February 18, 2004
For Immediate Release
New York, NY, February 18, 2004 – The Taproot Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that works to engage the country’s millions of business professionals in pro bono service strengthening the nonprofit sector, today announced the launch of their New York office in partnership with United Way of New York City. The office, housed at the Blue Ridge Foundation New York, will serve the five boroughs of New York City and lead the foundation’s national marketing practice and expansion on the East Coast.
"By institutionalizing pro bono work in corporate America, the Taproot Foundation is greatly expanding the resources available to the nonprofit sector," said Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive of United Way of New York City. "Our relationship with the Taproot Foundation promises to provide enormous benefits for our nonprofit partners, maximizing their ability to help New Yorkers in need."
Established in San Francisco in 2001, the Taproot Foundation is redefining volunteering by combining the efficiencies of traditional volunteer matching services with the quality management practices of leading business consulting firms. The result is the ability to assign volunteers to the most appropriate projects based on their skills and to ensure the timely delivery of quality professional services. Currently the foundation harnesses the expertise of marketing, design, and technology professionals to deliver branding, brochures, web site and donor database services for nonprofits.
“Business professionals want to give back and make an impact in their community. The Taproot Foundation has created a model that makes it work,” said Tom Nicholson, founder and managing director of IconNicholson, a leading technology consulting firm. “The structure of their Service Grant model makes it a lot easier for people to engage in pro bono work and greatly increases the odds that projects in the nonprofit sector will be successful.”
The New York office will be led by Brooklyn native Fred Fields, former co-founder and senior director of the European operations of Organic Inc., a pioneer e-commerce consultancy. The Taproot Foundation plans to deliver 90 Service Grants in the next two years to local nonprofits with a total estimated value of $3.6 million. The New York office is incubated at the Blue Ridge Foundation New York with start-up support from the Booth Ferris Foundation.
“We are committed to ensuring that local nonprofits have access to the same marketing, technology and other critical business services as corporations,” said Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation. “It is our vision to build greater dialog and understanding between the nonprofit and corporate communities by engaging business professionals in work with their peers at nonprofit agencies.”
Launch Reception
The Taproot Foundation is celebrating its New York launch on Thursday, February 26, 2004 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm at Go in New York City. The launch is sponsored by United Way of New York City, Landor Associates, IconNicholson, Hewitt Associates and the Blue Ridge Foundation New York. All interested volunteers, corporations and local nonprofit organizations are welcome to attend. For more information, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org or call (718) 923-1400 ext. 269.
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.
About the Taproot Foundation - United Way of New York City Partnership
The United Way of New York City -Taproot Foundation partnership was established in January 2004 as a way to involve highly skilled business professionals in service strengthening the capacity of nonprofit agencies. The relationship combines the unique strengths of both organizations: United Way’s corporate and nonprofit relationships, staff resources and funding, and the Taproot Foundation’s model for delivering high-quality marketing and technology pro bono services to local nonprofit organizations. To learn more, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org or www.unitedwaynyc.org.
"By institutionalizing pro bono work in corporate America, the Taproot Foundation is greatly expanding the resources available to the nonprofit sector," said Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Senior Vice President and Chief Executive of United Way of New York City. "Our relationship with the Taproot Foundation promises to provide enormous benefits for our nonprofit partners, maximizing their ability to help New Yorkers in need."
Established in San Francisco in 2001, the Taproot Foundation is redefining volunteering by combining the efficiencies of traditional volunteer matching services with the quality management practices of leading business consulting firms. The result is the ability to assign volunteers to the most appropriate projects based on their skills and to ensure the timely delivery of quality professional services. Currently the foundation harnesses the expertise of marketing, design, and technology professionals to deliver branding, brochures, web site and donor database services for nonprofits.
“Business professionals want to give back and make an impact in their community. The Taproot Foundation has created a model that makes it work,” said Tom Nicholson, founder and managing director of IconNicholson, a leading technology consulting firm. “The structure of their Service Grant model makes it a lot easier for people to engage in pro bono work and greatly increases the odds that projects in the nonprofit sector will be successful.”
The New York office will be led by Brooklyn native Fred Fields, former co-founder and senior director of the European operations of Organic Inc., a pioneer e-commerce consultancy. The Taproot Foundation plans to deliver 90 Service Grants in the next two years to local nonprofits with a total estimated value of $3.6 million. The New York office is incubated at the Blue Ridge Foundation New York with start-up support from the Booth Ferris Foundation.
“We are committed to ensuring that local nonprofits have access to the same marketing, technology and other critical business services as corporations,” said Aaron Hurst, president and founder of the Taproot Foundation. “It is our vision to build greater dialog and understanding between the nonprofit and corporate communities by engaging business professionals in work with their peers at nonprofit agencies.”
Launch Reception
The Taproot Foundation is celebrating its New York launch on Thursday, February 26, 2004 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm at Go in New York City. The launch is sponsored by United Way of New York City, Landor Associates, IconNicholson, Hewitt Associates and the Blue Ridge Foundation New York. All interested volunteers, corporations and local nonprofit organizations are welcome to attend. For more information, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org or call (718) 923-1400 ext. 269.
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.
About the Taproot Foundation - United Way of New York City Partnership
The United Way of New York City -Taproot Foundation partnership was established in January 2004 as a way to involve highly skilled business professionals in service strengthening the capacity of nonprofit agencies. The relationship combines the unique strengths of both organizations: United Way’s corporate and nonprofit relationships, staff resources and funding, and the Taproot Foundation’s model for delivering high-quality marketing and technology pro bono services to local nonprofit organizations. To learn more, please visit www.taprootfoundation.org or www.unitedwaynyc.org.
