For Immediate Release
to Chicago Nonprofits within 3 Years
CHICAGO, IL, February 22, 2006 -
The Taproot Foundation announced today the opening of its Chicago office that will engage local business professionals in pro bono service to strengthen the nonprofit sector. The national nonprofit’s Midwest office plans to award $800,000 in pro bono services to local nonprofits in 2006 and then $2,400,000 in 2007 and $4,000,000 in 2008.
“The Chicago business community has a remarkable ethic of civic engagement,” said Ashoka Fellow Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation. “We hope to play a role in channeling that civic ethic to provide the pro bono labor the nonprofit sector needs to fulfill its critical role in the community.”
The focus for the foundation’s first year in Chicago will be on providing pro bono marketing services to 20 local nonprofits. Given the funding challenges facing many of these organizations, marketing plays a crucial role in diversifying and expanding funding. Starting in 2007, the support will expand into human resource and information technology services.
Chicago Nonprofits in Need of Infrastructure Support
Leveraging the Business Community’s Greatest Asset
Chicago Leadership
The Taproot Foundation’s Chicago office is being launched by Vicky Nurre, a 15-year nonprofit and corporate marketing veteran with the support of Marcia Festen, chair of Taproot Foundation’s Chicago Advisory Board.
As Managing Director, Vicky brings her community and corporate experience to leverage volunteers from the business community to deliver high quality capacity building services to local nonprofits. Previously, she directed marketing and capacity building programs at the Chicago Jobs Council where for six years she helped advance public policy change through communications, professional development initiatives and membership growth. Vicky served business-to-business clients at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, GolinHarris and LC Williams & Associates. She managed public relations programs at US Robotics and served as marketing communications staff at Arthur Andersen. Her work has included corporate-community initiatives including BP Amoco’s Nonprofit Technology Advancement Initiative.
As Chair of the Chicago Advisory Board, Marcia brings philanthropic and nonprofit consulting expertise to assist the Chicago office launch Marcia is principal of Marcia K. Festen Associates and consultant to some of Chicago’s prominent grant-makers including the Chicago Community Trust and the Joyce Foundation. Marcia works with foundations and nonprofits to develop grant-making strategies, programs and services. Her research work spans concept testing, environmental scans and outcomes evaluation. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Marcia was a Senior Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Her work has been widely published, and read by philanthropic and nonprofit leaders since 1998.
About the Taproot Foundation
The Taproot Foundation is the provider of pro bono services to the nonprofit sector. It works to engage the country’s millions of business professionals in pro bono service, building the infrastructure of organizations we rely on to strengthen and support our communities. Its pro bono model leverages the best practices of leading professional services companies to deliver reliable and quality marketing, human resources and technology services using corporate employees. Since 2002, the Taproot Foundation has recruited over 4,000 business professionals to award over $13 million in pro bono services to nonprofits in New York, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org.
“The Chicago business community has a remarkable ethic of civic engagement,” said Ashoka Fellow Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation. “We hope to play a role in channeling that civic ethic to provide the pro bono labor the nonprofit sector needs to fulfill its critical role in the community.”
The focus for the foundation’s first year in Chicago will be on providing pro bono marketing services to 20 local nonprofits. Given the funding challenges facing many of these organizations, marketing plays a crucial role in diversifying and expanding funding. Starting in 2007, the support will expand into human resource and information technology services.
Chicago Nonprofits in Need of Infrastructure Support
- There are 2,915 nonprofit organizations in Chicago (Guidestar.org).
- Grant making has decreased by 9% since 2001 (Donors Forum of Chicago’s Giving in Illinois 2005 report).
- Corporate giving in Chicago has dropped by 22% between 2001 and 2003, due in part to the area losing 14% of corporate giving programs as companies have been acquired or moved out of state.
- Infrastructure funding is particularly scarce. Nonprofits are asked to do more with less.
Leveraging the Business Community’s Greatest Asset
- There are 267,980 business professionals with transferable skills in Chicago (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- In marketing, for example, there are 10,850 marketing managers, 6,060 graphic designers, and 5,130 copywriters (BLS).
- Chicago is home to some of the largest brands and sources of talent in the country including Kraft, McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Wrigley, and Leo Burnett USA.
- Chicago is also home to the American Marketing Association’s national headquarters.
Chicago Leadership
The Taproot Foundation’s Chicago office is being launched by Vicky Nurre, a 15-year nonprofit and corporate marketing veteran with the support of Marcia Festen, chair of Taproot Foundation’s Chicago Advisory Board.
As Managing Director, Vicky brings her community and corporate experience to leverage volunteers from the business community to deliver high quality capacity building services to local nonprofits. Previously, she directed marketing and capacity building programs at the Chicago Jobs Council where for six years she helped advance public policy change through communications, professional development initiatives and membership growth. Vicky served business-to-business clients at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, GolinHarris and LC Williams & Associates. She managed public relations programs at US Robotics and served as marketing communications staff at Arthur Andersen. Her work has included corporate-community initiatives including BP Amoco’s Nonprofit Technology Advancement Initiative.
As Chair of the Chicago Advisory Board, Marcia brings philanthropic and nonprofit consulting expertise to assist the Chicago office launch Marcia is principal of Marcia K. Festen Associates and consultant to some of Chicago’s prominent grant-makers including the Chicago Community Trust and the Joyce Foundation. Marcia works with foundations and nonprofits to develop grant-making strategies, programs and services. Her research work spans concept testing, environmental scans and outcomes evaluation. Prior to starting her consulting practice, Marcia was a Senior Program Officer at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Her work has been widely published, and read by philanthropic and nonprofit leaders since 1998.
About the Taproot Foundation
The Taproot Foundation is the provider of pro bono services to the nonprofit sector. It works to engage the country’s millions of business professionals in pro bono service, building the infrastructure of organizations we rely on to strengthen and support our communities. Its pro bono model leverages the best practices of leading professional services companies to deliver reliable and quality marketing, human resources and technology services using corporate employees. Since 2002, the Taproot Foundation has recruited over 4,000 business professionals to award over $13 million in pro bono services to nonprofits in New York, Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org.
