Distinguished Professor Emeritus Don Cowan along with colleague and research associate Kyle Young received the Award of Merit from the Volunteer Action Centre of Kitchener Waterloo and Area, for developing volunteer-matching software that is used locally, provincially and nationally.
The software was originally developed at the University of Waterloo in 2005 and is now available through a spinoff company called VolunteerAttract, which provides a cloud-based service that boosts volunteer participation by connecting people interested in volunteering with organizations that need their assistance. The local Volunteer Action Centre uses their software to connect organizations and volunteers across Waterloo Region.
“It’s wonderful to see Don and Kyle’s work recognized and even more so to see how it’s helping volunteer organizations expand their reach and influence,” said Mark Giesbrecht, Director of the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science.
Development of the volunteer–organization matching software began 12 years ago when the KW volunteer centre asked the University of Waterloo for help in taking its paperwork online. VolunteerAttract eventually blossomed into its own company and now works with volunteer centres across Canada including the one at the University of Waterloo Federation of Students.
