United Way NYC and Taproot Foundation Announce Partnership
NEW YORK, NY - United Way of New York City today announced an exclusive partnership with the Taproot Foundation that will engage business professionals in offering pro bono services to nonprofits, ensuring that local agencies have access to the same business services as corporations.
The two organizations are appealing to marketing, design, and technology professionals to deliver branding, brochures, web site and donor database services for nonprofits.
"We are pleased to be a part of the Taproot Foundation's vision of making the practice of performing pro-bono work integral to every profession," said Larry Mandell, president and chief executive officer of United Way of New York City. "It is exciting to think of what could be accomplished if volunteers could be found at even a fraction of the 1,100 companies that run United Way campaigns, especially since agencies are up against growing service demands and fewer resources."
The partnership is an example of United Way's increased focus on supporting the professional and management needs of nonprofits so they can achieve a greater impact in their communities. It also marks the launch of the Taproot Foundation in New York City. Based in San Francisco, the Taproot Foundation has provided nonprofits with grants of high-quality professional services for the last three years. United Way, with long-held relationships in both the business and nonprofit communities, will partner with the Taproot Foundation to provide United Way's 1,100 corporate contributors with the opportunity to donate their skills to identified nonprofit agencies in need of assistance.
"As the primary bridge between the corporate and nonprofit communities in New York City, United Way is the ideal partner to work with us to engage New York's thousands of business professionals in pro bono work serving the nonprofit community," said Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation. "United Way brings years of experience to the partnership, as well as support in the nonprofit and business communities that will help us achieve our mission in New York."
Established in 2001, the Taproot Foundation combines the efficiencies of traditional volunteer matching services with the quality management practices of leading business consulting firms. As a result, the Taproot Foundation is able to assign volunteers to the most appropriate projects based on their skills and to ensure the timely delivery of quality professional services.
In the next two years, the Taproot Foundation plans to provide 90 Service Grants totaling approximately $3.6 million to local nonprofits. The first round of Service Grants will be announced later this month. Volunteers with expertise in technology and marketing can sign up through the Taproot Foundation's website, www.taprootfoundation.org. Projects generally take five to six months to complete, and volunteers are asked to commit five hours per week for the duration.
Strengthening the nonprofit sector is a core objective of United Way's Community Action strategy. United Way of New York City has spent the last three decades ensuring nonprofits have access to management assistance and leadership development services. These services include free, customized management, financial and technical services that strengthen the capacity of New York City nonprofit organizations to provide quality services; board training and placement; and volunteer opportunities. United Way has trained more than 1,100 volunteers to provide agencies with strong governance and board leadership, and invested nearly $10 million to strengthen NYC nonprofits over the last five years.
About United Way of New York City
United Way of New York City is a local nonprofit that creates and leads programs to help low-income New Yorkers become and remain self-sufficient. We identify precise needs within five specific areas: hunger and homelessness; access to health care; education and early childhood development; workforce development; and strengthening the nonprofit sector. Next, we bring together partners and resources to develop and execute strategies that tackle the root causes of these problem areas. Finally, we set goals, measure and report progress to donors. We are governed by volunteers and independently operated. For more information on United Way of New York City, please visit www.unitedwaynyc.org.
About the Taproot Foundation
The Taproot Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that works to engage the country's millions of business professionals in pro bono service strengthening the nonprofit sector. Since 2001, the Taproot Foundation has awarded over $4 million in services to nonprofit organizations in New York and San Francisco. The Taproot Foundation is led by a team that includes executives with experience from Landor Associates, Scient, Gartner, E*TRADE, Peninsula Community Foundation, Organic and Hewitt Associates. The foundation is the recipient of the 2002 Draper Richards Foundation Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship for its innovative Service Grant model. For more information, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org.
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