How a Pro Bono Project Sparked the Creation of VolunteerMatters

From humble beginnings as a custom software development shop to becoming a leader in volunteer management technology, this is the story of how one small pro bono project sparked a movement that would impact thousands of nonprofits and millions of volunteers.

It All Started with a Pro Bono Project

Long before VolunteerMatters was a volunteer management platform, Mark and his brother were building custom software solutions for Fortune 1000 companies. But everything changed when they took on a pro bono project for Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) in New York City.

At the time, GMHC needed a way to share critical health information online — something we take for granted today but was groundbreaking over 20 years ago. The lack of affordable tools for nonprofits left a lasting impression on Mark and Bob Hopwood, co-founders.

“I was flabbergasted at how little there was on the market for nonprofits.” — Mark Hopwood

This project opened their eyes to a glaring need: nonprofits deserved access to powerful, affordable technology too.

Building Something Nonprofits Actually Needed

When VolunteerMatters first started, it wasn’t even called VolunteerMatters. The original company was Closerware — a modular software solution designed specifically for nonprofits. Organizations could pick and choose from different modules like website management, event registration, membership tracking, scheduling, attendance, and more. It was a “build-your-own” toolkit for nonprofit operations.

But over time, Mark and his team realized something critical: trying to be everything to everyone was holding them back from making a truly extraordinary impact.

The turning point came when they decided to narrow their focus — zeroing in on volunteer management as the area where they could make the biggest difference. It wasn’t just about managing websites or memberships anymore. It was about empowering nonprofits to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers in smarter, more efficient ways.

That shift required a new approach: deep listening, collaboration, and a commitment to learning directly from their customers.

“We had to figure out what made the best volunteer programs stand out.” — Mark Hopwood

Every nonprofit did things a little differently — but Mark and his team set out to identify the universal best practices that high-performing volunteer programs had in common. They looked beyond surface-level requests and dug deep into what really worked. They began to see patterns emerge — strategies, workflows, and tools that consistently led to better volunteer engagement and better results.

Armed with that knowledge, VolunteerMatters evolved from a modular software platform into a purpose-built solution designed specifically to help nonprofits elevate their volunteer programs — regardless of their size or sector. Instead of just giving nonprofits tools, they were now giving them proven guidance — based on decades of research, customer feedback, and real-world success stories — to help them build extraordinary volunteer programs from the ground up.

Major Milestones on the VolunteerMatters Journey

First Conference Success – One of the earliest signs they were onto something big came when they attended their first nonprofit conference — and left with 30 new customers.
Narrowing Their Focus – VolunteerMatters evolved from a do-it-all platform to a highly specialized solution focused exclusively on volunteer engagement. This strategic decision allowed them to become experts in solving volunteer management challenges at scale.
Embracing Volunteer Engagement at Scale – As the company grew, so did their expertise. They found their sweet spot in supporting larger volunteer programs — nonprofits with thousands of volunteers, complex processes, and operating across many locations – even across the nation.

Challenges Along the Way

Starting VolunteerMatters wasn’t without its struggles. Moving from large one-time projects to a subscription model with smaller monthly fees meant they lost money for years.

“We lost a ton of money in the first decade…we didn’t pay ourselves anything.” — Mark Hopwood

Bootstrapping the company without outside funding required grit, sacrifice, and a passion for helping nonprofits succeed.

A Message to Customers

Keep talking to us. We have sincere gratitude for all of our customers and the conversations we have with them. With their feedback and insight, they are the true drivers of the platform’s evolution.

“We completely rip off our customers on a daily basis — in the best way! They’re the source of our best ideas.” — Mark Hopwood

VolunteerMatters exists because nonprofit organizations deserve tools that match their passion and dedication. Behind every software product is a story — and this one is about drive to make volunteerism extraordinary.