HandsOn Network created and managed nearly 50,000 projects a year, from building wheelchair ramps in San Francisco to teaching reading in Atlanta, to rebuilding homes and lives in Gulf Coast communities following Hurricane Katrina.

They sought an alternate way of doing volunteering, in contrast to established organizations such as the Points of Light Foundation and its associated Voluntary Action Centers.

[1] In particular, they sought to focus on attracting younger, more business-focused volunteers by offering a single day of service on a per-month basis.

[2] Example local affiliates included New York Cares, which in point of fact was launched in 1987 and provided the basis for the later national model.

[1] Over time, HandsOn Network became made up of 58 national and international volunteer organizations that act as entrepreneurial civic action centers.