Make a Difference in Just an Hour: Taproot Plus Sessions

One hour. One call. No need to leave the house. How does that sound for a way to change the world?

National Volunteer Week (April 16-22) is here, and it’s the perfect time to get involved in your community. We have a quick and highly-effective way you can join in the celebration—and support a nonprofit in need.

Taproot Plus Sessions give professionals—like you—the chance to help a nonprofit identify solutions or next steps for a single, specific challenge in just 60 minutes. During these one-on-one consultations, volunteers help nonprofits brainstorm, troubleshoot, and diagnose challenges.

Sessions are a great option for virtual volunteering on a tight schedule, but you don’t have to take our word for it! We asked a few volunteers who have completed multiple Sessions through Taproot Plus to share their tips and experiences. Here are some responses:

What compelled you to start volunteering your skills? Why do you choose to volunteer as a Taproot Plus Sessions consultant?

• “I am retired and living in a small city in New Mexico. This was a way of using my skills, which would be impossible trying to do 1:1 in person here. I find it fascinating to solve some of the unique issues nonprofits encounter.”
• “I wanted to update my portfolio while assisting nonprofits I was interested in.”
• “I’m not sure how I stumbled across Taproot Plus but it seemed an excellent fit.”
• “Sessions are just plain fun. I get to be the expert for an hour, and you can hear the client scribbling away to record your words of wisdom.”

What makes a Taproot Plus Session a convenient way to volunteer remotely or from home?

• “I can choose the possible times for a one-hour session to match my schedule.”
• “Because everything is ad hoc, I can usually talk to the client while taking a walk or driving my car depending upon the subject of the call. I can also wander the house or sit in our courtyard in the sun.”

Tell us about a Session you volunteered for: What did you help the nonprofit brainstorm or problem-solve?

• “[The nonprofit I was working with] needed information on how to categorize their income and expenses. I walked them through the accounting process and warned them of some of the pitfalls they should avoid. I offered some easy- to- understand suggestions on how to manage their restricted/designated funds (only for certain uses) and grant accounting. Not sexy but necessary.”

Nonprofits are looking for Sessions with volunteers who can help them with fundraising strategy, grant research/writing, digital marketing strategy, and remote IT infrastructure.

Here are just 5 open volunteer opportunities on Taproot Plus:

• Advocating 4 Kids provides resources and support to parents of children with disabilities. They seek to consult with a marketing specialist for advice on marketing their first national virtual conference.
• The Vermont Council on World Affairs promotes an awareness and understanding of the world and its people through public forums, and they request a graphics professional to update their logo.
• Ecologists Without Borders provides ecological assistance to at-risk communities around the world and seeks assistance transitioning to Quickbooks Online Plus.
• The Business for Peace Community Development Foundation works with women and girls living in poverty, and they want to discuss strategies for board restructuring, recruitment, and training.
• OPTIONS helps people with disabilities live and work in the community and they want to find new and innovative ways to recruit new employees.

Not finding the best opportunity for you? Check out all the Sessions requests.

It’s more important than ever that we step up to support the nonprofits working so hard to support our communities. Signing up is simple, and you’ll be able to see opportunities to connect with nonprofits.

Share your skills with nonprofits without leaving your home: sign up to give back through Taproot Plus Sessions today!