A new online resource launched in Butler County is making it easier for residents to give back by connecting community members directly with local nonprofit organizations in need of help.

Created by the Alliance for Nonprofit Resources in Butler, and in collaboration with the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, the Volunteer Portal serves as a centralized hub where nonprofits can post volunteer opportunities and events, and individuals can browse listings and sign up to serve.

Organizers say the platform is designed to strengthen community engagement, streamline volunteer recruitment for nonprofits and make it more accessible for residents to find meaningful ways to support causes across the county.

The portal launched in August. ANR executive director Chris Lunn said the idea for it came from discussions between local nonprofits and the chamber.

“Before we created it, we had a gathering of nonprofits to see what their pain points were,” Lunn said.

“I think the one thing that came out of the initial meeting is a lot of volunteers are aging out,” Lunn said. “We are trying to embrace new and younger volunteers, and that is part of the portal process.”

Butler County nonprofits go to the Volunteer Portal tab near the top of the homepage of ANR’s website.

On that page is a form nonprofits can fill out to provide details of the event or the role they are trying to find volunteers for.

In turn, community members can create an account on the same webpage and access the portal to see the opportunities that have been posted and sign up for the ones they like.

“We have probably had about a dozen posts on it so far,” Lunn said. “The word is getting out. We knew in the first few months we just wanted to get it out there and then in 2026 really hit it harder.”

Lunn hopes the portal eventually can help link volunteers with nonprofits for an array of services beyond volunteering for one-time events.

“Another thing we know from being a nonprofit is organizations are struggling to find board members, so we also want this to be an opportunity to help push that,” Lunn said. “We know different school districts have opportunities in mentoring programs and things like that. We just want to make sure we connect really any opportunity that exists out there. Most people don’t see a school district as a nonprofit, but it functions like one.”

To receive certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Pennsylvania people must work or volunteer 80 hours a month, and Lunn said the portal can track hours volunteered by individuals so they can receive their benefits.

Bill Dimond, president of the Southern Butler County Business Association through the chamber, has been reaching out to other entities in the county as well to grow the portal’s reach.

“My goal is to get in front of the townships as well because, for example, Cranberry Township has volunteer programs that they run, and the thought was to help them with those and any other volunteer program that needs help,” Dimond said.

Cody Slater, director of transportation at ANR and a member of the chamber’s Community Services Committee that is helping connect nonprofits to the portal, said the portal eventually will grow to offer an educational library full of resources that can help all kinds of nonprofits with some of their daily tasks. That aspect is in its infancy stage.

“As a committee we believe there is the will to volunteer in Butler County,” Slater said. “We are just hoping to provide the way. You hear individuals say, ‘I want to help out, but I don’t know how.’ This portal can very much be that how.”

Jordan Grady, president of the Butler County Chamber of Commerce, agreed, saying the portal will serve as a bridge between nonprofits and community members.

“The chamber is a nonprofit, and we have others that operate under our umbrella,” Grady said. “It’s the same problem over and over again. Those that are volunteering are spread way too thin, and we do think that everybody struggles to get volunteers whether it be a board member or someone who is looking to just volunteer.”

Grady said there is a growing demand for volunteerism in the county, and he feels the portal provides a centralized place for those opportunities.

To help spark the desire to volunteer, the chamber is attempting to get local small businesses involved in the portal as well, by asking them to provide “incentives” volunteers can achieve by volunteering a specific number of hours.

“This is something we are still working on,” Grady said. “Your hours are tracked and as you get to certain milestones, you unlock incentives. For example, when you get to 10 hours, you could get a free round of mini golf at Fun Fore All.”

Lunn said a few Butler County nonprofits already have taken advantage of the portal, with one of them being Butler Downtown.

Audrianna Bly, president of Butler Downtown, said the organization posted for volunteers on the portal for its Fall Clean Up Day in August, an event where volunteers clean up parts of Butler’s Main Street area. It typically takes upward of 20 volunteers to get the job done.

Bly said Butler Downtown was able to get a few extra volunteers this year through its post on the portal.

“We usually do a spring and fall cleanup,” Bly said. “Anyone who wants to come can come. We try to meet at one central location and then spread out and take different blocks throughout Main Street and clean up.”

Bly is excited about the portal and its functionality, and she thinks it will provide a way to give nonprofits better insight into the events they host.

“I think that is going to help spread the word about what opportunities there are to volunteer,” Bly said. “I think the functionality of clocking in and out will give us a better understanding of how many volunteer hours go into certain events. I know there are businesses that offer paid time to volunteer. That is another way to track that time and show your employer when and where you volunteered.”

Bly plans to continue posting volunteer opportunities for future Butler Downtown events on the portal.

Steven Green, president and CEO of Glade Run Lutheran Services, said his organization posted on the portal to find volunteers for its Food Truck Festival that took place Aug. 9.

“The event was well attended and supported,” Green said. “It’s a great opportunity to introduce the campus to to the community as well as the services we offer. Most importantly, that event is about getting the community together and offering a healthy and inviting event for everyone.”

Green said the portal connected Glade Run with three volunteers who helped out with its concession stand.

Green, who also serves on the chamber’s executive board, said the portal takes volunteering to the next level, going beyond organizations simply sending emails to find volunteers, which often get lost or easily ignored.

“We were looking for ways to promote volunteerism as a whole in the community,” Green said. “I think this portal does a lot for that. It’s a one-stop shop to find the opportunities close to our hearts. Everyone wants to have different impacts.”

Overall, Green said he believes a new wave of volunteerism is sweeping the region, and reaching the right people takes a different approach in today’s digital world.

“I have young adult children, and they and their friends are really open to doing community activities,” Green said. “They look for these opportunities much differently than past generations. I think this technology catches up with the younger crowd. We need to be putting our Volunteer Portal on TikTok and the other avenues. We can’t be scared of that. I just see a younger generation that needs engaged differently.”

Green has seen the portal grow from just an idea to where it is today, and he said if it were not for the people at ANR, this project may have never seen the light of day.

“I would like to thank ANR,” Green said. “They donated staff, time and resources to this portal, and no one was charged. I just want to recognize them as an agency for their efforts in this idea.”

The Volunteer Portal can be found at www.anrinfo.org/volunteer.

This article originally appeared in the January edition of Butler County Business Matters.