One hour, two people, no agenda
Acquaint, the nonprofit that runs the conversations, connects two volunteers for a one-to-one audio call of about an hour. Neither person is there to sell anything, do business or reach an outcome; the aim is to be present with each other and learn about each other’s lives, backgrounds and perspectives.
In the Empathy Project, employees at participating companies hold four of these conversations over six weeks, and the people on the other end come from Acquaint’s community and, increasingly, from volunteer networks around the world. As an Acquaint volunteer, though, a person could be matched with anyone from anywhere, an employee at a company or another community volunteer, and their part is the same each time: show up and try to have a meaningful conversation.
After each conversation, both people are encouraged to write a short appreciation note. Acquaint shared notes in which volunteers described a partner overturning an assumption they had held about people from another place.
Five steps, on the volunteer’s own schedule
Select a step to see what happens, how your organization can help, and what is useful to know.
The volunteer signs up through Acquaint’s Empathy Project page and goes through Acquaint’s short onboarding, either recorded or on a live video call with other new volunteers.
Share the sign-up link with your volunteers, and tell them why your organization is taking part.
Conversational English is required. It does not need to be perfect.
What volunteers gain, and what to expect
Acquaint shares these points with every new volunteer, so the people you introduce know what the experience offers before they sign up.
Who can take part
Acquaint volunteers are 15 or older, with parental consent for anyone under 18.
Required for now. It does not need to be perfect.
Calls are audio only. Volunteers are patient when a connection drops.
No special skills needed. Curiosity and patience matter more.
The other half of every conversation
Conversation partners need to come from communities companies rarely reach, and that is where volunteer networks come in. The project is looking for a few thousand people willing to have a conversation. Volunteer Groups Alliance and Idealist already help reach them, and new networks take part by sharing Acquaint’s sign-up link and letting RW Institute know.
Share the Acquaint sign-up link with the people in your network who would enjoy an hour of conversation.
Tell the project what your community needs from it and what would make taking part worthwhile.
A page on the Empathy Project site showing partner organizations and their logos to the companies and funders who visit it.
A simple process so companies can be told plainly how each partner organization has been checked, and what that covers. Timing to be confirmed.
Nonprofit and volunteer-network partners would meet live once a month or once a quarter to swap what works and help steer the project. First meetings are proposed for this quarter.
Volunteer organizations at the salon suggested ways to recognize and extend the time volunteers give. The project has noted them, and none is a commitment.
What the first conversations produced
Between June and September 2026 the first cohorts ran with an international law firm and Dolby, with conversation partners from Acquaint’s existing community. The figures describe participation and what people valued, and were not designed to measure change.
Percentages are computed here from the published counts, relative to sign-ups. The cohorts were at different points in delivery, so the snapshots should not be read as a comparison between companies.
Reported by Acquaint on September 18, 2026, counting employees and conversation partners together. Both people’s time counts.
Partners appreciated employees who remembered details and showed patience; employees valued partners who helped them through their first calls.
Equal respect, whoever is on the call
Every Acquaint volunteer commits to treating fellow volunteers with equal respect and putting effort into the conversation, whoever they are talking to. Anyone who meets hate or harassment, or feels unsafe, is asked to report it to Acquaint right away. Acquaint says it has had no reported incidents of hate or harassment across more than 35,000 hours of conversation. Open a common challenge to see how volunteers handle it.
Understanding each other can take effort, especially on an audio call. Volunteers slow down, ask each other to repeat words, and check they have understood.
Answers before you share it
Open a question to see the answer and where it comes from.
Anyone aged 15 or older (with parental consent under 18) who has conversational English and is willing to spend about an hour talking with someone they do not know. No special skills or experience are needed.
Source: acquaint.org/opportunities; Acquaint onboarding and RW Institute, October 13, 2026 partner salonWhere new partners come in
Dates from the fourth quarter of 2026 onward are plans and may move as partners join.
Three steps to bring your volunteers in
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1
Try a conversation yourself
Sign up through Acquaint and have one conversation, so you know what you are inviting your volunteers to.
Sign up with Acquaint -
2
Share it with your volunteers
Send the sign-up link to people in your network who might enjoy an hour of conversation, with a line on why your organization is taking part.
Copy the sign-up link from Acquaint -
3
Tell RW Institute you are in
Let RW Institute know your organization is taking part, so it can keep you informed as the partner council and featured partners page take shape.
Contact RW Institute
Where this page comes from
Acquaint’s volunteer onboarding presentation and remarks by Acquaint co-founder Katherine Mahon at the Empathy Project partner salon, October 13, 2026: how conversations work, volunteer benefits, the respect commitment, reporting and common challenges, and Acquaint’s approximate volunteer count.
Acquaint sign-up for Empathy Project volunteers: audio-only conversations of about an hour. About Acquaint: 35,000+ hours across 110+ countries, with no reported incidents of hate or harassment. Acquaint volunteer requirements: 15 or older, with parental consent under 18.
Remarks by Chris Jarvis, RW Institute, at the same salon (the number of volunteers sought, no special skills needed), and the RW Institute partner briefing of October 13, 2026 (featured partners page, vetting and the proposed partner council).
RW Institute (2026). The Empathy Project: Pilot Learning Report, updated September 21, 2026, and the Empathy Project overview.
Other views of the project: the company overview and the research overview for academic partners.