Root Profiles
Our Roots are a group of passionate, strategic thinkers that work collaboratively to address the resource deficit in the nonprofit sector. We're not afraid to take risks and learn from mistakes.
Meet some Roots:
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
During my career I have been involved in several for-profit double bottom-line organizations in the education space. Learning/social outcomes were an integral key to our success and central in our mission. Whether we were working to keep public shareholders happy or work with venture funders, however, we needed to keep profit considerations primary. This compromise was ultimately unsatisfying and I decided to transition to the nonprofit sector where I could make social outcomes my focus. My first experience was on the board of the Children’s Council of San Francisco. The experience reinforced my commitment to my career change but also made it clear that not all nonprofit organizations could fully utilize my skills and engage me in a way that I found appealing.
What is your most memorable Taproot Foundation experience?
One of my most exciting experiences was during a debrief with Community School of Music and Arts after the completion of one of our first Performance Management Service Grants. The Executive Director described how the team of Taproot Foundation pro bono professionals had led them through a project that had completely transformed the organization. At some point in the project the client had realized that what they thought of as an operating plan wasn’t really specific enough or tied tightly enough to their strategic plan. And so they had gone offsite to redo the operating plan, empowered functional heads to create detailed department plans, completely rewritten job descriptions, and out of that cohesive foundation, created a performance management process. The entire process had not only refocused the organization, but aligned each individual department and individual within that larger framework in a way no one in the organization had ever experienced or known was possible. It’s those kinds of transformative stories that are most fulfilling to me.
Why did you want to become a Root?
The nonprofit sector is being buffeted by several challenges that call on it, as a sector, to develop new strengths and capabilities. I believe that the Taproot Foundation is in a position to make a significant contribution to helping the sector. So from a values & impact persepective, there’s a great fit. The skills of this position are also a great fit with my skills and interests. And this is a very professionally run organization, filled with exceptionally capable professionals that are a pleasure to work with.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
Very professional. Smart. Data analysis, and results-driven. Passionate professionalism. Comfortable taking risks and comfortable confronting and learning from mistakes.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
With offices in 10 North American cities and a broad array of services across marketing, management, human resources and information technology. We will be one of the leading and largest providers of capacity building services in the country. As we will be granting about $30M worth of services each year, we will be in striking range of becoming one of the 100 largest grant making organizations in the country. With ongoing relationships with more than 2000 leading nonprofits across the country, we will be in a position to build coalitions and being to take on regional and sector-capacity building challenges. With the data from thousands of capacity building projects, we will be able to provide data and results-driven leadership within the capacity building sector. And with the trust built from our proven ability to strengthen nonprofits, we will look to work more cohesively with others in the sector to provide nonprofits with the range of services they need to succeed.
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
My involvement in the nonprofit sector began through a summer internship in college. I’d tried to use summer jobs to try out different careers of interest; I knew that I wanted my work to somehow contribute to “making things better”, but still needed to explore the details. After a frustrating summer working for the government, my next stop was the nonprofit sector. I was disappointed to soon realize that even for the most diligent searcher there was a severe shortage of interesting opportunities for summer internships in the nonprofit sector that entailed more career-oriented responsibilities rather than tutoring kids or drawing blood. I managed to create an opportunity in the Department of Corporate Strategy in the headquarters of the American Red Cross, where I was able to gain tremendous exposure and insight into the executive operations of a multi-million dollar international organization. Specifically, I witnessed the hire of senior executives from the private sector to run several of the Red Cross' services, hoping to use their private sector expertise to further the Red Cross' mission.
The hopes, challenges and tensions surrounding this initiative were of specific interest to me and spurred my own academic study of the topic when I returned to school in the fall. This culminated in my senior thesis research around what effect the educational and professional background of a nonprofit executive, being either predominantly nonprofit or private sector-oriented, had on their running of an organization. Interviewing a variety of nonprofit executives and hearing their take on the greatest challenges facing the success of their respective organizations and the sector in general, I knew that my future career would center around addressing those very challenges, in essence working to “make things better” in the nonprofit sector to better our society in general.
Who is your favorite Taproot Foundation grantee?
It’s so hard to pick just one. In fact that is one of my favorite things about working in an indirect-service organization – the spectrum of unique, interesting nonprofits to which I am exposed. I think my favorite is an orgnization in New York – Prep for Prep. Attending Yale I saw first hand the incredible results this program yields and I was thrilled when Taproot Foundation had the chance to help build that organization’s capacity to do more good.
Why did you want to become a Root?
I have a personal and professional passion for making the nonprofit sector stronger and better able to improve our world. To me, it was abundantly apparent that Taproot Foundation had taken a truly innovative, yet wonderfully simple approach towards that end – using the skills, training and tools that are already out there in the private sector and connecting them in an effective, disciplined way to the existing, parallel needs in the nonprofit sector.
I and so many others have had past experiences where working in a nonprofit organization is simultaneously rewarding and frustrating when you realize that many of its limitations and obstacles are easily preventable/overcome through solutions that already exist, but are simply inaccessible or untapped.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
Taproot Foundation is innovative, creative, professional, unifying, bridge-building, ambitious and smart.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
In 2010 I would like to see Taproot Foundation be synonymous with pro bono work in much of the corporate sector in our flagship cities. Taproot Foundation should be to corporate America what Teach for America became to college campuses – a legitimate, widespread, hip, accepted alternative to the traditional volunteering and professional development opportunities. I want to hear marketing, IT and HR professionals say “you haven’t done a Taproot Foundation project yet?”.
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
My first exposure to the nonprofit sector was through my church. Having grown up in the church, my family was involved with random organizations through service ministries.
Who is your favorite Taproot Foundation grantee?
West Side Campaign Against Hunger. Their model is so unique and the organization is so appreciative of the work our teams are doing. I immediately fell in love with them at the interview. The account director on the project is also a delight (he calls me MISS) - a British gentleman with a kind nature. He and his girlfriend are volunteers on separate projects.
Why did you want to become a Root?
I have always wanted to eventually work in the nonprofit sector. After reading about Taproot Foundation, I was hooked. I get the opportunity to work within a nonprofit with access to hundreds of other nonprofits. The learning potential is great and the culture is a welcome change from corporate. After my first interview, I was hoping I get the job.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
The culture is team oriented, passionate, fun, and open to innovation and encourages different opinions and ideas. I believe that any personality type would be comfortable working here.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
I would like to see Taproot Foundation have a number of solid corporate partnerships to continue in keeping the volunteer pipeline filled and spread our message. It would be great to have additional staff so program managers can provide more face time (with volunteer teams and nonprofits) and really roll up our sleeves more with the grantees. Additional media coverage at the local level – everyone should know about us!
Meet some Roots:
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James Shepard
COO National |
Lindsay Firestone
Manager of Strategic Partnerships Bay Area |
Kandance Evelyn
Program Manager New York |
ROOT: James Shepard
|
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
During my career I have been involved in several for-profit double bottom-line organizations in the education space. Learning/social outcomes were an integral key to our success and central in our mission. Whether we were working to keep public shareholders happy or work with venture funders, however, we needed to keep profit considerations primary. This compromise was ultimately unsatisfying and I decided to transition to the nonprofit sector where I could make social outcomes my focus. My first experience was on the board of the Children’s Council of San Francisco. The experience reinforced my commitment to my career change but also made it clear that not all nonprofit organizations could fully utilize my skills and engage me in a way that I found appealing.
What is your most memorable Taproot Foundation experience?
One of my most exciting experiences was during a debrief with Community School of Music and Arts after the completion of one of our first Performance Management Service Grants. The Executive Director described how the team of Taproot Foundation pro bono professionals had led them through a project that had completely transformed the organization. At some point in the project the client had realized that what they thought of as an operating plan wasn’t really specific enough or tied tightly enough to their strategic plan. And so they had gone offsite to redo the operating plan, empowered functional heads to create detailed department plans, completely rewritten job descriptions, and out of that cohesive foundation, created a performance management process. The entire process had not only refocused the organization, but aligned each individual department and individual within that larger framework in a way no one in the organization had ever experienced or known was possible. It’s those kinds of transformative stories that are most fulfilling to me.
Why did you want to become a Root?
The nonprofit sector is being buffeted by several challenges that call on it, as a sector, to develop new strengths and capabilities. I believe that the Taproot Foundation is in a position to make a significant contribution to helping the sector. So from a values & impact persepective, there’s a great fit. The skills of this position are also a great fit with my skills and interests. And this is a very professionally run organization, filled with exceptionally capable professionals that are a pleasure to work with.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
Very professional. Smart. Data analysis, and results-driven. Passionate professionalism. Comfortable taking risks and comfortable confronting and learning from mistakes.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
With offices in 10 North American cities and a broad array of services across marketing, management, human resources and information technology. We will be one of the leading and largest providers of capacity building services in the country. As we will be granting about $30M worth of services each year, we will be in striking range of becoming one of the 100 largest grant making organizations in the country. With ongoing relationships with more than 2000 leading nonprofits across the country, we will be in a position to build coalitions and being to take on regional and sector-capacity building challenges. With the data from thousands of capacity building projects, we will be able to provide data and results-driven leadership within the capacity building sector. And with the trust built from our proven ability to strengthen nonprofits, we will look to work more cohesively with others in the sector to provide nonprofits with the range of services they need to succeed.
ROOT: Lindsay Firestone
|
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
My involvement in the nonprofit sector began through a summer internship in college. I’d tried to use summer jobs to try out different careers of interest; I knew that I wanted my work to somehow contribute to “making things better”, but still needed to explore the details. After a frustrating summer working for the government, my next stop was the nonprofit sector. I was disappointed to soon realize that even for the most diligent searcher there was a severe shortage of interesting opportunities for summer internships in the nonprofit sector that entailed more career-oriented responsibilities rather than tutoring kids or drawing blood. I managed to create an opportunity in the Department of Corporate Strategy in the headquarters of the American Red Cross, where I was able to gain tremendous exposure and insight into the executive operations of a multi-million dollar international organization. Specifically, I witnessed the hire of senior executives from the private sector to run several of the Red Cross' services, hoping to use their private sector expertise to further the Red Cross' mission.
The hopes, challenges and tensions surrounding this initiative were of specific interest to me and spurred my own academic study of the topic when I returned to school in the fall. This culminated in my senior thesis research around what effect the educational and professional background of a nonprofit executive, being either predominantly nonprofit or private sector-oriented, had on their running of an organization. Interviewing a variety of nonprofit executives and hearing their take on the greatest challenges facing the success of their respective organizations and the sector in general, I knew that my future career would center around addressing those very challenges, in essence working to “make things better” in the nonprofit sector to better our society in general.
Who is your favorite Taproot Foundation grantee?
It’s so hard to pick just one. In fact that is one of my favorite things about working in an indirect-service organization – the spectrum of unique, interesting nonprofits to which I am exposed. I think my favorite is an orgnization in New York – Prep for Prep. Attending Yale I saw first hand the incredible results this program yields and I was thrilled when Taproot Foundation had the chance to help build that organization’s capacity to do more good.
Why did you want to become a Root?
I have a personal and professional passion for making the nonprofit sector stronger and better able to improve our world. To me, it was abundantly apparent that Taproot Foundation had taken a truly innovative, yet wonderfully simple approach towards that end – using the skills, training and tools that are already out there in the private sector and connecting them in an effective, disciplined way to the existing, parallel needs in the nonprofit sector.
I and so many others have had past experiences where working in a nonprofit organization is simultaneously rewarding and frustrating when you realize that many of its limitations and obstacles are easily preventable/overcome through solutions that already exist, but are simply inaccessible or untapped.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
Taproot Foundation is innovative, creative, professional, unifying, bridge-building, ambitious and smart.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
In 2010 I would like to see Taproot Foundation be synonymous with pro bono work in much of the corporate sector in our flagship cities. Taproot Foundation should be to corporate America what Teach for America became to college campuses – a legitimate, widespread, hip, accepted alternative to the traditional volunteering and professional development opportunities. I want to hear marketing, IT and HR professionals say “you haven’t done a Taproot Foundation project yet?”.
ROOT: Kandace Evelyn
|
How did you first get involved in the nonprofit sector?
My first exposure to the nonprofit sector was through my church. Having grown up in the church, my family was involved with random organizations through service ministries.
Who is your favorite Taproot Foundation grantee?
West Side Campaign Against Hunger. Their model is so unique and the organization is so appreciative of the work our teams are doing. I immediately fell in love with them at the interview. The account director on the project is also a delight (he calls me MISS) - a British gentleman with a kind nature. He and his girlfriend are volunteers on separate projects.
Why did you want to become a Root?
I have always wanted to eventually work in the nonprofit sector. After reading about Taproot Foundation, I was hooked. I get the opportunity to work within a nonprofit with access to hundreds of other nonprofits. The learning potential is great and the culture is a welcome change from corporate. After my first interview, I was hoping I get the job.
How would you describe the Taproot Foundation's culture?
The culture is team oriented, passionate, fun, and open to innovation and encourages different opinions and ideas. I believe that any personality type would be comfortable working here.
Where would you like to see the Taproot Foundation in 2010?
I would like to see Taproot Foundation have a number of solid corporate partnerships to continue in keeping the volunteer pipeline filled and spread our message. It would be great to have additional staff so program managers can provide more face time (with volunteer teams and nonprofits) and really roll up our sleeves more with the grantees. Additional media coverage at the local level – everyone should know about us!
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