Taproot Foundation Awarded California Volunteers 2010 Social Innovation Spotlight Award
Governor Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver Recognize Taproot Foundation for Revolutionary Service Model and Engaging Corporate Community in Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — May 06, 2010 — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver presented Taproot Foundation with the prestigious California Volunteers’ Spotlight Award today at the annual Governor and First Lady’s Medals for Service statewide event. This top California volunteerism award recognizes a business or nonprofit who has made a broad and innovative impact on the service and volunteering sector in California.
Taproot, a nonprofit organization founded in San Francisco in 2001, was selected as this year’s award recipient for revolutionizing service in California both by engaging marketing, human resources, design, and strategy professionals in pro bono service to strengthen nonprofits and by partnering with companies across the state to expand the impact of pro bono service. At the award ceremony, Taproot was recognized for having delivered over 350,000 hours of pro bono services to over 500 nonprofits in the Bay Area and Los Angeles valued at over $30 million since 2001. They were also credited for partnering with and convening corporations, universities, trade associations, and government agencies to design and implement their own pro bono service programs making it possible for thousands of additional professionals to engage in pro bono service.
“We have always been deeply committed to our impact in California and are honored to have been chosen to receive this award” says Joel Bashevkin, Taproot Foundation’s Western Region Executive Director. “In the past year, we have really seen the expansion of our community impact through the success of our new Los Angeles office. This award honors not only Taproot Foundation but also the many amazing nonprofits, business professionals, corporations, and community leaders who have joined together to make pro bono service a reliable and wide-spread solution for our state.”
The award also recognized Taproot for its dedication to cross-sector collaborations and for its impact and response to the changing economy. They were noted for the 2009 expansion of their Service Grant Program to serve Los Angeles, which within its first year leveraged pro bono consulting resources valued at $5 million dollars to the city. Taproot was also recognized for engaging corporate leaders to increase their support of California’s nonprofits. Nationwide, Taproot’s efforts with CNCS’s Billion + Change Campaign have helped secure pledges of over $400 million in pro bono service from the corporate community.
“Over the past decade, the Taproot Foundation has had a tremendous positive impact on the state of California,” says Karen Baker, California Secretary of Service and Volunteering. “Their innovative approach to pro bono service in their Bay Area and Los Angeles programs has allowed thousands of professionals to serve our nonprofits. Additionally, they have created a collaborative community across corporations, universities, government, and nonprofits to support our state. This past year, their work has been especially critical in filling resource gaps as economic challenges have left more professionals unemployed and more nonprofits under-resourced. Taproot’s selection reflects their broad impact in strengthening and uniting our communities.”
For more information visit taprootfoundation.org.
About Taproot Foundation
Taproot is a nonprofit organization that makes business talent available to organizations working to improve society. We engage the nation’s millions of business professionals from marketing, design, technology, and strategy fields in pro bono services both through our award-winning programs and by partnering with companies to develop their pro bono programs. One day, we envision all organizations with promising solutions will be equipped to successfully take on urgent social challenges.
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