Action Without Borders
{{Short description|Charities based in New York state}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Action Without Borders (Idealist.org)
| image = Idealist-logo-09.jpg
| size = 150px
| formation = 1995
| leader_title = Exec. Director
| leader_name = Ami Dar
| location = New York, USA
| website = {{URL|https://www.idealist.org}}
}}
Action Without Borders, also known as Idealist, is a non-profit service organization based in New York City, founded in 1995 by Ami Dar. The group has offices in the United States and Argentina. In 2023, 45,000 nonprofit and charitable organizations worldwide are registered on the site and gets 35,000 visitors a day.{{Cite magazine |last=Orecklin |first=Michele |date=2005-02-27 |title=Philanthropy: A Net for Volunteers: THE INTERNET IDEALIST |url=https://time.com/archive/6671433/philanthropy-a-net-for-volunteers-the-internet-idealist/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |magazine=TIME |language=en}}
On January 14, 2025, it was announced that Idealist and VolunteerMatch are merging.{{Cite web |last=Clolery |first=Paul |title=Idealist And VolunteerMatch In Merger Agreement |url=https://thenonprofittimes.com/npt_articles/idealist-and-volunteermatch-in-merger-agreement/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=The NonProfit Times |language=en-US}}
History
Founder Ami Dar was interested in solving social and environmental problems in the world since childhood.{{cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/rahimkanani/2012/09/12/inside-look-the-story-behind-idealist-org/#2715e4857a0b18bdf77bd095|title=Inside Look: The Story Behind Idealist.org|first=Rahim|last=Kanani|work=Forbes|date=September 12, 2012|publisher=|access-date=July 17, 2016}}
In 1985, after his mandatory army service in the Israeli Defense Forces, while Dar was traveling in South America, he got the idea to use modern technology (phones, PCs, and fax machines) to build a network that would make it easier for people to connect and act on issue that concerned them. Dar was 24 at the time.
By 1995, Dar had founded an early iteration of Idealist, initially called The Contact Center Network.{{Cite web |last=Candid |title=Idealist.org |url=https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/on-the-web/idealist.org |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Philanthropy News Digest (PND) |language=en}} They sponsored meeting spaces in several communities where people could connect with neighbors who might share interests and ideas for local action.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In 1996, Action Without Borders launched the site, idealist.org.
In 2016, Idealist closed its Portland, Oregon office, laying off two-dozen people who worked there.{{cite news |last1=Rogoway |first1=Mike |title=Idealist.org closes Portland engineering office, lays off two dozen |work=oregonlive.com| url=https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/index.ssf/2016/07/idealistorg_closes_portland_en.html |date=July 22, 2016 |accessdate=21 September 2018}}
Notable people
Ami Dar ({{langx|he|עמי דר}}; born January 7, 1961{{cite needed|date=February 2024}}) is the founder and executive director of Action Without Borders.{{Cite web|url=http://info.idealist.org/|title=Idealist|website=Idealist|language=en-US|access-date=2018-08-05}} Dar was born January 7, 1961, in Jerusalem, the eldest of three children, to a schoolteacher mother and diplomat father. He grew up in Peru and Mexico, and it was in Mexico City where he first became aware of the contrast of wealth and poverty around him, which started him on a path of dedication to social justice. {{cite needed|date=February 2024}} In 1976, Dar and his family returned to Israel and from 1979 to 1982, he completed his mandatory service as a paratrooper {{cite needed|date=February 2024}}. In 1988, Dar joined Aladdin Knowledge Systems, a software company based in Tel Aviv. From 1988 to 1992 he served as the international marketing manager. In 1992, he was named president and he relocated to New York City to establish their North American branch.{{cite needed|date=February 2024}}.