Taproot Foundation
| Company type | 501(c)(3) non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Founder | Aaron Hurst |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles |
Area served | United States nonprofits |
| Revenue | 4,505,310 United States dollar (2016)  |
| Total assets | 5,622,782 United States dollar (2022) |
Number of employees | 47 |
| Website | www.taprootfoundation.org |
The Taproot Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages design, marketing,[1] IT, strategic management, and human resources professionals in pro bono to build the infrastructure of other nonprofit organizations.[2]
About
Taproot Foundation's mission is to "lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change." It's work focuses around building a pro bono marketplace that, like philanthropy, is large, transparent, professional and accessible.
Most organizations tackling social problems don’t have access to the marketing, design, technology, management or strategic planning resources they need to succeed. Without this talent, few are able to have their intended impact on critical issues like the environment, health and education.
Taproot is a nonprofit organization that makes business talent available to organizations working to improve society.
In 2001, the Taproot Foundation was founded to make the pro bono service ethic part of every business profession and ensure all nonprofits have access to the professional talent they need to serve their communities and advance collective progress.
Its groundbreaking Service Grant program demonstrated the ability for pro bono service to bridge into the mainstream business community and deliver reliable results for hundreds of nonprofits across the country. It delivered services across a wide spectrum of functions from finance to technology, clearly expanding beyond the traditional advertising and legal precedents. Since 2001 the Service Grant Program has supported more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations with pro bono services, valued at over $100 million. In 2007, the program was noted as the nation’s largest nonprofit consulting firm.
To expand pro bono service beyond the Service Grant program, in 2008 Taproot expanded its efforts to become the leading national advocate for pro bono service. Inspired by President Kennedy, Taproot’s founder Aaron Hurst lobbied the President to create a parallel challenge to the business community to use their skills to help the nation in a time of critical need. The result was the White House campaign – Billion + Change.
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the Taproot Foundation has additional offices in New York City, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles[3] and is known for providing pro bono service outside of the legal community.[4] Taproot Foundation's Advisory Services Practice offers consulting services to Fortune 100 companies, providing assistance in building high-impact pro bono programs.[5] [6] Taproot Foundation is rated four stars (out of four) by Charity Navigator.[7]
Aaron Hurst - Founder
Aaron (@aaron_hurst) is a globally recognized social innovator and leading architect of the growing pro bono services movement. He is known throughout Taproot offices for his striped socks, Post-it® doodling, and endless supply of bold ideas.
Aaron’s career is dedicated to challenging and empowering the public and private sectors as well as individuals and organizations to drive our collective social, environmental and economic progress. He is the founder of the Taproot Foundation—a nonprofit organization building a national pro bono marketplace and leading the global service movement—and is a creative force behind the conception of the national Billion + Change initiative and the Service Enterprise model.
A member of the Nonprofit Times Power and Influence Top 50, Aaron is widely known for his thought-leadership in civic engagement, nonprofit management and corporate social responsibility. He is a regular blogger for the Huffington Post and Stanford Social Innovation Review.
An entrepreneur since 16, Aaron began his career as a social innovator at the University of Michigan, where he designed and led an educational program for local correctional facilities, subsequently becoming the first student to receive the Michigan Campus Compact Award. Upon graduating, he worked in inner-city education in Chicago before landing in Silicon Valley as an early employee at two venture-backed social venture companies.
Aaron is one of the most recognized social entrepreneurs in the nation and a recipient of the Ashoka and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation fellowships. He has also been formally recognized as a leading social innovator by the Aspen Institute, Social Venture Network, Fast Company, Commonwealth Club, the Manhattan Institute, the State of California, and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management. In 2009, he received the LSA Humanitarian Service Award, the highest honor bestowed on University of Michigan alumni.
Aaron currently sits on the International Advisory Board of Directors of CiYuan, a three-year initiative to increase social investment in China, and serves on the boards of Reimagining Service and BoardSource. He has co-authored the children’s book “Mommy and Daddy Do It Pro Bono” with his wife, Kara Hurst (@karahurst).
Aaron, Kara, and their two children live in Park Slope, Brooklyn. His favorite root vegetable is the radish.
References
- ^ Community Outreach "Chicago American Marketing Association", Accessed March 18, 2010
- ^ Social Capitalist Awards-Taproot Foundation, Fast Company, December, 2005
- ^ Laid Off? Volunteer! Here's Why and How, "Forbes", Tara Weiss, February 24, 2010
- ^ Even Pro Bono Work Requires Doing Your Homework First "New York Times", Alina Tugend, March 13, 2009
- ^ Taproot Foundation Impact Profile "Taproot Foundation Website," Accessed March 15, 2010
- ^ Pro bono: The new model for corporate giving, The Western Edition, Morgan Davis, January 02, 2010
- ^ Taproot Foundation, Charity Navigator, Accessed August 16, 2012.