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Volunteernow

EIN 75-1364145 · Dallas, TX

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthFair57 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

VolunteerNow transforms lives through volunteers. As the hub of volunteerism in North Texas, and a national thought leader, VolunteerNow provides a wide range of programs and services to build capacity for nonprofit and community organizations.

Income
$3.8 million
Spending
$3.8 million
Spent on programs
70%
Reserves
2.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
other income, 61%
Employees
37
Volunteers
1,107
Highest pay
$212,460, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Fair: 57 out of 100. Higher than 16% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).

  • Reserves

    10 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 2.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    16 of 20

    It owes 16% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    8 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 0% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 8% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    8 of 15

    70% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 41 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 65% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $1m to $10m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    12 of 12 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (2)
  1. $2.7 million spent. Donated Goods - VolunteerNow's Donated Goods program directly impacts 250,000 individuals annually, processes 500,000 donated goods and diverts 750 tons of usable goods from landfills each year. The Donated Goods program takes new and needed goods and redistributes them to Low Moderate Income (LMI) communities and nonprofits serving that sector. Donated Goods provides three essential services. 1- Discount Depot. Launched in 1989, the Donated Goods storefront, Discount Depot, receives new goods from corporate partners like JCPenney, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Lowes and others. For a minimal fee, nonprofit partners and other community members can shop for essential goods for programs and personal use at 50-90 percent off retail prices. Annually, the two stores redistribute over 750 tons of new goods. In Fall 2023, Discount Depot was selected by SMU's Master of Arts in Design and Innovation as the Studio Social Impact Client, joining a roster of clients like the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park, the Dallas Mavericks, and DFW Airport. 2 & 3 - Goods Giveaways and Goods Grants. As a trusted organization in the donated goods space, VolunteerNow often receives large scale donations from corporate partners. The volume of these donations requires wider and more intentional distribution than can be managed through the Discount Depot storefronts. When these opportunities arise, VolunteerNow communicates with partner agencies and provides a first-come, first-served chance to receive the donated goods at no expense. Since the inception of these services in March 2023, VolunteerNow has provided over $1.5 million in goods to 189 nonprofit and educational partners, including grants valued at $250,000 to reduce the operational expense burden of purchasing needed goods. Providing these goods to nonprofits means that their budgets are reserved for their core programming.
  2. Volunteer Services - VolunteerNow's Volunteer Services Program provides five services: 1 - Volunteer Matching: VolunteerNow's proprietary software, VOLY, matches volunteers with volunteer opportunities across North Texas. In 2024, partner agencies posted 3,090 volunteer opportunities on VOLY, resulting in 220,993 volunteer hours logged.2 - Community Service Restitution (CSR): In 2024, VolunteerNow supported CSR volunteers in 101,155 hours of service. 3 - Volunteer Background Checks: VolunteerNow's background checking service ensures nonprofits across the country have well-vetted volunteers and safe environments for those they serve. In 2024, this service provided background checks for 27,236 volunteers. 4 - Volunteer and Volunteer Manager Training: Volunteer managers at nonprofits and school districts have a high degree of turnover. VolunteerNow provides consistent education and support on VOLY software and volunteer management best practices. In 2024, VolunteerNow provided 74 trainings to more than 733 VOLY users and volunteer managers. 5 - Corporate Volunteer Support: With thousands of nonprofit partners across North Texas and a network of 1,000 schools, VolunteerNow is uniquely positioned to be a bridge between corporations and nonprofits. In 20234, VolunteerNow activated over 2,000 corporate volunteers.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since February 1972.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.

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