FROM PRO BONO CONSULTANT TO ACTIVE BOARD MEMBER 

As a fellow nonprofit, Taproot DC also utilizes the power of pro bono. Just ask the head of our Advisory Board, Howard Diener!

Howard started with Taproot in 2008 and has led 15 Service Grant projects and counting! Surprisingly, before doing pro bono with Taproot, he was not involved with the nonprofit community. We sat down with Howard for an interview to hear more about his experience with pro bono at Taproot. 

So, why pro bono, and why so much involvement?

“Pro bono consulting with Taproot creates the opportunity to be creative with our experience, and you have a wide array of great projects to choose from. Not only that, Taproot provides the resources so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to make a difference. It allows for more time to connect with nonprofit professionals. Having the opportunity to work with like-minded people is something that one does not always have the opportunity to do.” 

Have you ever had a relationship with a nonprofit that went beyond the Service Grant?

“Just about all of the relationships I formed with nonprofits while working on service grants have gone past that. One in particular was Collegiate Directions. I am now on the board and the Chair of the Finance Committee. Having the opportunity to take part in the work that they are doing of sending first generation college student to school is needed and fulling. The relationship I was able to form with them through the service grant program swayed my decision to take on a more active role with them after the project.”  

With your experience on projects and working with nonprofits 8 years later, what surprises you the most?

“It amazes me how many nonprofits don’t take advantage of pro bono. Taproot represents an opportunity for a nonprofit to spread its wings and operate as a business entity.  At the end of the day, a nonprofit is a business. A nonprofit can’t operate in any other way or it won’t exist. The most important thing for nonprofits to do is exist. Everyone is after the same relatively small group of funders. What are you different? Why are you unique? What makes you a better place for their money than the next guys? Everyone is going for the same funding.”

                                “What is your strategic plan?”

Taproot has two upcoming opportunities to connect with pro bono consultants like Howard:

By Max Skolnik, Executive Director of Taproot Foundation DC

I was at a conference recently where a young leader declared, “Pass the baton to us, or we’re going to take it.” After this comment, much of the room erupted defensively. But one of the more senior activists stood up in the back. She pleaded, “We want to pass the baton, but you need to teach us how.” 

We’ve probably been having these generational conflicts since the dawn of time, but I was struck by her response. Teach us how. Such a humble and reflective answer. 

Recently, this hit home for me at a pro bono marathon event that Taproot held in October during Pro Bono Week. We had gathered several Baltimore nonprofits at the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. Around 30 volunteers from Constellation Energy, T. Rowe Price, and students from JHU’s Carey Net Impact club streamed in and took their seats at the assorted tables, ready to help with the challenges faced by the nonprofits. 

I love Taproot marathons. You get that rare chance to see pro bono service in action. There’s a determined energy in the air as teams unwind structural challenges and blaze paths forward. It’s like watching rockets lift off from launch pads. The vibe is especially pronounced when you have MBA students in the room, learning from more senior professionals and contributing their own bold ideas. Batons were being passed back and forth. 

I felt the same way in June of 2015 at our marathon with PwC. We did an event with 30 organizations operating in the My Brother’s Keeper space. Along with the veteran consultants, we had a huge batch of summer associates who were interning at PwC. The same palpable energy filled the room as summer associates worked with nonprofits to scope out action plans in key strategic areas. 

As the consultant teams worked together, you could watch ideas being shared and collaboration happening in real time. Summer associate or veteran consultant, all sat equally around the table and put their heads together to solve problems for social change.

Happy National Pro Bono Week! 

In celebration of National Pro Bono Week (October 25th - 31st, 2015), Taproot DC hosted a ScopeAthon in Baltimore on October 24th. 

The half day of pro bono service was held in partnership with the Net Impact Chapter of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. 

During this event, 4-5 consultants from Carey Business School and volunteers from Constellation Energy, assisted Baltimore-based nonprofits in creating scoped plans of action in strategy and marketing. 

In just four hours, our consultant volunteers scoped out action plans for the 6 nonprofits below. 

Baltimore organizations that participated:

BMe Baltimore, a growing network of all races and genders committed to building better communities across the U.S. who led by example to strengthen neighborhoods, mentor young people, and create businesses.

Beat the Streets is a wrestling program committed to providing a positive environment that nurtures physical and mental development through wrestling, mentoring, and tutoring programs.

Urban Alliance Baltimore empowers under-resourced youth to aspire, work and succeed through paid internships, formal training, and mentorship.

Higher Achievement aims to close the opportunity gap during the pivotal middle school years. By leveraging a rigorous year-round learning environment, caring role models, and a culture of high expectations, resulting in college-bound scholars with the character, confidence, and skills to succeed.

EVENT PARTNERS: 

Student Volunteers from Carey Business School’s Net Impact Club  and  skilled Volunteers from Constellation Energy.

What happens when you combine speed dating with consulting? Speed consulting! Speed consulting allows nonprofits to sit down with experts in finance, marketing, and strategy to diagnose critical problems nonprofits are facing.

Thanks to the generous support of American Express, and in partnership with Serve DC, Taproot DC hosted a Speed Consulting event at the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center on Friday, September 11th, 2015 from 8:30am - 1:00pm. The event was part of 9/11 Skills Service Day, a national day of service commemorate the anniversary of 9/11.

We were joined by 15 wonderful consultants and 13 nonprofits, including DC SCORES, DC STEM, Homestretch VA, and more. During the event, we decided to spotlight one nonprofit, Capital Partners for Education, to give other nonprofits a sense of what it's like to attend a speed consulting event with Taproot.  

We followed Genette Comfort, Director of Development and Communications at Capital Partners for ED, to each of the 3 sessions.  

First up was the session on finance. Genette explained to her consultant a common nonprofit problem that Capital Partners is facing - staff capacity. The ED can't do it all, and managing financial systems is best divided among qualified staff instead of concentrated in 1-2 people. How can pro bono help?

Key takeaway from finance: "Know where you are as a nonprofit. You've got to start with small solutions to build a strong foundation. My consultant walked me through simple steps that will allow us to make a plan going forward."  

Next was the strategy session. Capital Partners for Ed has grown by 40% in the past year. How do they manage their new staff? How can they maintain their productivity and grow their outputs?  

The key takeaway from strategy was to conduct internal assessments. "We identified key areas where we could be using volunteers, as well as where we need to be better about utilizing free resources [pro tip: Taproot is one of them!]. We need to be collaborating with other nonprofits in our line of work as well."  

Lastly, was the session on marketing. Capital Partners for ED runs a very high-touch, hands-on mentoring program with many detailed components. How can their branded collateral convey the complexity of what they do while still being accessible to stakeholders and easy to read?  

Key takeaway from marketing: Focus on your audience(s). "We were so focused on generating new collateral that we didn't pay as much attention to who it was going to [i.e. funders, partners, students, mentors, etc.]. By segmenting our materials depending on the audience receiving them, we'll be able to better reach our key groups with the messages they need to hear."  

So there you have it! That's how Capital Partners for Education got their pro bono needs "done in a day."  

Feedback from the event:

“The depth of expertise was first-class.”

-DC STEM Network  

“I can’t believe they’re talking to me for free!”

-Capital Partners for Education

Washington DC -- APRIL 22, 2015 --  The Charge Up Collaborative announces the official launch of its website -- www.chargeupcollaborative.org.  This resource is designed to help the Washington D.C. region’s nonprofit and philanthropic communities access high quality capacity building services tailored to specific organizational needs.

 What is Capacity Building?

“Capacity building” is defined as the provision of organizational development assistance to improve the performance of a nonprofit organization on specific indicators.  Such assistance can encompass a broad range of activities such as face-to-face and online training; technical assistance in person, by telephone, and online; and peer-to-peer or expert consultation, coaching, and mentoring; as well as other efforts to increase organizational infrastructure.

 “This effort connects for the first time major capacity building organizations working to improve the nonprofit sector in the Washington, DC region. Chargeupcollaborative.org is a site, rich with opportunity, knowledge and connections.   Nonprofits interested in building a sustainable organization and fulfilling their potential can find information about accessing pro bono and low cost services from a diverse group of capacity building organizations united in their commitment to excellence and social good,” noted Maria Nagorski, Director.

 “One stop shop -- simple navigation”

Chargeupcollaborative.org is a “one stop shop.”  A simple navigation tool allows an organization to input basic information about its needs and be directed to the organizations with appropriate services. The site directs users to a wide array of services available to nonprofits including organizational and leadership development, nonprofit management, board development, marketing and communications, financial planning, fundraising, strategic planning and technology.

 Nagorski continued, “It’s wonderful to be a part of this amazing group of capacity building organizations.   The Charge Up Collaborative we’re launching today is a testament to the power of working together and pooling resources, talents and skills. Keep in touch and see how by working together we’ll provide nonprofits throughout the region with increased opportunities for capacity building support and access to high quality services to meet their organizational needs."

About the Charge Up Collaborative

The Charge Up Collaborative is a partnership of leading capacity building organizations in the Greater Washington area. Members work to strengthen and build high performing nonprofit organizations by identifying their needs, assessing their readiness and providing them access to appropriate high quality services.  Through the sharing of resources and expertise, Charge Up partners strive to improve the sustainability, quality, and impact of the nonprofit sector. Working together they are modeling collaboration and the greater good that can be achieved through collective action.  Charge Up is grateful for the support of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz and Eugene and Agnes E Meyer Foundations as well as the contributions of each of the partner organizations. Partners include:

 501cTECH

Catalogue for Philanthropy

Center for Nonprofit Advancement

Charter Board Partners

Compass

Fair Chance

Foundation Center

Human Services Coalition of Prince George’s County

The Leadership Sanctuary

Maryland Nonprofits

Nonprofit Village

Standards for Excellence

Stone Soup Films

Taproot Foundation

Volunteer Fairfax

 For more information:

Contact: Maria Nagorski at [email protected]

Go to: www.chargeupcollaborative.org

You can follow our activity on Twitter through #chargeupdc

Taproot In The Community 

On Friday April 3rd, 2015 the Taproot DC office had the opportunity to spend some time at Sarah’s Circle. Taproot DC was looking for an opportunity to do some hand-on volunteering and Sarah’s Circle was gracious enough to open its door to allow us to serve. Sarah’s Circle is a nonprofit organization that not only provides low-income seniors with a home but also provides a supportive community. Sarah’s Circle is a meal site for the DC Office of Aging and through this partnership they are able to offer hot lunch for low-income seniors age 62 years and older. In addition to providing a hot lunch, Sarah’s Circle provides activities group activities for low-income seniors. Activities vary from social to educational programs that are all hosted in the Sarah’s Circle wellness center.

Taproot staff arrived and began by serving lunch and engaging in the daily exercise program. During lunch, Taproot staff walked around and conversed with community members. Many of the seniors regularly attend lunch at Sarah’s Circle and enjoy the activities that the wellness center provides. After lunch Taproot DC helped organize a BINGO session with several games.

As a nonprofit intermediary Taproot DC often gets to interact with various nonprofits but it is a rare circumstance for Taproot staff to have the opportunity to do some hand on volunteering as a team. It was a great afternoon.

If you would like to learn more about Sarah’s Circle click here.

Advocates for Youth was awarded a human resource capacity build service grant

 Mission: Advocates for Youth champions efforts to help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. Advocates believes it can best serve the field by boldly advocating for a more positive and realistic approach to adolescent sexual health.

 College Success Foundation was awarded a Competitor/Collaborator analysis service grant

 Mission:  CSF-DC provides low-income students with a unique integrated system of supports and scholarships they need to graduate college and succeed in life.

 Cornerstones, Inc. was awarded strategic plan prep service grant

 Mission: Cornerstones helps people build more stable lives by connecting them to vital resources that solve their need for housing, childcare, food or financial assistance.

 DC Fiscal Policy Institute was awarded an annual report service grant

 Mission: The DC Fiscal Policy Institute conducts research and public education on tax and budget issues in the District of Columbia, with an emphasis on issues affecting low-income residents.  DCFPI influences public policy decisions by producing reports that are credible, timely and accessible to policymakers, the media, advocates, and the public.

 DC Greens was awarded a volunteer management service grant

 Mission: Through education and access, DC Greens connects communities to healthy food in the nation's capital.

 First Generation College Bound, Inc. was awarded a strategic planning prep service grant

 Mission:  The mission of First Generation College Bound, Inc. (FGCB) is to empower youth from low to moderate income families to achieve social and economic success by providing guidance, encouragement and support in obtaining a college degree. Vision: One day every Maryland student will have access to achieving a college degree.

 Generation Hope was awarded a program measurement service grant

 Mission: To match individuals and organizations with teen parents who are attending college and who are in need of financial and emotional support.  Based on the belief that education is vital to success, our purposes are to give young parents and their children a support system as they pursue academic excellence, to provide a direct-support experience for sponsoring organizations and individuals, and to create a new generation of ambitious and successful families.

Horton’s Kids, Inc. was awarded a volunteer management service grant.

 Mission: Horton's Kids' mission is to educate and empower the children of Washington, DC's Ward 8 by providing comprehensive, direct services which improve the quality of their daily lives and nurture each child's desire and ability to succeed.

 Literacy Council of Montgomery County Inc. was awarded a strategic planning prep service grant.

 Mission: LCMC’s mission is to help adults living or working in the county achieve functional levels of reading, writing, and speaking English so that they may improve their quality of life and ability to participate in the community.

 National Housing Conference was awarded Key Messages and Brand Strategy.

 Mission: The National Housing Conference is dedicated to helping ensure safe, decent and affordable housing for all in America.

 National Museum of Natural History was awarded Competitor/Collaborator Analysis service grant

 Mission: The National Museum of Natural History increases knowledge and inspires learning about nature and culture, through outstanding research, collections, exhibitions and education, in support of a sustainable future.

 The National Organization of Concerned Black Men was awarded a volunteer management service grant.

 Mission: To provide guidance, support and encouragement to children, while stabilizing families, positioning them to lead healthy, productive lives.

 Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers was awarded a program measurement service grant.

The week of October 19-25, 2014 was national Pro Bono Week. With generous support from CEB and Turkish Airlines, the DC office of the Taproot Foundation and its partners celebrated the power of pro bono through a number of high-profile events.  

On Monday, Taproot hosted the Pro Bono Lab at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School. Over 50 nonprofit and pro bono consultants engaged in intensive consulting activities. Volunteers came from organizations such as IMPACT, District Architecture Center, DataKind DC, C. Fox Communications, and Herren Associates. In addition, attendees participated in advanced capacity building workshops by the World Bank Group, the Advisory Board Company, Stone Soup Films, and veteran Taproot consultants.  

On Thursday, Taproot DC held the second annual Up!Root Party at the Turkish Embassy to honor the work of pro bono providers in the Washington region. Guests enjoyed delicious Turkish foods and joined in a raffle for a free Turkish Airline ticket to anywhere in the world.  

On Friday, Taproot partnered with CEB to host “Bridging the Leadership Gap in the New Work Environment,” a summit for global leaders in the corporate responsibility, HR, and leadership & development fields. In an engaging dialogue, CEB researchers presented their findings on the value and best practices of pro bono.

Finally, with great fanfare, the Taproot Foundation launched Taproot+ (www.taprootplus.org) during Pro Bono Week. This interactive online platform connects nonprofits to a curated group of skilled volunteers for short-term, high impact pro bono projects.

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The practice of philanthropy can happen through the donation of money, time and energy in organized efforts to promote numerous civic goods. Philanthropy in the United States continues to grow and thrive. In 2004, nearly 1.4 million nonprofits registered with the Internal Revenue Service. Also the number of grant-making foundations has doubled in the last twenty years. Some philanthropist donate funds while others volunteer in order to benefit individuals and groups they consider worthy of support. Sociologist John Wilson defines volunteering as “any activity in which time is given freely to benefit another person, group, or organization.”[1]

Founded in 2001, the Taproot Foundation is a unique grant-making foundation that supports nonprofits through service grants rather than financial grants. Taproot focuses on providing grants for nonprofits that address environmental, economic, health, and social issues. The service grants are professional consulting services that are provided pro bono, which means the professionals donate their services completely free of charge. The service grants are valued at $50,000 or more for each project. Compass and Common Impact are other foundations which provide service grants to nonprofits through the use of pro bono consultants. Since its inception, Taproot has awarded nearly 2,400 national Service Grants, delivering more than $120 million in pro bono consulting services. Through programming, over 13,000 consultants have donated well over 1 million volunteer hours.

Pro bono (“for the public good”) is volunteering of professional skills to those who may not be able to afford those services. Skills- based volunteering is donating one’s skills, knowledge and expertise to nonprofit organizations.  Pro bono volunteering is a part of skills-based volunteering but pro bono is specifically donating one’s professional skills to directly impact a nonprofit’s internal operations in order to increase the nonprofits capacity. For example those that volunteer to tutor or help coordinate and event it is considered skills- based volunteering but not pro bono service. 

Most people identify pro bono services with the legal profession. Many argue that lawyers have a particular duty to provide pro bono services because lawyers have the responsibility to promote justice and that justice should be accessible to all people. Most law schools and law firms require students and employees to provide a certain amount of hours towards pro bono work. In 1963 President John F. Kennedy created The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights under Law to urge lawyers to use their skills pro bono to defend civil rights.

Organizations such as Compass, Common Impact, Taproot Foundation are helping change the face of pro bono by promoting pro bono service across all professions. Founder and former CEO of Taproot Foundation worked with the President’s Council on Service and Participation in order to launch the national A Billion + Change campaign. The campaign seeks to promote businesses to donate billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based service towards nonprofits that work towards addressing critical issues.  Allstate, Best Buy, AT&T, Deloitte, Cox Enterprises, Capital One, GlaxoSmithKline and J.P. Morgan are among some of the companies that have pledged to provide pro bono services to nonprofits. Aside from providing service grants to nonprofits, Taproot Foundation also provides advisory services to companies and organizations. Advisory services provides companies with support in designing and developing pro bono programs for their employees. Companies and individuals across a wide spectrum of professions are engaging in pro bono service in order to assist nonprofits. 

Nonprofits in the United States are devoted to a variety of missions and ends, “including direct alleviation of suffering, promoting social change, advancing social justice, developing and sustaining civic life, enhancing education and culture, and correcting social ills through research into their ‘root causes’ and efforts to counter them with public policy.”[1]Individuals and companies engaging in pro bono service help nonprofits’ capacity to perform the aforementioned missions and ends. Nonprofits seek to promote the good in society by engaging in forms of care, advocacy and support for those in need. Over half of Americans spend some amount of time volunteering.  

The Taproot Foundation website cites that pro bono volunteering is “unlike traditional volunteering in the level of involvement, shared vision, and mutual collaboration that it embodies.”[2] Ralph Waldo Emerson said that the only true gift you can give is a gift of yourself.   Philanthropist that engage in pro bono service are essentially giving the gift of themselves by donating their professional skills, time, and effort. 

Many of the nonprofits organization struggle to find the funding to provide the services. Individuals can volunteer their professional skills to nonprofit organization in order to meet the nonprofit needs. Nonprofit organizations play a crucial role in society by taking on many aspects of care. Some nonprofits take on a more hands on approach to care by providing basic resources for those in need but other nonprofits perform care in a more distant manner such as raising awareness of social issues. Nonprofits may provide us a way to provide care for others and provide us a way to connect with other human beings. A caring society “is one in which care penetrates all major social institutions.”[1] Professionals not employed by nonprofits can support the work of nonprofits through pro bono service which in turn will assists in improving society.

[1] Oliner, Pearl M, and Samuel P. Oliner. Toward a Caring Society: Ideas into Action. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1995. Print.

[1] Xxi. Introduction. Oliner, Pearl M, and Samuel P. Oliner. Toward a Caring Society: Ideas into Action. Westport,

          Conn: Praeger, 1995. Print.

[2] http://www.taprootfoundation.org/about-probono/pro-bono-history

As part of Taproot Foundation's goal to  encourage more nonprofit organizations to take advantage of quality pro bono resources, Taproot put out a challenge to professionals across the country. The Make It Matter Challenge asked individuals and groups to submit big ideas that could inspire more nonprofit employees to use pro bono resources. 

LinkedIn stepped in to support the Make It Matter Challenge and offered the two winners  $10,000 in cash and $5,000 for their favorite nonprofit. The four finalist has the opportunity to present their ideas to Reid Hoffman (the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of LinkedIn). 

The aim of the Make It Matter Challenge was to get some ideas about how to scale high-quality pro bono, which would help the non-profits achieve their missions which will lead to big social change. 

Danielle Reyes a Senior Program Officer at the Meyer Foundation speaks about the power of pro bono. The collaboration between the Foundation Center and Taproot Foundation has led to this case study. To learn more click on the link below: 

Please join Taproot Foundation in the National Capital Region as it participates in Do More 24 on Thursday, June 19. Do More 24 is a local movement that brings together nonprofit organizations, companies, and people committed to making a difference. Powered by United Way of the National Capital Area, Do More 24 raises much-needed funding for local nonprofits that create opportunities for under-served populations. The 24-hour event acts as a catalyst for targeted community change. Click the link to participate. 

Last Friday on May 16th was CEB's Global Impact Day. Over 3,000 CEB employees volunteered their day to give back to local nonprofit organizations. 

One of the innovative ways CEB volunteered is through a ScopeAthon. As a professional service firm CEB employees have the experience and knowledge to help nonprofit organizations address challenges. The ScopeAthon provided an opportunity for local nonprofits to receive some of CEB's expertise. In a ScopeAthon corporate employees have 2.5 hours to identify a challenge within a nonprofit and help make recommendations about how to address the challenge. 

Taproot and CEB will be partnering during CEB's Global Impact Day. Read below to learn more: 

Author: Kelly Blum 

CEB (NYSE: CEB), the leading member-based advisory company, will kick-off its fourth annual Global Impact Day on Friday, May 16th, bringing skills-based expertise and manual service to more than 50 organizations in 50 cities and 25 countries worldwide. As part of this annual day of service, the company will close its offices around the world to allow staff to volunteer in their local communities.

 In Washington, D.C., approximately 1,000 CEB employees will donate a day of service to more than 11 charitable organizations that benefit Capital area causes. These include service projects ranging from assembling bikes for children overseas, preparing and packing food, refurbishing a YMCA, preparing donor packets for bone marrow transplants and revitalizing schools in Anacostia.

  Tom Monahan, CEO and Chairman of CEB, will be leading the ScopeAthon project in coordination with the TapRoot Foundation in Washington, D.C. The ScopeAthon will be a half-day problem-solving event, where CEB executives provide one-on-one expertise and guidance to help 25 non-profit organizations address and overcome key challenges impacting their organizations. CEB will extend its expertise in talent management, leadership and operational performance to help these organizations realize their full potential – a key component of the company’s Global Impact Goals for 2014. The ScopeAthon will be held at CEB’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

  WHAT:                       CEB’s fourth annual Global Impact Day 2014

  WHEN:                       Friday, May 16th  

                                    Charitable service projects begin: 9:00 a.m.

  WHY:                          Service in the community is a distinctive feature of CEB’s culture and a natural extension of the Spirit of Generosity that informs CEB’s interactions with clients and colleagues.

  WHERE:                     Various locations across the metro D.C. area. Exact address for all projects can be viewed here.   

  WHO:                          Approximately 1,000 CEB employees supporting 11 organizations including:

  Alexandria Parks & Recreation

Be the Match

Bikes for the World

Capital Area Food Bank

City Year

Common Good City Farm

Food & Friends

National Arboretum

National Park Service

Taproot Foundation

YMCA (Annapolis, Md., Arlington, Va., Bethesda, Md. and Reston, Va.)

ABOUT CEB

CEB, the leading member-based advisory company, equips more than 10,000 organizations around the globe with insights, tools and actionable solutions to transform enterprise performance. By combining advanced research and analytics with best practices from member companies, CEB helps leaders realize outsized returns by more effectively managing talent, information, customers and risk. Member companies include approximately 85% of the Fortune 500, half the Dow Jones Asian Titans, and nearly 85% of the FTSE 100. More at cebglobal.com

About Taproot