Our Story

Where We Started

Our organization was founded in 2005 under the name ME3 (motivate, educate, empower, and engage). ME3 was launched following a two and a half month cross-country road trip during which co-founders Amber Smith and Heather Leah conducted random acts of kindness and volunteered with a variety of causes in over 20 states. Along the journey, they noticed two key challenges creating a gap: people wanted to volunteer, but didn’t know how to get started; and nonprofits had a great and consistent need for more volunteers to help meet their communities’ needs. This experience inspired the the founding of ME3 to close that gap in the Triangle community.

Since the launch of our volunteer matching and connecting program in 2008, we work to connect individuals and groups to opportunities that support local causes in ways that match their skills, schedules, and interests. Activate Good graduated in 2010 to work with schools, teens, and families through our Youth Program, engaging thousands of local youth to get involved in service and leadership opportunities.

In 2011, we evolved again as we shifted to our current name, Activate Good, to better reflect our growing role as a facilitator of volunteerism. The name embodies our excitement to continue empowering action and good work in Raleigh, the Greater Triangle, and beyond!

Activate Good has mobilized over 70,500 community members to serve over 600 Community Partners, which include nonprofits, schools, government agencies, and other community organizations that rely on volunteer support. While our founder Amber Smith transitioned out of her role as Executive Director in 2024, our mission continues under the leadership of our amazing Board and Staff!

We recognize that connections to others and our communities are what inspire all people to take action, and volunteers become connectors themselves, bringing more and more local people into the fold and increasing our collective impact.