Idealist

Idealist review with pricing, posting instructions, comparisons to competitors, and FAQs.

By Paul Peters, 7 May 2024

Paul Peters is the Chief Editor of Betterteam. He's a former print journalist and small business owner and has written articles for a variety of newspapers, magazines and websites.

Idealist is a nonprofit job board for graduates, interns, and volunteers. With a network of 130,000 organizations around the world and 100,000 unique site visitors every day, Idealist helps people advance their social impact careers.

Although Idealist is a global platform, they do not have offices outside the U.S. The site features job posts from all over the world and attracts the largest volumes of traffic by country from the U.S., Argentina, Mexico, and the U.K. Idealist gives local employers access to an international audience interested in working in the nonprofit sector.

At-a-Glance:

Feature	Idealist
Price	Free and paid options.
Free offer	Free for non-U.S. organizations.
Bulk discounts	✔
Post duration	30 days.
Resume database	x

Review:

Idealist is one of the largest nonprofit job boards based in the U.S. While it presents a convenient platform for U.K. employers to reach a global audience, the majority of site traffic comes from the U.S., making it less ideal for U.K. employers looking to attract local candidates.

While Idealist does not have a country-specific page for the U.K., it offers a range of useful features, such as advanced filter options, customized email alerts, and free applicant tracking tools. It also offers free postings for non-U.S. organizations, making it a more affordable alternative to local sites like CharityJob and Third Sector Jobs.

Pros:

Idealist offers a great way for U.K. employers to reach international candidates.
Employers can connect with 100,000 nonprofit job seekers, interns, and volunteers every day.
All listings by non-US organizations and global volunteer opportunities are free.
Advanced filter options enable targeted searches.
There is a mobile app available for free download.
Features include customized email alerts.
The site attracts job seekers with a range of resources, including a graduate school directory and nonprofit career guidance.
The platform offers free applicant tracking tools.

Cons:

Prices are listed in U.S. dollars only.
The site has limited reach within the U.K. — local alternatives such as CharityJob, Third Sector Jobs, and Goodmoves attract far more traffic from within the U.K.
The platform does not have a country-specific site for the U.K.
Paid listings appear for 30 days with no pro-rata discounts, while other listings, like Google for Jobs, are free.

Reputation:

The number of online user reviews is limited, but we found a few reviews on Trustpilot with an average rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars. While one user praised the volunteer work posted on the site, two customers who used the job posting features highlighted the costs, poor customer support, and the efficiency of the site's reach.

Pricing:

Plan	Internship Posting Pricing	Job Posting Pricing
Non-U.S. Organizations	Free.	Free.
Nonprofit Organizations and Government Agencies	US$25.00	US$105.00
Consultants and Recruiters	US$35.00	US$135.00
Consultants and Recruiters (outside U.S., Canada, U.K.)	US$15.00	US$50.00
Social Enterprises and Other Businesses	US$45.00	US$195.00
Social Enterprises and Other Businesses (outside U.S., Canada, U.K.)	US$15.00	US$60.00

*Idealist also offers reduced-rate credit packs.

How to Post a Job on Idealist:

$0.00 USD

10 Minutes

Five easy steps for posting a job or volunteer opportunity on Idealist.

Posting a job on Idealist.

1.1

Select "Post a Listing."

From the home page, click on "For Organizations" in the top right, and select "Post a Listing" from the dropdown menu. You can also click directly on the "Post a Listing" button beside this tab.

1.2

Create an Idealist account.

To post a job, you'll need to first be logged in to the Idealist platform. If you have an existing Google or Facebook account, simply click on "Continue with Google" or "Continue with Facebook," and enter the relevant credentials to log in to Idealist. Alternatively, enter your email address manually and click on "Continue."

You will then receive a verification email. Here, click on the verification link and refresh the original tab until a pop-up screen appears.

This screen will ask you to enter your name, surname, and password. Enter your details and click on "Save" to continue.

1.3

Create an organization or a mutual aid group.

Based on the types of jobs you'll be posting, select "Create an organization" or "Create a mutual aid group."

1.4

Create a profile for your organization or group.

To create an Idealist profile for your organization or mutual aid group, simply enter the required details on the form and follow the onscreen prompts.

1.5

Post your jobs.

Once you have created your new profile, submit it for review. When it has been approved, you can start posting jobs and volunteer opportunities on Idealist.

Idealist vs. Indeed:

Idealist and Indeed are very different in terms of their focus. Idealist is a website that features a job board dedicated to nonprofit listings, while Indeed covers all job sectors. Similarities include free and paid listings, advanced categories, as well as global coverage.

Idealist vs. Indeed Comparison:

Feature	Idealist	Indeed
Free options	Available for non-U.S. organizations and all volunteer listings.	Non-sponsored listings by employers.
Paid options	Available for approved U.S. businesses.	Higher visibility employer-sponsored listings.
Social recruitment	✔	✔
Resume database	x	✔
Career resources	✔	✔
Customer support	Email and phone support.	Online and phone support.

Idealist vs. CharityJob:

Both Idealist and CharityJob are nonprofit job posting sites. However, while Idealist is a global platform, CharityJob caters specifically to users in the U.K. For U.K. employers, Idealist is the more affordable option, allowing for free job posts, but may not be as suitable for local recruiting as CharityJobs.

Idealist vs. CharityJob Comparison:

Feature	Idealist	CharityJob
Price	Free and paid options.	Free and paid options.
Enhanced listing visibility	Paid.	Paid.
Listing languages	English, Spanish, Portuguese.	English.
Regional availability	All countries.	U.K.
Career resources	✔	✔
Customer support	Email and phone support.	Email and phone support.

Idealist vs. Goodmoves:

Goodmoves attracts far more U.K. traffic than Idealist. However, even within the U.K., the job board primarily caters to areas in Scotland making its audience highly targeted compared to that of Idealist. If you're looking to build an international team, Idealist is certainly the better and more affordable portal for doing so.

Idealist vs. Goodmoves Comparison:

Feature	Idealist	Goodmoves
Price	Free and paid options.	£240.00 /post.
Enhanced listing visibility	Paid.	x
Listing languages	English, Spanish, Portuguese.	English.
Regional availability	All countries.	U.K.
Career resources	✔	✔
Customer support	Email and phone support.	Email and phone support.

Key Information

Legal Name	Actions Without Borders, Inc.
Founder	Ami Dar
Founding Date	Jan 01, 1995
Address	389 5th Ave., 9th Fl., New York, New York 10016, USA
Number of Employees	27
Email	support@idealist.org
Telephone	00 1 (646) 786-6886
Website	https://www.idealist.org/en

FAQs:

What is Idealist?

Idealist is a project of Action Without Borders, a global coalition of individuals and organizations working to build a better world. Their website helps people find jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities with nonprofit organizations across the globe.

How much does it cost to post a job on Idealist?

Idealist pricing ranges from US$15.00 to US$195.00 per 30-day listing, but all nonprofit volunteer listings and non-U.S. organization job and internship listings are free.

What organizations can post on Idealist?

Nonprofits, government agencies, recruitment firms, consultants/vendors to nonprofits, and social enterprises are welcome to post on Idealist.