5 Ways to Make a Difference During the Holiday Season

By Kimberly Swartz, Senior Director of Community Engagement, Taproot Foundation

The holiday season is a critical period for nonprofits as they fundraise for resources to fuel their mission the following year. Unfortunately, due to inflation, the ongoing pandemic, and other factors, 2023 has been a tougher year than most, as social good organizations globally report historically low levels of volunteerism and financial donations. As nonprofits make a huge push for support during the year-end holiday season—so is Taproot on their behalf!

Taproot has kicked off a holiday volunteerism drive to help nonprofits connect with crucial resources during this season of giving. 

This winter, Taproot is mobilizing business professionals in support of social good causes, connecting you with impactful ways to donate time and talents during this season of giving. We have a full calendar of educational events and 400+ virtual volunteer opportunities to dive into. Skill donations begin at just one hour and there are opportunities to give back to organizations working to end hunger, advance education access, protect animals, and more!

Here are 5 ways to make a difference during the holiday season:

1. Create your Taproot Plus account. Taproot Plus is the front door to our nonprofit’s skills-based volunteerism programs (virtual and in-person), field research, networking events, educational resources, and much more. Even if you’re too busy to work with a nonprofit organization this winter, indicating interest for 2024 by creating your Taproot account is a great place to start. And it takes less than 5 minutes! After you create your account and work with a nonprofit, make sure to add your volunteering experience to your resume and LinkedIn profile.
2. Donate an hour of time and professional expertise to a nonprofit. Taproot Plus Sessions are our quickest way to make a skill donation to a great cause, supporting nonprofits’ infrastructure by brainstorming strategies that help their missions serve more people. Taproot currently has 200+ social good organizations seeking volunteers for one-time, virtual consultation calls. Explore opportunities here and sign up to donate an hour!
3. Make a financial contribution. Taproot is a nonprofit that relies on funding from partners and donors to continue supporting other nonprofits. Every gift fuels Taproot’s mission to serve as a leader in catalyzing change through pro bono service. Your support will help us connect more nonprofits with skilled volunteers to amplify their impact on the communities they serve. A gift of any size can make a significant impact this holiday season! Click here to make your gift today.
4. Join one (or more!) of our holiday events. We kicked off the season of giving during Pro Bono Week (October 23-27), an annual celebration of the impact of skills-based volunteerism globally. These webinars, panels, and community discussions are free and open to all—share links with friends and colleagues if they may be interested in donating professional expertise to a nonprofits this winter.
   • Social Issue Spotlight Panel: Environment| On Monday, October 23, Taproot community members came together to learn from nonprofit leaders in environmental, climate change, and conservation-focused organizations. Watch the recording and walk away with tangible ways to take action in support of this pressing social issue. | Watch the Recording
   • Donating Your Skills During the Holiday Season| The holiday season is a critical time of year for nonprofits raising resources to support their missions in the year ahead. On Thursday, October 26, Taproot’s team led a free one-hour webinar showcasing how valuable a donation of your professional skills and expertise can be for nonprofits.| Watch the Recording
   • Tuesday, November 28 | Taproot Live: Giving Back on #GivingTuesday!| #GivingTuesday is the single largest day of giving across the globe. We’re celebrating with donations of time and valuable professional skills! Our goal: get as many talented volunteers connected with nonprofits as possible. Join this live event to meet with Taproot staff, learn skills-based volunteering best practices, and find pro bono consulting opportunities that match your skillset and social cause interests. | Register Here
5. Advocate for nonprofits. Nonprofits continue to lead the fight for ending hunger, expanding healthcare access, protecting the environment—among countless other critical social issues. If you don’t have room in the budget to make a financial contribution or the time available to donate your professional skillset—consider using your voice and platform in support of social good organizations. Look at the hundreds of nonprofits looking for volunteers through Taproot and if you see an opportunity that could be a good fit for someone in your network, help us amplify it! Advocacy is an important act of service in and of itself.

We appreciate your partnership during this holiday volunteerism campaign and beyond. Our nonprofit couldn’t accomplish our mission of resourcing social good organizations without support from people like you. Stay in touch with our team if you have questions about participating in Taproot’s volunteerism drive or connecting with a great cause.

Make a difference during the holiday season by volunteering your skills through Taproot Plus