What was your experience working on a Taproot Foundation project?

I have worked on five service grants now, with four different organizations. Those organizations have been quite disparate: one is dedicated to immigrant leadership and civic training; another to gay, lesbian, transgender, queer and questioning youth; one to early childhood development; and finally, one to volunteer training and matching. I have learned a great deal about issues I previously knew little about, and have been impressed by the stamina, strength, and creativity of the people spearheading these valuable initiatives.

How have you grown from your pro bono experience?

I frequently credit my experience volunteering with Taproot Foundation with many important changes in my life. Through other volunteers I have received job opportunities, through my projects I have seen incredible work being done in my community, and through the entire experience I have realized that my interest in social marketing was so great that I needed to leave the private sector and go back into the public sector. I also believe that by witnessing such important work, I have been able to raise awareness among my peers, family, and friends about these issues and the organizations that tackle them head on.

What surprised you about your Taproot Foundation projects?

I was most surprised by the professional nature of the relationship. That is to say that this experience is not volunteering in the general sense – we are not doing any hands-on work. Rather, we are considered professional expert consultants who can lead, organize and develop ideas, create support for those ideas, and ultimately work with Executive Directors and Boards to find the best possible solutions. I was very happily surprised to find that Taproot Foundation projects are not intended to have an external group implement something, but to partner with the leadership of an organization to find viable, sustainable solutions to pressing problems.

How do you think the business community and nonprofit sectors can strengthen one another?

I believe in this cross-pollination wholeheartedly. I frequently tell my Taproot Foundation clients that my view is that there isn’t a large difference between getting someone to take an action like buying a product and getting someone to take an action like donating, volunteering, or grant making – that action can be achieved by either the company or the organization if the action is meaningful to the target audience. I think both sectors can learn a lot from one another, and Taproot is a key example of how this happens.

What community issues are most important to you and what did you learn from the project?

On a macro level I have learned that there are some extraordinary people in our city devoting their lives to tackling very difficult issues like homelessness, poverty, and immigration. I continue to be most interested in development work – how you can, on an individual level, work to empower people to help themselves. I’ve seen this happen with young children at BlueSkies for Children in Oakland, immigrants at PILA in San Francisco, and with young adolescents at LYRIC. Our city is bustling with people doing really good work.

Other than volunteering with the Taproot Foundation, what do you like to do in your free time?

Running, hiking, and spending time with my family and friends. Mostly I just like being outside in this beautiful area!