By Kimberly Swartz, Director of Community Engagement, Taproot Foundation
Could your organization benefit from advice from a marketing, HR, IT, business strategy, finance, or data expert?
Are you hungry for an opportunity to creatively brainstorm with someone who can bring a fresh perspective to your nonprofit’s work?
Is your team preparing for a big initiative where careful project management will be crucial?
If you answered “Yes!” to any of those questions—Taproot Plus Sessions is the resource your nonprofit is searching for. Sessions are Taproot’s quickest way to connect with volunteers from our community of highly skilled business professionals. These one-hour virtual calls are the perfect resource for any nonprofit, public school, or small business hoping to connect with immediate problem-solving brainstorming
Create your free Taproot Plus account to request a Session now.
Here are 10 ways a one-hour Taproot Plus Session can provide your team with valuable support:
Marketing & Communications
1. Visual Identity
Get an outside perspective on your organization’s website, branding, videos, graphic design elements, photos, or more. Dig in with a branding professional on what story your current imagery is conveying and how to elevate it.
2. Social Media Quick Tips
The world of social media is vast. However, your nonprofit probably has limited time and budget to explore that world. A Session with a social media marketer is an excellent way to get quick, creative recommendations for leveraging different social media channels when staff time is limited.
Pro Bono Pro Tip: New to social media? Try a Session focused on best practices instead! Taproot has volunteers experienced in Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and more who can talk you through the basics.
Business Development
3. Pitch Review
Test out your fundraising elevator pitch on an experienced business development professional! These volunteers will be able to give immediate feedback on what about your messaging caught their attention and where there may be areas for improvement.
4. Evaluation of Best Practices
How is your organization tracking the impact of your programs? Connect with a professional who lives and breathes data to learn best practices for evaluation—including surveying, developing data dashboards, and general impact measurement.
5. Strategic Planning First Steps
The strategic planning process can feel daunting. If you’re asking yourself “Where do I even start?”, try a one-hour Session with an experienced strategist! Our volunteers can help you create a checklist of the data your team needs to gather before diving into blue-sky strategic planning.
Pro Bono Pro Tip: Check out Taproot’s in-depth webinar on using skilled volunteer support to build your next strategic plan here. We cover the core elements of a nonprofit strategic plan and which Taproot Plus Sessions or Projects could be the right fit for your team.
HR & Leadership Development
6. HR Policy Review
Are you considering implementing new HR policies? Get an expert’s thoughts on policy language, what may be missing, and how you should roll out the updates to your staff, board, or volunteers.
7. Recruitment
Bringing in talented and passionate volunteers, board members, and staff with diverse perspectives is key for the success of any nonprofit. Connect with a skilled Taproot volunteer for a Session on building a strong recruitment pipeline.
8. Management Advice
Navigating a tricky situation with a staff or board member? A call with an experienced HR professional could be just what you need to unpack the issue and get unbiased recommendations for how to proceed.
Pro Bono Pro Tip: If your nonprofit hasn’t established an employee or volunteer handbook where HR policies would live—that would make a great Taproot Plus Project! An HR volunteer can assist you in assessing what your team needs from a handbook and then develop it.
IT & Technology
9. Online Tool Recommendations
It can feel like there are 5 new online systems to use for remote collaboration, marketing, CRM, or accounting each day. Cut through the mess by connecting with a volunteer for recommendations on tools that will make your life easier and your programming more effective.
10. Product Management
Is your organization running a tech-enabled program or service? Pair up with a product manager for a Session on taking your tech product to the next level or even advice on bringing their highly efficient workflow style into your organization’s day-to-day work.
Pro Bono Pro Tip: When requesting this Taproot Plus Session, be specific about the budget you have available to spend. That information will help our volunteers come to the table with more tailored tool recommendations for you.
