Idealist to offer social-impact audiences free professional development through on-demand courses from IBM SkillsBuild
NEW YORK, May 5, 2026 /3BL/ - Idealist and IBM’s SkillsBuild platform have teamed up to bring Idealist users access to over 1,000 free online courses. Through this collaboration, members of Idealist’s social-impact community can gain digital skills in topics ranging from project management, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and workplace readiness.
Idealist, founded in 1995, serves millions of people looking for ways to build a better world, through full-time jobs, internships, volunteerism, and connecting with neighbors to address local problems.
The IBM SkillsBuild educational platform aims to increase access to technology information. As part of the program, 1,000+ courses across 20 languages are available to help Idealist users develop new skills, whether they are looking for career advancement or changes, providing different support as volunteers to nonprofits, or bringing new insights into their communities. Participants that finish these courses will be able to download digital certificates for their resumes, C.V.s, or online profiles to demonstrate growth in a specific area or field.
“We’re so excited to collaborate with IBM in this way,” said Idealist’s Executive Director Ami Dar. “The nonprofit sector is constantly evolving, as is work and technology. By bringing this content to our community, I know we can change how nonprofits approach difficult problems while addressing the need for skill building around the world. We are looking forward to seeing what this brings.”
To access this free, powerful content, please visit the IBM SkillsBuild channel by Idealist.
About Idealist
For 30 years, Idealist has worked to bridge the gap between intention and action by connecting organizations and people who want to do good. With the 2025 merger with VolunteerMatch, Idealist has connected 200,000+ organizations with tens of millions of people. Over the years, the combined organizations facilitated posting of over a million jobs and over a million volunteer opportunities. Additionally, Idealist empowers businesses to make a difference through volunteering via API technology and other means. Find out more at idealist.org and on LinkedIn and Instagram.
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