Yes it is true that the forum mods are volunteers. The structure governing these forums grew up organically over many years. I don’t know if other organizations or publications pay salaries to people who function as moderators in a forum, or a group. Typically people do it because they enjoy this sort of interaction, and they also gain personal satisfaction or feedback that comes from being recognized in this role.
I’d love to hear more about what sort of value the community might get from a Core77/IDSA partnership. The agreement as it stands now is more about cross-promotional efforts and exchange of services between the two organizations. Perhaps it opens the doors to additional services or offerings for the members/audience. But what kind of connections, links, introductions, etc. would make sense? Keep in mind that technology solutions that leverage our existing properties and audiences are probably more likely to see the light of day, as neither side has extra staff resources.