Pro Bono Junkie's Blog
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By Natalya Matusova on
June 8, 2010 4:09 PM
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A short while ago, we launched a set of features on our intranet aimed at creating a more connected community of pro bono consultants. You can read a bit more in this
blog post from last month.
Since then we have seen a flurry, albeit a small one, of discussion. It's been so exciting to see our pro bono consultants interacting with each other that we decided to spotlight a couple of our favorite posters.
Note: Our online community is currently open only to our screened and registered pro bono consultants. If that's you,
join in! Lend your expertise!
Skip Winitsky - Taproot Foundation Account Director in New York
(This is how Skip appears to us, because we don't have his photo. Make sure you upload yours
here!)
Skip is a marketing consultant specializing in branding, messaging, and digital media strategies. He has completed two projects as an Account Director and currently has two more under way.
Skip posted a
question about meeting in-person as opposed to virtually and got 20 thoughtful
responses including:
Skip also asked another
question about staffing project teams. It gets right to the heart of his role as an Account Director. We are thrilled to see so much
discussion about such an important part of the Service Grant process. Below is one great answer:
"My approach to staffing is simple. I focus on the team, experience and passion.
- First, I determine what skills will create the most effective and well-rounded group of individuals. This will ensure that there aren't major gaps in skills. Don't forget to assess yourself!
- Second, I make certain the volunteers I contact complement each other by selecting a range of industries, work experience, and Taproot status (veteran vs novice).
- Finally, when I talk to them I seek their passion! Does this project align with one of their interests/passion points? Would the role be a challenge to help them fill a career gap? Why do they want to help?"
This discussion is still open, so please weigh in!
Skip doesn't just ask questions. He answers them too, addressing topics such as keeping teams on track and modifying the Discovery process in projects.
Why does Skip post questions and answer? "It helps the movement and it helps others do better work."
Gail Koff, Future Taproot Foundation Account Director in the Bay Area
Gail is retired and enjoying her travels around the world. In her professional life, she owned an HR consulting business for 23 years. She is eager to lead one of Taproot Foundation's HR projects, but so far been unable because of her travel schedule. By posting questions, comments and suggestions, she is able to contribute to Taproot without being staffed on a project.
In preparation for her first project with Taproot, she posted a question about creating a sense of urgency on projects. She got some great responses. Among others, we love this one:
"I think it always helps to engage people on a one-on-one basis. Help them [the members of the nonprofit you are working with] feel that this is 'their' project, and that they are experts in the nonprofit field, and we are the tools they can use to communicate their expertise. We can make them look good! And if that fails, I have tried homemade chocolate chip cookies."
Gail has also used her extensive experience as a consultant to weigh in on questions others have posed. "I felt I could add value because of my experience working in the public sector and answering questions has allowed me to stay engaged with Taproot."
Gail and Skip represent very different perspectives on participating in our online community, but the result is still the same: they are engaging with their peers in a way that will benefit their projects, Taproot Foundation clients, and the pro bono movement.
Natalya "Natasha" Matusova is a Product Development Fellow at the Taproot Foundation.
By Natalya Matusova on
April 29, 2010 5:50 PM
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If
you're a current Taproot Foundation pro bono consultant, you may have
noticed a few changes in your profile pages once you sign on to your
account on our website. We've added a number of new features that are
helping us to connect our pro bono consultants and staff so they can
share their wisdom and expertise directly with one another and be a more connected community. As the
community's moderator, it's my job to make sure all our staff and pro
bono consultants know how to take advantage of these new tools.
"So
what?" you might be thinking right now. Well, have you ever tossed and
turned at night wondering whether or not you should email your Taproot
Foundation Program Manager with yet another question about wireframes?
Have you complained to your mother, your friends, and the checkout
clerk that you don't have peer suggestions for an interview process
that's stuck? Or maybe you have a project management idea that could
revolutionize the way things are done at the Taproot Foundation? Well,
now you have somewhere to turn.
Our spot coaching feature
allows you to post questions to your fellow pro bono consultants and to
Taproot Foundation staff and browse discussions started by others. And
our handy dandy suggestion box gives you the opportunity to provide
direct feedback about our programs, process, and documentation.
The next time you have a question, log in and
ask our network. They'll answer. Or next time you
have feedback for us- no matter how big or small- post it to the
suggestion box. We've already implemented
this great suggestion requesting sample deliverables from projects, and there's more to come.
And this is just version 1.0... just wait to see what we've got coming up next!
Natalya "Natasha" Matusova is a Product Development Fellow at Taproot Foundation.
By Anne Diaz on
February 22, 2010 8:00 AM
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This month Taproot announced an exciting milestone- the completion of our 1000th Service Grant! Consider this post an interactive thank you card from all of us at Taproot Foundation!
Please take a moment to reflect on all that we have accomplished together. Join us in celebrating by posting your most memorable Taproot moment, sharing what pro bono service means to you, or thanking your fellow members of the Taproot Foundation family! You have proven that we can accomplish more by working together and sharing our talents and passions across sectors. Thank you!
Taproot Program Manager Anne Diaz shares what this milestone means to her:
As a Program Manager at Taproot Foundation, I have the great honor and privilege of overseeing our Service Grant projects from start to finish. A fellow Program Manager put it well when she recently remarked to me, "the emotional rewards at this job are amazing. We spend a lot of time at our desks, but we somehow get to witness and facilitate great change at the same time."
Over the course of the100 projects I've managed, I have witnessed amazing results. I have seen nonprofits whose work is completely transformed for the better by stellar deliverables; pro bono consultants who, inspired by their clients, change their careers by switching sectors (some even joining their client's staff, full time!); and nonprofit board members who decide to become pro bono consultants after they witness the professionalism of the Taproot teams working for their organization.
The road to 1000 projects hasn't always been smooth. Each one of our projects demands the utmost dedication and expertise from our pro bono consultants as well as professionalism and candor from our clients. There have been moments of frustration, disappointment, confusion, and hilarity. Yet these moments make the final deliverables and the overall experience that much sweeter for everyone involved.
When chosen to write this post in celebration of our 1000th project milestone, I tried to think of one moment that would encapsulate the deep gratitude I feel around each and every project we support - projects that expose the absolute best of the corporate and nonprofit worlds.
I thought about what to write as I ate lunch with a three-time Account Director who told me, "Anne, I will always be an Account Director for Taproot. This is work just too meaningful to stop." I kept thinking as I brainstormed with a pro bono consultant who had offered to help Taproot create different pro bono service options. I continued thinking as I spoke to representatives from a nonprofit and heard their deep appreciation for their team and the lessons they had learned about their infrastructure through creating a new logo.
What I realized is that this milestone can't be summed up in one moment. This milestone is the culmination of thousands of little "aha!" moments collectively proving that pro bono can be high quality, reliable, and accessible. Perhaps one of our clients summed it up best, in an email to me this morning: "This work has been an exciting and stimulating adventure!!!"
An adventure it is. Here's to the next 1000!
By Aaron Hurst on
December 29, 2009 2:29 PM
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(Click Above to See Our New Video and Youtube Channel!)
It's that time of year again when many of us reflect on the past year of our lives, look ahead at the potential of the coming year, and resolve to better ourselves in any number of ways.
While New Year's resolutions are made with great intentions, in practice, many of them end up being somewhat insignificant or self-centered. Though positive changes, will it really make a difference if you lose 5 pounds or brush up on your French this year? When February rolls around, will your resolution be something you care about enough to stick with it?
All this talk about new year's resolutions got me thinking--imagine the impact if all business professionals made a resolution that really mattered-- "I will make a positive impact in my community by doing pro bono work."
Reflecting on the past year, I've been realizing the impact pro bono service can have on the nonprofit sector and have been inspired by all of the amazing individuals and corporations currently engaging in pro bono service. As we've said many times, pro bono work is not just for lawyers. There are hundreds of thousands of nonprofits that could desperately use the skills business professionals like human resources managers, graphic designers, management analysts, and marketers have to offer.
According to the 2010-2011 Occupational Outlook Calendar of the Department of Labor Statistics, in 2008 there were 904,900 people working as human resources, training, and labor relations managers, 286,100 working as graphic designers or graphic artists, 746,900 people working as management analysts, and 623,800 people working as advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales managers.
That represents over 2.5 million people with professional skills that are currently put to use in the for-profit arena which could also be used to strengthen nonprofit organizations improving our communities. And those numbers don't even include people working in IT, copywriting, journalism, architecture and many other professions whose skills would also benefit the nonprofit sector.
Imagine the impact on our communities if all of those individuals spent a few hours in 2010 contributing their services to a local nonprofit and did so in a structured, well-managed engagement, which ensured its success. Recognizing that you have talents that can be shared to really make a difference is a first step. Pro bono work can be the gift that keeps giving. Many participants say the work they do for nonprofits in their communities renews their pride in their profession and gives them an opportunity to do work for causes they care passionately about. This is a resolution worthy of kicking off the New Year--and new decade.
An amazing video production team got as excited as we are about this vision and contributed their services pro bono to help us make the
video above, and we've posted it on our brand new
youtube channel.We hope you'll kick off the new year by watching our video and considering the exciting potential in our vision for a society where the business and social sectors truly partner to address today's toughest challenges. This year, we hope you'll help us spread the word about the positive impact pro bono service can have. We hope you'll share this video and vision with business professionals you most respect, engage in the national dialogue about meaningful service in our communities, and consider ways your employer could partner more substantially with the community organizations they most care about. We hope that this year you'll share your passion and talents with the nonprofit sector!
Make your 2010 resolution matter.
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All of us at the Taproot Foundation would like to thank all of the people who have inspired and energized us in 2009 and wish you a happy and healthy 2010!
By Natalya Matusova on
November 12, 2009 9:12 PM
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One of nonprofit sector's biggest challenges is one that has typically been under-researched, under-funded, and largely unaddressed.
Nonprofits' struggles with attracting, nurturing and retaining the right people are well known. We know that nonprofit employees work hard and are passionate about their work. We also know that low pay can be an issue, but it is definitely not
the issue.
So what's the problem?
The problem is that unlike most for-profit companies, nonprofits tend to view good HR as a luxury rather than a necessity for survival. This view leads to an underinvestment in an organization's most precious resource: its people.
This is where the Taproot Foundation comes in (full disclosure: yes, this is a shameless plug). Presented by American Express, our new
Leadership Development & Strategic HR practice offers a set of grants aimed at helping nonprofits think and act more strategically with regard to human resources. By strengthening HR philosophy and execution, these Service Grants strengthen and empower entire organizations.
Fostering leadership throughout an organization gives the organization's executive leadership more time to concentrate on other priorities--fundraising, networking, building or sustaining good programs--and to do so with confidence in their staff.
We have developed these grants because we have full faith in their power to transform the way work is done at nonprofits. I realize that these sorts of efforts may seem reminiscent of situations worthy of an episode of "The Office," but worry not.
Extensive research and input from experts has gone into the development of these grants. There will be no Steve Carells in sight.
Natalya Matusova is a Product Development Fellow at the Taproot Foundation.
By Aaron Hurst on
October 1, 2007 2:19 PM
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When I launched the first site in 2001, we didn't have a single nonprofit or volunteer signed up. The site held up well for the last six years, but over the last year it began to feel like a poor reflection of the work being done by our pro bono consultants. The Taproot Foundation now has over 500 nonprofit clients and over 10,0000 business professionals who have signed up to serve.
This new site is the first step in creating a true destination for pro bono on the web. It includes a searchable database of over 500 pro bono projects. It connects people to our growing presence on the top social networking sites. It provides a home page for the five cities where we have begun to build a pro bono community.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Please send us your feedback on our 2.0 site and let us know how we could make it even better.
