Corporate Responsibility

The term “capacity-building” tends to be thrown around quite a bit in the nonprofit sector. And as jargon, it has the unfortunate fate of being pretty obscure outside of our sector—not to mention losing its meaning when overused within the field. But at the heart of it, nonprofit capacity-building is one of the most exciting and inspirational ways to support an issue. Quite simply, it’s about achieving a multiplier effect—creating more change in the world by helping to strengthen the organizations that are tackling society’s greatest challenges. At Taproot, we are driven by a strong belief in the exponential impact that can come from supporting nonprofits in this way.

Verizon offers free Innovative Learning labs in 36 stores across the United States. It is part of the company’s commitment to invest $400 million from 2012 to 2023 to bring tech education programs to millions of students. The Verizon Innovative Learning labs offer technology-focused lessons created by Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a leading educational nonprofit that empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Taproot has long made the case that a strong corporate pro bono program is a triple win—nonprofits receive the support they need, companies build deeper relationships with their communities, and employees have the opportunity to apply their skills in new and meaningful ways. While a good deal of evidence supports pro bono as a powerful social impact strategy, practitioners often struggle to articulate the business case for pro bono.

We are thrilled to welcome Rachel Hutchisson, Vice President of Corporate Citizenship and Philanthropy at Blackbaud to Pro Bono Perspectives. In her day to day role, Rachel is responsible for global corporate social responsibility, leading the company’s 3,300 associates in efforts to serve and give professionally and personally. She is committed to the core philosophy that “good is for everyone,” championing positive change and inspiring individuals to integrate service into their development.

Today, Bloomberg L.P. Chairman Peter T. Grauer signed an employer pledge with Time to Change, the growing social movement run by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, which is changing how people across the UK are thinking and acting with regards to mental health problems. By signing, Bloomberg is committing to change the way we think and act around mental health in the workplace.

Before us lies a great opportunity — for the economy, for the health of our cities and businesses, and much more.

While the innovations of the Industrial Revolution introduced many of the practices that we now know contribute to climate change, the innovations of the digital revolution are delivering the solutions needed to create a more sustainable world. Dependence on finite resources created the problem; digitization and data are providing the answer. We are truly living in a world of data.

The digital revolution helps answering several of the major sustainability challenges, dispelling some of the lingering myths regarding sustainability and business growth.

In June, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced a new loan fund for small businesses in Battle Creek. The target was $10 million, with the foundation committed to matching each $1 given to the fund with $2. The fund moved another step closer to that final goal with a $75,000 contribution from Consumers Energy, presented in a ceremony on Wednesday.

The Financial Stability Board's Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) has developed recommendations that help companies disclose climate-related risks and opportunities in their financial filings and help investors make better-informed decisions. Now, TCFD is asking for companies with publicly-listed debt or equity and financial institutions to sign on in support of the effort. GRI encourages companies to join the momentum.

When Taproot was founded in 2001, we knew our mission to drive social change through pro bono service didn’t have to start from scratch. The legal profession in particular served as an example of the potential that can be realized when you engrain an ethic of service into an industry and build programs and resources so nonprofits can leverage it. But outside of the legal profession, that type of access to pro bono services for the nonprofit sector was still rare.

In collaboration with Shining Hope for Communities, Pentair recently completed a multi-year endeavor to expand access to safe drinking water in Kibera.