A Director of Finance by day and a national parks explorer by night, Gloria Liu is a person of many talents. One of them: supporting nonprofits using her finance savvy. After completing over 160 hours of service, she now serves on the Board of Directors for an organization she connected with through pro bono.
Looking forward through pro bono
I’ve always been inspired by project turnarounds, achievements big and small, and looking towards the future. I like the gratitude that comes with finishing something that will work towards a better future, and wanted to channel those feelings into social change. Pro bono, for me, is the perfect way to connect all of those inspirations and channel them into volunteer work with a variety of nonprofits and issue areas.
Going beyond the numbers
Being a Director of Finance, I live in numbers. I’ve been able to use my analytical approach to support some amazing social missions while working alongside nonprofits. So far, I’ve donated more than 160 hours of pro bono service with a handful of nonprofit organizations. This has included working on with fellow Taproot volunteers during Pro Bono Marathons, sharing advice during a Pro Bono Speed Consulting event, and working virtually through Taproot Plus on long term projects.
Taproot has created a bridge for me and other professionals to connect with social change organizations.
A standout pro bono experience was the time I spent working with the Golden Gate Philharmonic, a youth orchestra using the power of music to strengthen their community. They run educational programs for kids in the San Francisco Bay Area that enhance their musical and teamwork abilities. When I saw their accounting project posted on Taproot Plus, I knew I had to go for it. I partnered with them and helped prepare their year-end tax returns.
While working on the project, I got to meet with the great people that make up the Golden Gate Philharmonic team. Wrapping up the project felt so rewarding and inspiring –I was delighted to be a part of such an amazing outcome. Their mission resonated with me so much that I’ve joined their Board of Directors as Treasurer.
An opportunity to learn from one another
To anyone who is thinking about doing pro bono but hasn’t made the jump, I say go for it! Pro bono is a great opportunity to learn from one another—I’ve helped nonprofits learn new tactics or processes by sharing my expertise as a volunteer on a few different pro bono projects. But I’ve found that often people don’t talk about how much you learn from the nonprofits as a volunteer. I’ve learned just as much from the fabulous people that work at these organizations as they’ve learned from me. I’d like to say thank you to all the social good organizations I’ve worked with. I’m so proud of how much we’ve together!