The Kresge Foundation Awards Taproot Foundation a $100,000 Challenge Grant Toward the Development of the Online Pro Bono Marketplace

October 31, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Taproot Foundation announces that The Kresge Foundation has approved a challenge grant of $100,000 continue  support  of Taproot in the development of pro bono resources within the nonprofit sector. The Kresge Foundation, which boasts 85 years of experience building the nation’s nonprofit infrastructure, is a strategic thought leader and grant maker.  By awarding Taproot a challenge grant towards the expansion of its digital resources, Kresge has signified its view that Taproot plays a critical role in building the nonprofit sector.

Taproot Foundation, pioneer and architect of the global pro bono marketplace, is dedicated to making pro bono professional resources accessible to nonprofits everywhere through its newest program – Powered by Pro Bono. According to research conducted in 2011 by Taproot Foundation and FTI Consulting, cash-strapped nonprofits don’t know how to find quality pro bono talent, and more nonprofits would seek more pro bono help if they could better translate organizational challenges into specific projects. To meet this growing need, Taproot is developing a digital platform that will create meaningful matches between business professionals with skills to offer and the nonprofits that need their support.

Prior to receiving support from the Kresge Foundation, Taproot had begun to build its online infrastructure with signature tools including the Project Finder – an accessible catalog of over 130 templates of the most common pro bono projects, each one matching different nonprofit needs with professional expertise – as well as the Provider Finder, which provides access to networks of individual and institutional providers to staff pro bono projects.  

What’s next?

• Nonprofit support to assist in conducting needs assessments and scoping projects.
• Additional consulting services and interactive tools for nonprofits and consultants alike to assess needs, diagnose skills, and make the right match to complete meaningful engagements.
• And new multimedia resources to make the whole process easier.

In addition to support from the Kresge Foundation, the continued development of the online pro bono marketplace is made possible by the generous financial support from HP as well as ongoing strategic collaboration with key partners including LinkedIn, Foundation Center, True Impact and BoardSource.

About the Taproot Foundation

The singular goal of the Taproot Foundation is to build a pro bono marketplace that, like philanthropy, is large, accessible, professional and transparent. By 2020, Taproot envisions that there will be a robust pro bono marketplace delivering more than $20 billion in pro bono consulting value. When nonprofits can access pro bono support from anywhere – and business professionals have the guidance and resources to identify the most meaningful engagements based on their skills – the core economics of the nonprofit sector are transformed. We look forward to the work we will undertake in partnership with the Kresge Foundation that will make pro bono consulting services common currency for nonprofits everywhere.

About The Kresge Foundation

The Kresge Foundation is a $3 billion private, national foundation that works to expand opportunities in America’s cities through grantmaking and investing in arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services and community development efforts in Detroit. In 2012, the Board of Trustees approved 410 awards totaling $130.5 million; $150.3 million was paid out to grantees over the course of the year. For more information, visit kresge.org.