Corporate Pro Bono Is Evolving - Are You? | Taproot Foundation's Advisory Services Summer Newsletter

When Taproot got its start as an organization in 2001, we used to say "Pro bono isn't just for lawyers."  We were determined to prove that we could power the nonprofit sector with other forms of corporate expertise, like pro bono marketing, strategy, finance, design, and HR. 

15 years later, our narrative has evolved. Now we say "pro bono isn't just for marketers, strategists, finance professionals, designers, and HR specialists." Today professionals are going beyond traditional expertise and applying specialized skills and emerging forms of problem solving to the pro bono they provide. Companies are shaping this new frontier in pro bono, and we explore innovations from MetLife, Adobe, and VMware below. 

We're studying how unique forms of corporate talent can make a big impact on the social sector. Let us know what unique expertise you donate – or would like to donate – to the issues and nonprofits you serve at advisory@taproofoundation.org.

MetLife & Lean Management ---> read more 

The application of lean management has been transformative for countless companies. It produces high quality products and services at minimal cost, enabling companies to become more efficient without compromising products or profits.

We teamed up with MetLife to unlock their lean expertise for the social sector. We documented what we learned in a new paper exploring how lean can dramatically improve a nonprofit’s ability to do more with less. 

Adobe & Design Thinking ---> read more

This month, Adobe boldly applied human-centered design to trenchant social sector issues. This was exciting new territory for corporate pro bono. Human centered design -- creative problem solving that puts the end user at the forefront and results in solutions tailored to their specific needs – has been adopted by top companies as a way to innovate. But, while its potential and benefits seem obvious for the social sector, few nonprofit organizations have adopted it as part of their problem solving approach.

Adobe is leading the way in exploring what human-centered design can do when it's applied to big societal challenges. Learn more here about how Adobe is doing this work and get all the details on the two pro bono human-centered design sessions they hosted last week in San Francisco and Utah.

VMware & Tech ---> read more

Now more than ever, technology is the engine behind corporate innovation, growth, and effectiveness. But nonprofit organizations have yet to capitalize on the potential of tech to drive efficiency and scale. In many cases, the challenge boils down to two issues: nonprofits don't traditionally invest in tech-based solutions (< 2% of a nonprofit's total operating budget is used for tech), and corporations are unsure how to translate their technical skills to the social sector through pro bono.
 
At Taproot, we seek to bridge this technology divide. We partnered with the VMware Foundation to develop and release this practical new guide that enables companies, nonprofits, and funders to translate tech talent to the nonprofit sector.

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