Conversations with Child Steps International’s Founder and President, Tenneh Johnson Kemah
Tenneh Johnson Kemah is originally from Liberia. She left the country after the civil war broke out, when she was just a teenager. She promised herself that she would return, that she would be a part of healing her country – but she didn’t know how. In 2012, she founded Child Steps International to ensure that the rights of children in war-torn and impoverished countries were protected and that they had the opportunities they deserve to live prosperous and healthy lives in the places they call home.
In this blog series, we chat with Tenneh about how pro bono has helped her organization grow and the innovative ways she engages skilled volunteers and her supporters to move her organization’s mission forward.
See other blogs in this series: Part 1, Part 3, Part 4
Part II: Know What You Want
TR: Before using Taproot+, did you try to source skilled volunteers in any other ways or just since using Taproot Plus?
TJK: No I didn’t. I was working day and night, like really working day and night. As I mentioned, I did the website by myself. I had no experience, so google helped me a lot. I would go online and search for everything. And I would just do, you know, what I could do with limited knowledge of what I was actually doing. My entire expertise was in organizational development, not websites! [laughing]
TR: So what introduced you to the idea of using skilled volunteers? I know you attended one of our ScopeAthon events – was that the spark?
TJK: Well, like I said, Google! [laughing] I was researching, I was looking for something, and then I came across the Taproot event you were having and I registered. I really was not even sure if I was going to go. But then I was sent a reminder and thought “okay, this sounds kind of interesting.” And at that point in Child Steps’ growth, I was really confused because we needed a lot of stuff. We needed a logo, we needed all these things about branding that I did not quite understand, and many other things. So I signed up for it, and I actually thought everything was going to be done that day! [laughing] I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, honestly. We went, and then we found about Taproot+. And I think, right there, and before I left the event, I applied for two projects.
TR: We’ve heard from some nonprofits that in trying to use skilled volunteers, it can be challenging to ask for the right thing. They don’t always know where to go to find the right volunteers for the right project. You’ve used Taproot+ quite a bit over the last year, and it sounds like you’ve had good results. I’m just curious, as a tool, how does Taproot+ make that process easier?
TJK: When you go onto Taproot+ and say “I have a project,” you really need to know what you want. Don’t expect to get your volunteer on board if you’re not very clear about what you want. Or else you guys will go in circles and the volunteer will get frustrated. Because, you have to understand, most of the volunteers are people that are working and have other responsibilities. You cannot make it hard for them. I also really think you need to interview them. If you don’t think they’re going to meet your needs, do not choose them. I chose people several times based on their desire to learn a specific skill set or to expand in that area. And what I realized is that they were not able to do the work and it turned out to be a waste of our time. So what I’ve learned is that Taproot+ makes it easier to find volunteers, but know what you want so that when you are interviewing, you know what to ask and you know who to bring on board. Because if you bring the wrong person board, it can be a waste of everyone’s time.
Quick Tips from Tenneh:
1. Use skilled volunteers for projects that aren’t in your area of expertise: Tenneh talked of working day and night to build a website, with the help of Google. After attending a Taproot event, she realized she could use skilled volunteers to help with projects that were outside of her expertise.
>> Do you find yourself working on projects outside of your area of expertise? Think about how pro bono can help you take on project, like building a website, with the help of an expert!
2. Know what you want: Tenneh hits the nail on the head when she says “you really need to know what you want.” Having a clear project outlined will ensure that your volunteer is fully invested and that everyone’s time is used wisely.
>> Need a little help refining the details of your project? We’re here to support you in building the outline you need for a successful project. Take a look at common projects, and connect with us for any questions you might have.
3. Be clear about who you are looking for: Interviewiong your volunteer applicants is important. Tenneh brought up a few key factors to consider:
- How much time are they willing to commit to the project? Keep in mind they likely have responsibilities in addition to their volunteering
- Do they have the right skill set to meet your needs? Be sure to select the volunteer who is best-suited not only for your project, but for the way you work.
>> Don’t be afraid to turn away people if you don’t feel they’re the right fit – you’re ultimately saving everyone some time and effort by doing so!
Conversations with Child Steps International’s Founder and President, Tenneh Johnson Kemah
Tenneh Johnson Kemah is originally from Liberia. She left the country after the civil war broke out, when she was just a teenager. She promised herself that she would return, that she would be a part of healing her country – but she didn’t know how. In 2012, she founded Child Steps International to ensure that the rights of children in war-torn and impoverished countries were protected and that they had the opportunities they deserve to live prosperous and healthy lives in the places they call home.
In this blog series, we chat with Tenneh about how pro bono has helped her organization grow and the innovative ways she engages skilled volunteers and her supporters to move her organization’s mission forward.
See the other blogs in this series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 4
Part III: Creating a Team Around Your Taproot+ Projects
TR: It sounds like your best experiences on Taproot+ have been when you find a volunteer that fits based on skill set and time commitment. But it also sounds like maybe you’ve had some rough starts with a few, either because the volunteers weren’t the right fit or the process and path forward wasn’t clear. What advice would you give organizations on making sure that they’re setting the project up for success?
TJK: Because we’re a small organization, I play a role in everything. On our board, we have a chairperson for finance and a person focused on communications. These are all people that have expertise in the field but don’t have a lot of time to commit. So, we were doing something with our financials, right? We wanted to get all of our information together in Quickbooks. What I did that was very successful was, I got my treasurer—who has his MBA and a degree in accounting—and I put him on the initial call with the Taproot+ volunteer. This way, the volunteer knew that I had someone who has a financial background helping me in this process, too. That was helpful for everyone.
And then even when we were doing a project with HR, I brought in another board member who has background in organizational development. I brought her on that initial call, and she was on all of the emails. I think at that point, the volunteer also realized “okay, there is someone who has expertise in the field that is working alongside with me, that can give me constructive feedback.” I found that to be extremely helpful, especially when it’s in an area that I don’t know much about.
TR: Interesting! It sounds like you’ve been really successful in engaging your board in this process of using more pro bono. Have you always had a really engaged board, or has this been another way for you to engaging them in new ways?
TJK: It’s a new way for me to engage my board. Some board members are active, and some are not. It’s a relief knowing that, okay, we don’t have this particular set of tools that we need to run our organization well and we need to bring in a Taproot+ volunteer, and I know that I have a board member who can help and take ownership of a project. Like after we worked on our HR policies and procedures – the board member was not as engaged before, but she actually presented the project to the board and I see now that she’s more active. So, yes, it’s a great way to involve your board, who are also volunteers themselves.
TR: Tenneh, you mentioned earlier that one of the really important things when you’re setting up your project for success is to have clear expectations on the time commitment. Can you tell me how you do that? How do you go about ensuring that they have set aside the time to get a project done?
TJK: In the initial interview, I ask them what time commitment thy can make, how many hours a week they can dedicate to this project—5 hours? 3 hours?—based on the need. I also tell them if it’s something that I need immediately or if it’s something that I can work on over the next three months. But the time commitment – if you tell me that “oh, I only have two hours a week,” but I know that we need to do this in two months and we need a total of 40 hours, then that’s not going to work. What I’ve done in the past with Taproot is that if there’s a really, really good person, a person that’s completely committed, but they can only spend 5 hours per week and we need 7 hours, what I do is I interview a few volunteers and make a team. Then I go back to Taproot+ staff and I ask if we can use two people. I don’t want to lose someone because they don’t have the extra two hours a week, you know?
TR: Absolutely.
TJK: So I go back to Taproot and I say “Can I please work with more than one volunteer and bring them together on this project?” After Taproot approves, I email the volunteers and say “Ok, Sarah you are going to be working Jean, these are the things we need to accomplish, who is going to take on what?” Nine times out of ten, they will always choose what they can do. Right now we are working on branding our fact sheets, and we have two excellent volunteers who have high-profile jobs and cannot commit to the full time needed. But they are communicating well and working together to get the best product.
Quick Tips from Tenneh:
- Engage your board in new ways with pro bono: Tenneh mentioned that her board had varying levels of engagement. When a project came up that sparked an interest in one of her members, she was able to engage and activate that member to be more involved.>> Do you have a project that would benefit from the additional expertise of a board member? The volunteer will be supported and your board member will feel engaged – a win win!
- Be clear about your expectations up front: Tenneh doesn’t beat around the bush with the amount of time she expects of her volunteers. Being clear about the commitment you need is one of the ways you’ll ensure you find the right volunteer for the job.>> Encountering challenges on your project? We’re here to support you! Connect with us for any questions you might have.
- Build a team to meet your needs: Tenneh understands that people’s commitment to a project and their actual availability don’t always align. If you feel like you’ve found the perfect volunteer match, but they can’t meet all of your needs, interview additional volunteers and see if they’d be willing to work as part of a team.>> Always be upfront with volunteers if you plan to form a team – you’ll need their buy-in for the project to be a success!
INSPIRED TO DO MORE WITH PRO BONO? GET STARTED ON TAPROOT PLUS.
About Child Steps International
Child Steps International (CSI) is committed to solving some of the world’s biggest problems faced by its most vulnerable citizens—children and youth—through partnerships that engage local and international stakeholders, working collaboratively for lasting solutions. CSI’s mission is to improve the lives of children and their families who have been affected by war, poverty, and discrimination. CSI accomplishes this by assisting communities in the development and strengthening of innovative, progressive, and effective services, which protect children’s rights and gives families the opportunity to be prosperous, healthy, and safe in the place they call home. http://www.childstepsinternational.org/
