Remote monthly workshops free of charge designed to strengthen volunteer skills and nonprofit knowledge, including Find Your Mission (nonprofit landscape orientation for prospective volunteers), Board Member Basics (501(c)3 structures, board roles, budget reading), and Lunch & Learn / Meet the Agencies sessions.
• Citywide Volunteer Fairs Free public events connecting prospective volunteers with member nonprofit agencies through direct in-person engagement.
• Member Agency Directory Online directory listing all CV member nonprofit agencies, with agency profiles including descriptions, volunteer activities, program areas, contact information, and links to current volunteer openings (39+ agencies listed).
• Newsletter and Communications Platform Monthly email newsletter providing volunteer updates, news, and targeted messages about urgent volunteer openings, including archived newsletters, volunteer spotlights, and in-the-news coverage.
• Corporate Partnership Program Sponsorship tiers (Gold $10,000+, Silver $5,000+, Bronze $2,500+, Sponsor $1,000+, Small Local Business $500+, Small Business Supporter $250+) offering corporate partners logo placement, press releases, website recognition, volunteer fair poster placement, and Lunch & Learn employee workshops.
• Volunteer Spotlight Feature Written profiles and photo features showcasing individual volunteers' experiences with member agencies, produced by CV volunteer writers and published on the website and in newsletters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting 175+ nonprofits and their volunteer needs annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CCAE (Cambridge Center for Adult Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCAE generously hosts many of Cambridge Volunteers' workshops. Provides physical space for monthly training sessions including Find Your Mission and Board Member Basics workshops.
• City of CambridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity government partner providing in-kind support. Multiple city departments partner with Cambridge Volunteers including Community Learning Center and Boards & Commissions.
• Kendall Square AssociationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBryn Mawr Book Store is a Kendall Square Associate Member, representing local business association partnership for community engagement.
• Member Agencies NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 175+ nonprofit member agencies including Bryn Mawr Book Store, Cambridge Women's Center, CitySprouts, Cambridge Community Learning Center, Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services, Jewish Vocational Services, and others who post volunteer opportunities through the platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Points of Light: National nonprofit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement, operating the HandsOn Network affiliate. Comparable to CV in mission (civic engagement, volunteer mobilization) but at global scale with corporate and government programs.
• Idealist: National nonprofit job and volunteer board with a similar free, web-based matching model. Comparable to CV in mission (connecting do-gooders with opportunities) but operates globally and includes paid nonprofit jobs, giving it broader reach.
• VolunteerMatch: The largest national online volunteer matching platform in the US. Operates the same core model as Cambridge Volunteers (a free searchable database connecting volunteers with nonprofits) but at vastly greater geographic scale, making it the primary reference point and competitive benchmark.

Direct peers

• Boston Cares: Greater Boston's largest volunteer matching and mobilization organization, running a hyperlocal volunteer clearinghouse and signature Days of Service events. Directly comparable to CV as a regional nonprofit volunteer clearinghouse, with broader geographic coverage across Greater Boston.

Emerging players

• Catchafire: Skill-based volunteering platform that matches professionals with nonprofits for pro bono engagements. Comparable to CV's workshop and capacity-building functions, but specialized in skills-based rather than general volunteering.
• Taproot Foundation: Nonprofit that connects skilled professionals with nonprofits for pro bono consulting. Comparable to CV's nonprofit capacity-building and board education functions, particularly the Board Member Basics workshop.
• All for Good: Aggregated volunteer opportunity search engine pulling from multiple platforms. Directly comparable to CV's Find Your Mission database but operates as a meta-aggregator rather than a curated local clearinghouse.

Regional players

• United Way of Massachusetts Bay: Regional United Way affiliate serving Greater Boston including Cambridge, with volunteer mobilization and corporate engagement programs. Comparable to CV as a regional civic engagement nonprofit with corporate partnership pipelines, but broader in scope.

Others

• Kendall Square Association: Local business association serving Kendall Square employers and partners. Already listed as a CV channel partner; comparable as a Cambridge-based civic convening organization that connects local stakeholders including CV member agencies like Bryn Mawr Book Store.
• Mass Humanities: Massachusetts-based nonprofit supporting cultural and civic organizations through grantmaking. Comparable as a Massachusetts civic nonprofit ecosystem partner and potential peer for board/grantmaking training content similar to CV's Board Member Basics workshops.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CambridgeVolunteers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cambridge-volunteers
• Instagraminstagram.com/cambridgevolunteers

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Cambridge Volunteer Clearinghouse