GLG & Catchafire Announce Partnership to Match Employees with Skills-Based Volunteer Opportunities

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Catchafire, the leading skills-based volunteer platform (www.catchafire.org), and GLG, the world's largest professional learning platform (www.GLG.it), today announced a new partnership to match GLG employees with nonprofit volunteer opportunities.

Catchafire connects nonprofits with talented volunteers whose professional skills meet the organizations' specific needs. GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.) is the world's largest membership for professional learning and expertise, matching its clients with leading policy specialists, academics, engineers, former C-level managers, and professional leaders for advice and insight.

The partnership launches with 40 targeted volunteer projects across the social sector, including organizations' efforts to combat hunger, to support affordable housing, to promote biodiversity conservation, and to eliminate stigma associated with depression and suicide. For each project, Catchafire matches one or more GLG employees with a nonprofit or social enterprise that needs their particular backgrounds and skills.

Catchafire CEO Rachael Chong founded the organization in 2009 after becoming frustrated with the dearth of opportunities to volunteer her professional skills to nonprofits. She reasoned that volunteers and nonprofits would both be better served by leveraging volunteers' unique professional skills – in finance, marketing, development, strategy – to meet nonprofits' specific organizational needs.

"Our mission at Catchafire is to build a community of individuals helping to make the social sector more efficient and effective – and in the process to build nonprofit capacity to help change the world," Chong said. "Like GLG, we deliver unique, mutually beneficial connections between professionals and organizations. Our parallel missions inspired this partnership, and we are excited GLG is joining our effort."

GLG serves professionals who need unique perspective that can't be found in one-size-fits-all industry reports, conferences, and other mass professional learning offerings by connecting them with individuals who have firsthand expertise or operational experience. Today GLG serves the world's leading investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, consulting firms, nonprofits, and startups. Its membership includes more than 400,000 experts. GLG is scaling one-to-one learning, pairing its members and clients thousands of times a week, around the world.

"Our mission is to transform the way the world's top professionals share expertise and learn, and we're excited to be part of Catchafire's efforts to transform the way top professionals volunteer and make a difference," said GLG Director of Social Impact Jennifer Field. GLG Global Head of Human Resources Matthew Jagoda added, "Our 900 employees are curious, courageous, and focused on service – for our clients and our communities. We're proud to dedicate our most important resource – our people – in support of important work for the world's benefit."

Chong is also a GLG Social Impact Fellow (www.GLGSocialImpact.com/fellows). GLG launched the Social Impact Fellowship earlier this year, giving twelve promising social entrepreneurs access to one-on-one learning from GLG's members, without cost. Fellows and their teams work collaboratively with GLG research professionals to leverage the breadth and depth of the membership to inform strategic decisions and increase impact. GLG has additionally made a small investment in Catchafire.

About Catchafire

Catchafire matches professionals who want to give their skills with nonprofits and social enterprises that need their help. Catchafire matches professionals and organizations based on a variety of characteristics – including skills, cause interests, and time availability – and helps organizations identify their needs as short-term, discrete, and individual-based projects. This project structure makes it easy for professionals to help in the midst of their busy daily lives. To find out more, visit www.catchafire.org and follow @Catchafire.

About GLG / Gerson Lehrman Group

GLG is transforming the way the world's top professionals share expertise and learn. GLG curates custom learning experiences among professionals and thought leaders across fields, within a rigorous compliance framework. GLG scales one-to-one learning through conversations, mentorships, small group convenings, surveys, and other interactions with its network of more than 400,000 experts. Global, technology-driven, and nimble, GLG is the world's largest membership for professional learning and expertise. Its more than 900 employees work in 21 offices in 12 countries. To find out more, visit www.GLG.it and follow @GLG.

About GLG Social Impact

GLG Social Impact connects social sector organizations with experts across industries and geographies for perspectives and expertise to accelerate the impact of their work, including through the GLG Social Impact Fellowship. GLG Social Impact partners with leading social sector organizations around the world, including The Clinton Development Initiative, Endeavor Global, The Bridgespan Group, and The Julliard School, among others. To find out more, visit www.GLGSocialImpact.com.

Contact:  
Graham Buck (GLG)
[email protected]
646-805-2024            

Hayley Samuelson (Catchafire)
[email protected]
646-205-9500

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SOURCE GLG

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