Bridging the Technology Divide: Key Takeaways from Taproot's First-Ever Technology Convening

How can pro bono service help nonprofits access technology solutions that transform their organizations and solve our communities’ challenges? That’s what Taproot sought to discover at Bridging the Technology Divide, our first-ever technology convening at the U.S. Pro Bono Summit. The day was comprised of a cross-sector group of leaders in technology and service coming together to explore and collectively shape how we can solve social sector needs with technology expertise.

For those who missed the action, here’s a recap of the day’s key takeaways:

Transforming Technology Pro Bono: New Tool for Nonprofits Released by Taproot Foundation and VMware Foundation

The median technology budget of nonprofits is less than 2% of each organization’s total operating budget, and most nonprofits are not confident that they have enough skilled staff or training to effectively use technology, according to NTEN’s 9th Annual Nonprofit Technology Staffing & Investments Report. This is in stark comparison with the ubiquitous adoption and use of technology in the for-profit sector. With the goal of bridging this technology divide, the Taproot Foundation, in collaboration with VMware Foundation, released a new nonprofit-focused tool entitled Transforming Technology Pro Bono at Taproot’s annual U.S. Pro Bono Summit on April 26.

WEBINAR: How to Launch a Successful Crowdfunding Campaign Without a Budget

Planning and executing a successful crowdfunding campaign can be daunting. You need a compelling promo video, inviting graphics, simple yet informative communications, an engaging email strategy, and stand-out social media. Don’t panic: all this is achievable even without a budget or in-house expertise. This webinar will teach you how to harness the expertise of marketing, graphic design, videography, and communications professionals who want to volunteer to help your cause.

Quick Consult: Engaging the C-Suite

Getting time on the c-suite’s calendar can be next to impossible. Yet time and again Taproot has seen that pro bono programs are most successful when the highest levels of leadership are bought in. If leadership doesn’t understand how it works or see its value, it could easily end up on the chopping block as resources and priorities shift year over year.

If you want to ensure the sustainability of your pro bono program, get the c-suite involved. Here are three tactics to help you get the right folks on board. Which tactics you use and what will work best differs company to company, but regardless the benefit of buy-in from leadership is big – and worth exploring.

Impact at Work: Wheeler Mission Ministries Project Spotlight

This National Volunteer Week, we’re excited to highlight a project with a talented team from Charles Schwab and its nonprofit partner, Wheeler Mission Ministries (Wheeler), whose mission is to meet the short-term and long-term needs of homeless, hungry and other people in need in central Indiana. Wheeler's Center for Women & Children operates Restored Creations, a social enterprise run by women from their various long-term programs that produces and sells hand-poured, scented, soy blend candles. We paired Wheeler with a team of Schwab volunteers to develop an interactive financial model that informs the development of a financial and operational strategy to promote sales growth for the Restored Creations Program.

Pro Bono Calculator: Quantifying the Value of Pro Bono

Has the National Volunteer Week buzz sparked some ideas for skills-based projects, but you aren't sure where to start? Check out our Pro Bono Calculator, a step-by-step tool that quantifies the value and investment of utilizing pro bono support for your organization and your project.

A Customer-Centric Approach to Transforming Technology Pro Bono

Customers are at the core of VMware’s mission. That is why VMware engineers software that gives its customers freedom from constraints, empowering them to build capacity and scale at speed to accomplish their missions and move forward. VMware’s culture of possibility is fueled by its people’s curiosity and passion to turn the impossible into the possible and realize the unlimited potential for the future. VMware people live this EPIC2 culture every day as technology pioneers at work and active global citizens in their communities.

Corporate Volunteering Grows as Key Driver of Workplace Culture

In recognition of National Volunteer Week taking place April 23-29, Benevity shares that Spark, its market leading cloud solution for workplace giving, grantmaking and volunteering was used by enterprise clients to achieve record growth in volunteering, helping to drive employee engagement and skills development, while making a positive social impact in their local communities. Together, Benevity clients continue to experience triple digit year-over-year increases in corporate volunteer hours as they leverage Spark’s easy-to-use, mobile-friendly volunteer sign-up, time tracking and rewards capabilities to give time and expertise to causes that matter to them.

Community Voices of Change Podcast

In this episode of Community Voices of Change, Daniel Horgan interviews Common Impact CEO, Danielle Holly about Common Impact's work with companies designing and implementing skill-based volunteering initiatives, her insights on nonprofit capacity building and pro tips on project management.

National Rebuilding Month: Rebuilding Day

National Rebuilding Month will culminate on National Rebuilding Day, Saturday April, 29 and will engage volunteers in a concerted effort to complete repairs on homes, nonprofit facilities and community spaces to bring immediate, transformational change to communities across America on the same day.

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