FAQs

Taproot loves word-of-mouth referrals! Shoot us an email for all the information you need to share pro bono marketing, HR, IT, and strategy resources with your social good network.

Pro bono service goes far beyond the legal field. It is the donation of professional services (i.e., technology, human resources, architecture, marketing, strategy, legal) benefitting organizations working to improve society.

No matter where you are in implementing your pro bono strategy, there is always an opportunity to take your impact further. We’d be happy to share our thoughts on how to expand or improve your program. Contact us for more information. Please also visit our Resources for helpful materials and tools.

Get in touch! Whether you’re a corporate social responsibility professional, a talent development leader, or any other employee, we’d be happy to help you think through the best next steps to bring pro bono service to your company. We can share more about our services or introduce you to resources that will help put you on the right path.

Our programs provide unparalleled professional development opportunities for employees by integrating pro bono into a company’s talent development strategy. We can help your company incorporate its learning and development goals into a pro bono program that develops employees in areas like client management, problem-solving, and collaboration. To see an example of how pro bono can be a powerful experiential learning opportunity, read this interview with talent development experts.

One of the first steps to establishing a pro bono service initiative at your company is getting buy-in from key stakeholders. Luckily, the case for pro bono is well-documented. Not only can pro bono drive social impact, it’s also great for business. Pro bono service programs can help attract and develop talent, boost your company’s reputation, drive innovation, and much more. To get an in-depth look at how pro bono can help your business, check out our Business Value Flashcards.

Taproot Advisory Services team designs and develops pro bono programs that meet our clients where they are. All of our program models are customizable, allowing companies to utilize the unique skillsets of their employee. A program might engage employees in a half-day consulting session or a full-day workshop that ends with the development of a deliverable. Or in some cases employees engage in multi-week strategy projects or long-term placements. We will work with you to determine the best option for your company depending on your business and social impact goals. To see examples of our programs, check out our most recent […]

Taproot Foundation is often looking for talented individuals to join our team of dedicated employees. Check out our current openings.

Activate your profile on Taproot Plus using your existing credentials, and update your skills, your LinkedIn profile, and your portfolio sites.

Definitely! Many marketing and design volunteers include completed projects in their creative portfolio. We also encourage you to submit your finished projects for design awards. Other skilled volunteers also find that pro bono project descriptions help round out their resumes. Please be aware that ALL work executed on the project for the nonprofit client belongs to the client and that the client is not required to recognize the photographer, designer, etc. in the final product.

Yes! Many volunteers build such a strong connection with their nonprofit client that they continue working with them well beyond the completion of the project. We’ve also seen volunteers join their nonprofit client’s board of directors, staff, or longer-term volunteer teams.

Absolutely! You can apply directly to projects and consultation sessions for nonprofits that align with your area of interest. A broad range of nonprofits attend our workshops and events, so while we do our best to appropriately match volunteers to nonprofits, we generally hope you’re open to working with new and varied organizations depending on attendance.

The best way to measure the value is to use the hourly rate of the professionals involved in service. The current average hourly rate for pro bono service, as determined in partnership with CECP, is $195.

Yes, we encourage it! Adding your experience as a Taproot volunteer to your resumé or LinkedIn profile can be a great way to showcase your professional skills and passion for social change. We just ask that if you list your pro bono experience as a reference for a role you’re applying for, you use the specific nonprofit you volunteered with as the recommendation source.

When it comes to volunteering your professional skills in support of nonprofits – the more the merrier! Reach out to us for information and resources on becoming an ambassador for pro bono service.

When business professionals like you volunteer expertise to nonprofits, you are not only helping them accomplish a specific project, you are helping build their capacity to do good. Pro bono is a great way to flex your skills in new and exciting ways, learn from nonprofits about important issues affecting our communities, and even develop lasting friendships.

Visit the Taproot Plus sign-in page and click on the link that says “forgot your password.” You can also email help@taprootplus.org with any questions about your account.

Taproot has been leading the pro bono movement for more than 20 years. Our model has proven successful in engaging thousands of business professionals every year and supporting more than 8,000 nonprofits since 2001.

While learning is part of every process, the goal of Taproot’s programs is to provide the highest quality support for nonprofits. Volunteers are expected to have at least 3 – 5 years of professional experience in a given area and should volunteer for opportunities that align with their expertise.

You can volunteer for projects or consultation sessions as early as tomorrow by registering on Taproot Plus.  And we hold workshops and events throughout the year in cities across the country. Find available projects and opportunities on Taproot Plus to see how you can get involved today.

Sign up for an account on Taproot Plus and login to see which projects, consultation sessions, or in-person workshops and events are available to you.

Create an account on Taproot Plus (as easy as signing in with your LinkedIn account!), tell us about the fields and skills in which you have at least 3 – 5 years of professional experience, then start browsing for in-person and virtual opportunities. Once you find a project, session, or event that sparks your interest, simply apply to volunteer.

Taproot provides various opportunities for you to get involved.  Find our programs here. Taproot Plus: Work virtually or in person with a nonprofit on projects or provide quick consultations through sessions. Workshops and Events: Team up with a group of consultants in person to help a nonprofit address a challenge.

Yes! As long as you have the right professional expertise for the specific project at hand, you don’t need to have prior experience working for a nonprofit. In fact, you are not alone – many of our pro bono consultants haven’t worked outside the corporate sector.

Traditional volunteering, such as a beach cleanup or serving at a soup kitchen, typically addresses the need for “extra hands” – a nonprofit needs people to help deliver a program. Pro bono service, however, uses specific professional skills to focus on addressing an organization’s internal strategic and infrastructure needs (often referred to as capacity building). For example, an HR professional could engage in traditional volunteer opportunity by planting a community garden, but could also provide pro bono professional services by helping an organization draft an employee handbook.

The best way to measure the value is to use the hourly rate of the professionals involved in service. The current average hourly rate for pro bono service is $220.

Over the course of serving thousands of nonprofits across the country and abroad and working to design pro bono programs for leading companies, Taproot has seen seen firsthand the ways in which pro bono can help a nonprofit build capacity and develop lasting relationships with volunteers. When you carefully design a project, screen for the right volunteers, and manage the work diligently, pro bono can be as effective as paid consulting (or even better!).

Organizations must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit to participate in Taproot’s U.S. programming, with exceptions made on a case-by-case basis for organizations with a fiscal sponsor. Registered nonprofits and public schools in the EU, the U.K., India, and Canada are eligible to post pro bono projects on Taproot Plus. Nonprofits of all sizes are welcome to apply for our services. The only exceptions to this are organizations that seek to advance a religious doctrine or actively discriminate based on age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, disability, national origin, political affiliation, or religious belief.

You can post a project or get a quick consultation anytime on Taproot Plus. If you want to join us at an in-person pro bono event or workshop, check out our events schedule.

Read about our available services. When you see a pro bono service that can meet your needs, click on the appropriate link to get started!

Taproot’s on-demand matchmaking platform connects you and your organization with 1 – 2 volunteers for virtual projects. These projects are managed by you, from selecting your skilled volunteers to managing your project. Taproot staff is available for project scoping support upfront and ongoing troubleshooting as needed. Offered to nonprofits and social change organizations in the U.S., the E.U., the U.K., India, and Canada. Post a project on Taproot Plus

You and your organization will team up with a small group of skilled volunteers to address a challenge in person—from a scope of work all the way through to a deliverable—in one day. Offered to nonprofits and social change organizations in select cities nationwide. Create an account on Taproot Plus to be notified when a local event is accepting applications or find an event near you.

You and your organization will gather advice from skilled volunteers on key challenges across multiple areas in this half-day, round-robin workshop. Offered to nonprofits and social change organizations in select cities nationwide. Create an account on Taproot Plus to be notified when a local event is accepting applications or find an event near you. 

We are a 501(c)3 organization with two key funding streams: grants from private and corporate foundations and revenue from consulting projects with companies and other organizations that want to learn about, support, or do pro bono service. Some companies and foundations sponsor pro bono services for their existing grantees. Other funders provide general operating support. We are also supported by associations, individuals, and our own volunteers.
Make a gift to the pro bono movement

A Virtual Session connects you with a skilled volunteer for a one-hour virtual consulting call. This session allows you to float ideas, brainstorm, troubleshoot, or get advice from subject matter experts on topics ranging from marketing to HR to strategy and beyond. These virtual sessions are available to nonprofits and social change organizations in the U.S., the E.U., the U.K., India, and Canada. Request a session

While Taproot’s programs are offered completely cost-free to nonprofits, pro bono does require a commitment of time and occasionally other resources (such as printing budget for a brochure). It’s important to recognize that skilled volunteers and nonprofits will need to invest time and energy to make pro bono work. The returns on this investment, however, are often enormous.

While Taproot’s programs are offered completely cost-free to nonprofits, pro bono does require a commitment of time and occasionally other resources (such as printing budget for a brochure). It’s important to recognize that skilled volunteers and nonprofits will need to invest time and energy to make pro bono work. The returns on this investment, however, are often enormous.

While Taproot’s programs are offered completely cost-free to nonprofits, pro bono does require a commitment of time and occasionally other resources (such as printing budget for a brochure). It’s important to recognize that skilled volunteers and nonprofits will need to invest time and energy to make pro bono work. The returns on this investment, however, are often enormous.

Traditional volunteering, such as a beach cleanup or serving at a soup kitchen, typically addresses the need for “extra hands” – a nonprofit needs people to help deliver a program. Pro bono service, however, uses specific professional skills to focus on addressing an organization’s internal strategic and infrastructure needs (often referred to as capacity building). For example, an HR professional could engage in traditional volunteer opportunity by planting a community garden, but could also provide pro bono professional services by helping an organization draft an employee handbook.

Taproot Foundation is often looking for talented individuals to join our team of dedicated employees. Check out our current openings.