Taproot Foundation Convenes Corporate Social Responsibility Leaders and Pro Bono Providers from Across the Nation for 3rd Annual U.S. Pro Bono Summit in Chicago
June 2-4: Leaders in the pro bono movement from the private and nonprofit sectors convene to share innovations, best practices, and challenges in delivering high-quality pro bono and skills-based service to thousands of nonprofit organizations nationwide.
June 3, 2015 /3BL Media/ - The Taproot Foundation brings together over 70 leaders of the pro bono movement this week in Chicago for the 3rd annual U.S. Pro Bono Summit. This invitation-only gathering includes senior leaders from both corporate and nonprofit sector programs who connect nonprofits with business professionals to deliver critical resources, pro bono. This convening follows the Global Pro Bono Summit, jointly held by the Taproot Foundation and the BMW Foundation last February in Berlin, which gathered counterparts from 23 nations around the world.
The Summit, hosted at SPACE June 2nd-4th, is generously supported by long-time pro bono advocates HP and PwC as well as BMW Foundation, Taproot’s partner in founding the Global Pro Bono Network. The evening receptions are graciously provided by Capital One and Tyson Foods.
The pro bono movement has significantly expanded beyond the legal field in the last ten years. A growing number of Fortune 500 companies now offer their employees opportunities to volunteer their professional expertise to nonprofits.
“We are proud to support this marquee event that helps change the conversation about the importance of providing community resources through corporate engagement. It supports our commitment to HP Living Progress—creating a better future for everyone through our actions and innovations,” said Rebecca Wang, Senior Manager of Corporate Affairs, HP.
According to a report produced by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy in 2014, since 2008, the percentage of surveyed companies reporting pro bono programs increased from 32% to 50%. Pro bono service gives business professionals the opportunity to provide their skilled services to nonprofits, while at the same time improving their professional networks, getting professional development opportunities, and giving back to the community.
“There are more than 4 million professionals in the US that have expressed interest in joining a nonprofit board or doing skilled volunteering—or both! And there are hundreds of companies and service providers who are committed to connecting those services to social change organizations. We’ve got to fill this gap,” said Liz Hamburg, Taproot Foundation President & CEO, “The Summit helps us get there much faster by identifying our top challenges, putting them on the table, and committing to solve them.”
The Summit is a highly participatory conference with group discussion at its core. Topics include how to make sure nonprofit organizations’ greatest needs are being met through pro bono service, how to identify the right corporate program model, how technology has advanced the sector, and how board engagement can boost the pro bono movement.
U.S. Pro Bono Summit information: here.
Participant reflection from previous Summit: here.
About the Taproot Foundation
Taproot Foundation, a national nonprofit, connects nonprofits and social change organizations with skilled volunteers through pro bono service. Taproot is creating a world where organizations dedicated to social change have full access—pro bono—to the marketing, strategy, HR, and IT resources they need to be most effective. We power collaboration that connects communities and drives social change. Since 2001, Taproot’s skilled volunteers have served 3,300 social change organizations representing 1.5 million hours of work and over $141 million in value. Taproot is located in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. www.taprootfoundation.org
