Leveraging HR to strengthen nonprofit boards and drive impact
By Kristin Teti, Program & Development Manager, Taproot Foundation - Los Angeles The number-one resource for a great social sector organization is having enough of the right people willing to commit themselves to the mission." —Jim Collins, bestselling author. It seems simple enough: If we want to create strong nonprofits, we have to invest in the right people with the...
Read MoreStart Small, but Think Big: Citi Scales the Skills Marathon Model from Pilot to Global Initiative
By Kim Gillman, Senior Associate Consultant, Advisory Services, Taproot Foundation Thinking outside the box Citi is revolutionizing the way that corporate America can impact the social sector. Here's how: Citi deliberately looks beyond hands-on community service and checkbook philanthropy, recognizing the potential of its employees to apply their expertise in areas like financial services, HR and marketing to directly impact...
Read MoreMeet Peter: Leading with “the three C’s” in LA
Peter Smith has been with Taproot Los Angeles since its start. In that time, he's brought his experience to bear leading projects for five nonprofits, mentoring many young professionals, and constantly making it matter in his community. Read Peter's full profile here.
Read MoreNeed Pro Bono? Start with “Why”
By Robert B. Acton, Executive Director NY, Taproot Foundation Tomorrow I have the privilege of serving as the keynote speaker at the Youth, I.N.C. 2013 Venture Forward Conference in New York City. In preparing my remarks, I've been thinking about how pro bono is ultimately not about getting a wish-list-deliverable, but rather, solving an underlying organizational need. Digging into organizational...
Read MoreCatchafire & Taproot Share Best Practices for Pro Bono
Catchafire and Taproot come together for this discussion of pro bono On the heels of the Taproot Foundation Global Pro Bono Summit, Rachael Chong, CEO and Founder, Catchafire and Aaron Hurst, President and Founder, Taproot Foundation realized that between them, their organizations have completed thousands of nonprofit pro bono engagements. What have they learned over the past 10+ years? Watch...
Read MoreSpotlight: Taproot’s Fantastic Fellows
At Taproot, we have the good fortune of working with many talented, smart, and creative individuals who join our Taproot Foundation Pro Bono Fellowship program. This program not only brings critical support to our work, but also helps grow the talent that will continue to service the nonprofit sector for years to come. For six to nine months, Taproot Fellows...
Read MoreNew McKinsey Study Demonstrates Nonprofit Leaders Need Access to Pro Bono
A McKinsey study of 196 C-suite nonprofit leaders released this month explored today's state of leadership in the social sector to uncover what leaders need to succeed. The study found that two primary barriers preventing nonprofit leaders from securing the resources they need include: A lack of understanding on how to find the right resources; and A feeling that the right resources are...
Read MoreMeet Steve: A Modest Leader Making a Big Difference
For a man with more than two decades of experience leading advertising departments and agencies, as well as 16 years in media sales, Steve Nelson is particularly modest. Observing that everybody he works with is "Amazingly creative and wonderful," Steve calls himself the least qualified Taproot consultant he has met. But we're not fooled: Steve has been leading Taproot Service...
Read MorePro Bono as Common Currency
What if pro bono service were a worldwide norm - a "common currency" that aligned the interests of companies, professionals, and social impact organizations all over the world? The goal is hairy and audacious.The leaders at the Corporate Day at the 2013 Global Pro Bono Summit noted that implementing pro bono programs across international and cultural barriers can be done...
Read MorePromising Practices: Barriers and Bright Spots
The Corporate Day at the 2013 Global Pro Bono Summit kicked off with participants sharing their bright spots, a promising practice they brought to the table from their pro bono programs. Each table chose the bright spot they were most inspired by to present back to the larger group. Leaders from Netsuite, LinkedIn, Google, Bain, and American Express formed this...
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