Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Forms Alliance with VolunteerMatch

The Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund has formed an alliance with VolunteerMatch whereby visitors to Fidelity’s website, www.charitablegift.org, find a link to VolunteerMatch’s website, where they can discover volunteer opportunities with 73,000 participating organizations nationwide.

The two organizations also sponsored a study, which Harris Interactive conducted, that found those who volunteer donate more than 10 times the amount of those who do not, and 43% of Americans have volunteered in the last 12 months. However, 28% of Americans have never volunteered. Among those who have volunteered, the average donation is $2,593, compared to the $230 donation averaged by Americans who have never volunteered.

“This is exciting data that reveals a tremendous opportunity to tap the American spirit of volunteering and giving,” said Sarah C. Libbey, president of the Gift Fund. “Most Americans are motivated to volunteer to support a cause they care about, yet three in 10 can’t find an organization that matches their interest. Together with VolunteerMatch, we’re offering a solution.”

Certainly while finding an organization that matches their interest is not the No. 1 barrier to volunteering, it is one of them. Forty-six percent of Americans cited lack of time, 32% lack of interest, 32% too much pressure from organizations and 30% not the right fit.