By Lindsay Firestone Gruber, President and CEO
“Now more than ever…” How many of us in the nonprofit sector have found ourselves saying this in recent months? With our funders, with our volunteers, with the communities we serve. Now more than ever escalating issues are affecting our communities. Now more than ever people are turning to nonprofits to seek help. Now more than ever organizations are being asked to serve more but with fewer resources.
Across issue areas, geographies, and communities, now more than ever there is an urgent and often dire need for help. But amidst feelings of concern and frustration, there is also reason for hope: the inspiring work of organizations on the front lines helping to address these issues and lifting up those in need. At Taproot, we come to work every day motivated by these organizations and determined to provide them with the support they need to fulfill their critical missions. We draw tremendous inspiration from the volunteers who lend their professional expertise as we help these organizations expand their capacities to achieve their missions. Here are just a few.
Just Neighbors provides immigration legal services—like obtaining documentation—to low-income immigrants and refugees of all faiths and nationalities, especially those who are most vulnerable. Their ability to do their work was greatly limited by relying on a 10-year-old Access database that could no longer be updated and was crashing under its own weight. Enter Tola, a Project Manager who learned about Just Neighbors through Taproot+ and helped build them a Salesforce database that can now better track and store critical client data.
“I love their [Just Neighbor’s] mission, it is so necessary in today’s political environment. I feel most inspired when my work is making a difference in the world, which is why I felt compelled to help out.”
-Tola Begbaaji, Pro Bono Volunteer
Born out of relief efforts following the catastrophic 2010 Haitian earthquake, Team Rubicon harnesses the skills and experience of military veterans to provide aid to under-served global communities struck by disaster. Growing rapidly ever since, they sought pro bono assistance to evaluate their impact among community members served. Through a Taproot and USAA led program, Team Rubicon now has a long-term solution for determining customer satisfaction and best practices for analyzing the data.
Friends of Refugees serves one of the largest refugee resettlement areas in the United States by providing opportunities for education, employment, and well-being, but they needed to increase the awareness and visibility around their services in order to reach and assist as many people as possible. By working with an SEO expert to launch an effective Google AdWords campaign they were able to expand their web presence and attract new supporters.
“Thank you for helping us transform more lives by standing on the shoulders you generously offer. When you leverage your expertise capital on behalf of the vulnerable, it makes the world just a little bit better, a little bit kinder and little bit more just than it was before you made a difference.”
-Brian Bollinger, Executive Director, Friends of Refugees
From immigration, to disaster response, to social services, now more than ever providing pro bono assistance to organizations tackling society’s greatest challenges is a crucial way to help strengthen their ability to serve. Taproot is working to make high-impact pro bono as accessible as possible.
Next month we celebrate Pro Bono Week, a global initiative to drive capacity-building support to organizations who need it. It is a time for us to activate all of the people who make up the movement.
Nonprofit professionals, take a moment to explore what pro bono can do you for your organization on Taproot+. Volunteers, leverage your expertise by responding to the challenges and needs of the social sector. Together, we can lift up our communities through pro bono service. Now more than ever.
