People of Pro Bono: Jeff Coopersmith, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center

During his off hours, you can find Jeff Coopersmith deeply involved in his volunteer work for Autism Now and spending quality time with his family, friends, and neighbors. He brings that same passion and sense of togetherness to the office as the Director of External Relations, Growth & Sustainability at Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, as he and his coworkers drive forward a 75 year old nonprofit with deep ties to community development in New York City.

Proudly serving our community since 1942

MMCC is a critical community resource that changes the lives of more than 35,000 Bronx and Manhattan residents yearly through supportive services, education, day camp, enrichment activities and recreational programs. Our staff is committed to guiding and nurturing people of all ages—frequently when they have had nowhere else to turn. Since beginning our programs in 1942, we have been working with Bronx and Manhattan residents to help provide a dynamic, vibrant, and safe community for all.

Seeking expert advice

Although MMCC has a robust history in our community and heavy impact in that space, as of a few years ago, we were largely dependent on word-of-mouth when it came to sharing information on our services and program offerings. That began to change when our new CEO came onboard and created a brand new Development Department tasked with putting branding, marketing, and advertising processes in place. However, we required additional expertise in marketing and messaging to revamp our communications to our community as a whole, and also to potential funders.

We approached Taproot for branding and messaging pro bono assistance because we needed this essential professional advice but could not afford to pay a consultant for it. Our team of Taproot skilled volunteers worked with us for nearly 200 hours on this project and the results were phenomenal. MMCC was not only left with an updated and innovative communications strategy, but from this support, we were able to develop and grow into a successful branding and marketing department.

Building stronger communities, together

On behalf of everyone here at MMCC, we want to thank Taproot for the valuable services they have provided our center and staff with. You’ll see us again soon! Up next, we will use pro bono service to expand our program roster to utilize our newly developed art integration program to assist those with autism, dementia, and Alzheimer as a tool for helping them to communicate.

Charitable contributions come in many forms: pro bono service is one of them. Those who give their time, skills, and energy pro bono should all feel happy and very proud. By listening, interacting, and offering professional advice, skilled volunteers enable us to do more for those in our community. MMCC is looking forward to using pro bono support more in the future to assist us in building stronger communities, one life at a time.

Ready to begin your own pro bono story? Chapter one starts by clicking here.