An Alternative Route for Marekters
As this column has mentioned before, volunteering is a great way to network, to learn new skills or refresh old ones and to give back to the community. In addition to opportunities available with the SFAMA the Bay Area has hundreds of organizations that could put your professional expertise to good use during this period of budget cuts. State government and private foundations have cut funding and programs in response to the decline in state economic activity. In 2003, California is expected to cut $10 billion from the state budget to combat a $21 billion budget deficit, and private foundations, whose assets are also in decline, are not able to fill funding gaps. Below is a profile of the Taproot Foundation, an organization that links marketing professionals with organizations needing marketing expertise.
"Volunteering with the Taproot Foundation has been the most rewarding experience of my ten year marketing career. I was able to make an important and tangible contribution to a great nonprofit organization, meet amazing people and gain an understanding of core issues facing our community."
-- Rebecca Rozanski, Marketing Specialist, CATS Service Grant
The Taproot Foundation Service Grant Program
The Taproot Foundation's Service Grant program is designed to help nonprofits achieve their goals by increasing funding, awareness and technological core competencies. This program offers a great professional development opportunity for marketing professionals. The Taproot Foundation provides nonprofit organizations with marketing and technology Service Grants that are staffed and managed by skilled volunteers from the business community. The Service Grant that the Taproot Foundation delivered for the General Assistance Advocacy Project (GAAP) is an excellent example of how a Taproot Foundation Service Grant offers professionals great development opportunities as well as fulfills much needed nonprofit marketing services.
The GAAP needed a marketing brochure to increase funding from well-known funding agencies, such as the California Endowment Fund, as well as private foundations. The "Kick Off" meeting, headed by the Program Manager ensured that the GAAP group operated as a professional and efficient team. To ensure that the GAAP team met weekly and major deadlines over the course of the 16 week Service Grant, the Service Grant involved weekly tele-conference team updates and monthly meetings with the Director at GAAP. Towards the end of the project, the GAAP volunteer team had the opportunity to present the brochure and to discuss their experiences at a Taproot Foundation monthly mixer.
The Director of GAAP had this to say about the Taproot Foundation Service Grant:
"This was a 100% positive experience. It is so great to have professional quality work performed free for non-profits. Taproot absolutely delivered what it promised." -- Annabrooke Temple, Director, GAAP
Professional Development - Stand Out in Your Next Interview!
Whether you are currently employed or looking for the next gig, donating your time and skills with the Taproot Foundation or other nonprofits is great way to advance your career and to stand out in your next interview or review. Studies have consistently shown that executives view volunteering as a sign of leadership and a valuable tool in professional development. A US Conference Board survey, for example, found that executives believe volunteer participation builds skills and changes attitudes, including respect for diversity and willingness to take risks. By working with a team of experienced marketing and technology volunteers, you build lasting relationships that will serve you over the course of your career.
The Taproot Foundation Project Manager/Grant Manager for the "Wardrobe for Opportunity" Service grant, said:
"I really enjoyed working with Wardrobe for Opportunity. I was truly impressed with the number of lives they've been able to impact. My Service Grant team was one of the best project teams that I've ever managed. The quality of their work consistently blew me away."
-- Blakely Atherton, Project Manager/Grant Manager
Current Taproot Foundation volunteers have valuable experience that they have gained at some top Bay Area companies, such as Charles Schwab, Yahoo!, Oracle, Clorox, Gap, Landor Associates, McKinsey & Company and Intel to name a few.
To achieve your long-term career goals, professional development is key. The Taproot Foundation and other nonprofits provide an excellent opportunity for professional development as well as for meaningful volunteer work.
To Become a Volunteer
To learn more about the Taproot Foundation and apply to be a 2003 volunteer, please visit the Taproot Foundation website at www.taprootfoundation.org. Members might also be interested in visiting VolunteerMatch.org. Dedicated to "helping everyone find a great place to volunteer," VolunteerMatch links volunteers with service organizations across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including marketing.
