For small nonprofits & mutual-aid groups
Turn willing volunteers into shown-up help.
A lean team, a long list of needs, and volunteers who want to help but don’t know where. Lightwork connects the ask to the hands — without a phone tree, a spreadsheet, or a dispatcher.
Free to use. Works on iOS, Android, and the web.
What it looks like
Get help where it’s needed.
Match needs to volunteers
Post what someone needs today; a volunteer nearby claims it. No dispatcher required.
Rides & deliveries
Get a client to an appointment or a box of groceries to a doorstep.
Skilled hands
A volunteer who can fix a wheelchair ramp finds the person who needs one.
Coordinate a small team
Your handful of staff and regulars see every open need in one shared list.
Surge without chaos
When a cold snap or a storm hits, spin up help fast inside a group you already trust.
Keep it dignified
Recipients can ask anonymously, so getting help never means being put on display.
Good to know
What lean teams ask.
What if we can’t afford volunteer-management software?
You don’t need to buy any to start. Coordinating help for your team and your volunteers is free — co-managers, a repeating schedule, and coverage you can see before a date arrives — across as many groups as you run. The part we charge for is the organization layer: a verified badge on the help you sponsor, oversight across groups your staff never joined, and the volunteer-hour records a funder asks for. The organization plan is not switched on yet, and no price is set. The features are built — tell us about your organization and we’ll work out how to get you started.
What if our volunteers aren’t technical?
Asking takes about thirty seconds, and offering to help takes a tap. It runs on any phone or in a browser.
How is this different from a Facebook group?
An ask is public to your area by default. Post it to a group and only that group’s members see it. Requests don’t scroll away, you see exactly who’s coming, and people can ask anonymously — none of which a Facebook group does well.
Can it handle a surge?
Yes. Stand up a group ahead of a storm or a season, and it is ready when the need spikes.
What you get
Built so asking for help feels safe.
Private by default
Ask anonymously when you need to. Your identity is never revealed in notifications, share links, search, or messages — unless you choose to share it.
Your area, or your group
An ask is public to your area by default, so anyone nearby can lend a hand — no group required. Post it to a group and only that group’s members see it: your church, your street, your school.
Direct, safe messaging
A private message to one person, separate from the chat on the ask. A message request you decline simply disappears — no awkwardness, no pressure.
Everywhere you are
One account across iOS, Android, and the web. Start on your phone, finish on your laptop.
Free, and built to stay kind
No ads, no selling attention. Lightwork measures help given, not time spent.
Get help where it’s needed, faster.
Free on every phone and the web. Start a group for your team and volunteers.