Interview with Greg Baldwin, President of VolunteerMatch

BrownHEN Interviewed Greg Baldwin, Brown ’90, President of Volunteer Match, San Francisco, CA.

1. Greg, please explain what VolunteerMatch.org does and share with BrownHEN your recent successes.

VolunteerMatch.org is the web's largest and most popular volunteering network. Our mission is to help everyone find a great place to volunteer by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. We've got over 50,000 opportunities across the country; you can search by zip code and interest area to find a local organization looking for talented people to get involved. The network, which includes over 60 corporate partnerships, regularly welcomes more than 125,00 visitors a week and was recently selected by TIME magazine as one of the Top 10 Websites of 2007.

2. Why do you think VolunteerMatch has been so successful—in using the web to encourage volunteering—when compared to other organizations like the United Way and The Points of Light Foundation?

I think we saw the problem differently. Instead of focusing our energy on trying to convince people to volunteer, we focused on making it easier to find the right opportunity. Conventional wisdom presumed that people don't volunteer because they don't care enough. We started in a different place and built a tool to eliminate the communications barriers that discourage more people from getting involved. We also knew a lot more about the web and were lucky enough to attract great people to help push the idea forward.

3. So how did a Public Policy concentrator at Brown become President of this widely respected nonprofit organization? I know that you love what you do. Will you share with BrownHEN how Volunteer Match is aligned with your goals and values?

For me volunteering is more about the freedom to do something important than it is about the importance of doing something for free. What gives me the most satisfaction are the stories of people who have found an organization or a cause that gets them excited or frustrated enough to get connected and do something about it. I want to believe that there is more to life than low prices at Wal-Mart and VolunteerMatch has convinced me that I'm not alone. Besides I'm still feeling a little guilty from the disapproving look Ross Cheit (Brown Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy) gave me when I told him at graduation that I was going to work at an ad agency.

4. Last year, you stepped up as President of Volunteer Match. What are some of your challenges and what do you envision for this wonderful organization?

There are over 900,000 public charities in the U.S. and most of them still can't find the volunteers they need. We want to fix than problem. Over the next five years we are looking to double the size of the network and expand our operating revenue so that we have the internal capacity to continue pursuing our mission. We are raising $10 million dollars to fund that initiative; we hope that we are able to find the support we need from a new generation of philanthropists eager to fund ideas that are transforming the way we connect around shared interests and goals.

5. You worked for Leo Burnett for a few years. What are the important differences between being at a very large for-profit organization and being at a fairly small nonprofit?  What should a person thinking of changing careers to managing a nonprofit be aware of?

Don't get too hung up on the for-profit or not-for-profit label; just don't settle for a job you are not interested in. In theory I was fascinated by the advertising industry and the power of ideas to shape our behavior, and I still draw on that experience, but in practice I've found that I'm much more interested in figuring out how to change peoples’ attitudes about service and volunteering than I ever was about changing their opinion of refrigerated dough products. In a sense, I suppose I'm still in the ad business, I've just found something to sell that I really believe in. On the downside, at Burnett I did have a better view.

6. What advice do you have for an undergraduate considering a position at a nonprofit, especially if the undergraduate also has a job offer from a respected for-profit company? (This is the same question No. 3, but focused on undergraduates.)

Most of the people at VolunteerMatch started their careers in the for-profit world and we are lucky that they did because we've got the business skill and experience we've needed to make VolunteerMatch a success. I'd focus on the people, the opportunity and the learning experience first and make a decision based on that. 

7. Information technology seems to be at the core of what VolunteerMatch does. What advice do you have for a person who did not study Computer Science as an undergraduate, but is now leading an organization critically dependent on effective software?

Technology is a tool. To manage it effectively you need to understand people first and what they need the technology to do. If you understand that you'll be able to surround yourself with the technology people you need to succeed. The easiest way to mess up a technology system is to forget about the needs of the people you are expecting to use it.

8. Has being part of the network of Brown graduates been important in your professional life? How could that network be made more effective? We know that you are a part of the founding team of VolunteerMatch, who was made up of Brown grads.

For a time VolunteerMatch seemed to be an extension of my freshman dorm. I think Brown's commitment to independent thinking is a great background for people interested in new ideas. Brown gave all of us the confidence and curiosity to figure out what we didn't understand and find a way to fix it without expecting someone else to do it for us. Brown is a very special place and I've found that I've only grown to appreciate that more as time has passed. I think the Brown network needs to continue to take great pride in the diversity and accomplishments of its alumni and remember that our appreciation for our differences is what sets us apart and bonds us together. 

9. What are the top five qualities you would ascribe to an entrepreneur?

• Imagination
• Hustle
• Persistence
• Focus
• Humility

10. Would you speak about fear as a motivation or hindrance toward accomplishment? How has that played a factor in your path, if any?

Fear can be paralyzing, but it can also keep you up all night to finish the things that just can't wait until tomorrow. I wouldn't say I'm motivated by fear, but for better or worse I'm always a little uncomfortable about all the things that we still haven't tackled, yet.

11. As you know, the entrepreneur’s path is filled with trials and errors, and also failures. What’s a valuable insight for entrepreneurs to keep in mind when they’re experiencing setbacks?

It's not personal and try not to repeat the same mistake twice. I heard somewhere that one of the keys to success is the willingness to fail quickly—so you don't waste too much time chasing a dead end. It is a liberating view that encourages you to separate yourself from your ideas. I had a poster in my room growing up that I always liked, it read, "If at first you don't succeed try, try again… then quit, no use being a damn fool about it."

12. What is the latest insight (about life, work, play) that you have culled and would like to share with BrownHEN?

It is a lot easier to get thing done when you are trying to be helpful, than when you are trying to be right. Nobody likes a know-it-all.

13. Who are the three individuals who have influenced your development significantly?

• Ed Beiser taught me to think critically.
• William James taught me to appreciate the power of big ideas.
• My parents taught me to trust my own imagination.

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