Action Without Borders, also known as Idealist, is a non-profit service organization based in New York City, founded in 1995 by Ami Dar.

[3] 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.

[3] By 1995, Dar had founded an early iteration of Idealist, initially called The Contact Center Network.

[4] They sponsored meeting spaces in several communities where people could connect with neighbors who might share interests and ideas for local action.

[5] Ami Dar (Hebrew: עמי דר; born January 7, 1961[citation needed]) is the founder and executive director of Action Without Borders.