Taproot Founder Sees 'Desperate Need' For Skilled Volunteers

Last year, volunteer interest was so high in America that "for many nonprofit groups, every day [felt] like Thanksgiving at a soup kitchen," wrote Aaron Hurst, founder of volunteer-matching veteran, Taproot. Many came from the newly unemployed or underemployed and fed into the valuable sub-sector of skilled volunteers-- skilled professionals who volunteered "expertise, not just youthful zeal".

Things are looking a little different this year. As the job market recovers (albeit at a glacial pace) last year's honeymoon period of volunteerism may be dissipating as skilled volunteers find paid work elsewhere.

"As the economy improves there's been a significant decrease in volunteers this year, which is creating issues for us," Hurst told HuffPo.

"Non-profits need support now more than ever before. There have been extreme budget cuts at both the city and federal level, so non-profits have had to cut a lot of their admin staffing, or fundraising, human resources, tech, strategy--major cuts--we really desperately need people," Hurst says.

Founded in 2001, Taproot is one of the oldest and largest facilitators of skilled volunteers, matching business professionals at both the corporate and individual level with non-profit opportunities. With branches in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C., Taproot claims it has facilitated millions of dollars worth of services to non-profits, and aims to offer $2 billion worth of services to nonprofits every year by 2020.

Areas with the greatest need are Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., says external affairs manager Dupe Ajayi, and particularly in the marketing domain.

"Americans need to be reinvigorated to continue to serve," Hurst says.

Hurst also doesn't buy the "no time, no money" excuse for not volunteering.

"Some of our best volunteers work 70 hours a week," he says. "The reality is that it's never a question of time and money, it's a matter of making this a priority in your life. It's like going to the gym for me . . . I say I don't have time to go, but in reality I just don't want to."

Click here to learn more about Taproot.

For more, visit our new Third World America section.

How have you been impacted by the financial crisis -- and how are you bouncing back? What are you doing to help prevent America from ever becoming a Third World nation?

SHARE YOUR STORY!

 

We want to hear how you and those you love have been affected, how you are recovering, and what you're doing to improve your own community -- and, by extension, the entire country. Let us know in writing or upload a video to YouTube and send us the link, and we will add your story to the map!

Pledge for the American Dream!

I pledge to spend at least 4 hours this month strengthening my community so America never becomes a Third World nation.

Pledge on Facebook or Twitter:

Comments

[fortressfountain]

04:58 PM on 09/23/2010

Skilled volunteers? Why not pay people to work for you? Maybe pull some of your executives or administrators out of the office.
I am wondering if a lot of these charities are beginning to think they are entitled to skilled free labor? Do they not know the prisons are full of people.

[SiouxSayer]

01:02 PM on 09/18/2010

Listen, most here know my story. Lost everything in the depression, house, car, wife, career, savings...dignity and self-esteem, etc....With over 20yrs experience in IT, Photography and journalism I thought a year of unemployment was a joke. Now, over 500 resumes out and perhaps 3 interviews later, I have just been dealt a kidney-punch. A week ago I found myself in my local Dollar store buying toiletries. Manager approached me and asked if I'd be interested in a part time cashier position...minimum wage, no bennies..etc. Of course, I jumped at the offer...I mean...it's a JOB right? Next day I get a phone interview...all is great...asked about my long term plans, what the job entailed, my commitment to loyalty, etc, etc....He said he'd run it past his manager and get back with me. A week later and nada...nothing.
ALL of that for a bottom of the food chain, 'can't-live-on-that-kind-of-wage-job' for a man who once ran his own business....
I have never been so depressed in my life. I am literally weeks away from being on the streets and I'm feeling pretty well done for. When I started my website for the plight of America's jobless, I had great hopes of at least being tapped to write for some publication. Hasn't happened.
Please visit and make a difference.

http://theincomepoop.wordpress.com

[rtolmach]

10:55 PM on 09/17/2010

We welcome skilled and unskilled volunteers, on-site or online, to help with a bold nonprofit initiative to ensure that all children have well-equipped classrooms. Teachers create Wish Lists. Visitors see exactly what is needed and how they can help.

The site is http://ClassWish.org

Want to help make it happen? Please get in touch via volunteers [at] ClassWish [dot] org.

[Preston Crawford2]

05:23 PM on 09/17/2010

What I don't get is this. I have tried for years and years to volunteer. I have done some work, but the reason I largely don't find work I want to do is because I always try to find work in my professional field. I figure I'd like to take my skills as a software engineer, mobile app developer, etc. and put it to bear on these problems at a larger level. I've never been offered work for this skillset.

[jen chong]

01:29 AM on 09/18/2010

You should really consider checking out www.catchafire.org. It's pretty cool because you can create a profile on their site that connects to your LinkedIn account so you can be matched with a volunteer opportunity based on your skill sets - and of course you can select what types of projects your interested in. I had a really good experience through them!

[sufi66]

04:50 PM on 09/17/2010

Let's all work for free. That would be better than the Robber Barron days.

[julietdraven]

04:40 PM on 09/17/2010

I have tryed to volenteer. I work also but have been willing to help charities, ronald mcdonald house, food banks and places like that. I guess because I am not a skilled volunteer they don't need me.

[elizlucinda]

04:52 PM on 09/17/2010

Tat is absolutely not true. There is no bigger asset to an organization than its volunteers and I want to personally thank you for all you do.

[bgofca]

08:05 PM on 09/18/2010

all volunteers are needed. there are different areas for everyone. keep looking til you find a match that is good volunteer job for you.

[supportamerica]

01:26 PM on 09/19/2010

Also try The Salvation Army, bet you would find something there.

[llc317537]

04:34 PM on 09/17/2010

"Americans need to be reinvigorated to continue to serve," Hurst says.
Hurst also doesn't buy the "no time, no money" excuse for not volunteering."

Well, after 15+ months of unemployment (with many viable skills that I'm trying to find ways of turning into my own business--which TAKES MONEY that banks arent' willing to lend)--I need a little more than 'reinvigoration." I need money to live on . Hurst needs to live in reality and realize that people just don't literally live in the woodwork and show up, bright-eyed an bushy-tailed, ready to diplace paid workers and work 70 hour-weeks (are you effin' KIDDING ME??) for FREE! I spend almost that amount of time looking for a job with a livable wage! I am SO sick of the blind arrogance!

I do volunteer my time when and where I can and if I have the gas money--and I enjoy the work, as it keeps me SANE and does give me a sense of purpose. But if I get a call for an interview on a scheduled day to "work" as a volunteer--GUESS WHICH one trumps the other?!

[llc317537]

04:42 PM on 09/17/2010

P.S.--I actually volunteered more when I WAS gainfully employed. It's only now that I see organizations who get volunteers to literally sweat in their "work" for them that there are some serious abuses and hoardes of good-intentioned people being taken advantage of. Interesting what the haves do to the have-nots in the worst of times--they can take their guilt trips over not putting in more than a full-time week's worth of hours in (while organization heads take home healthy salaries) and SHOVE them where the sun doesn't shine!!

[Willow Russell]

04:06 PM on 09/17/2010

'Above all volunteering keeps me grounded even when all other aspects of my life are whipping about madly like kites torn loose in the wind. No matter what else is going on, volunteering resets my position in relation to true north, a point on the compass that represents what is real in life. It is me doing my part to make this way-too-crazy world a bit saner.'

This was written by Carol Ryan one of our members (and one of our best volunteers) at Social Venture Partners Seattle. She also has two kids and works a full time job at a nonprofit.

I think she hits the nail on the head with regards to what Hurst was saying: it’s not always a question of money or time.

[Darcy24]

03:54 PM on 09/17/2010

Well, gas and work related expenses aren't free. That's why we have things called "paychecks."

It's one thing if you have money to live on and some spare time. It's another if you have no money at all to spare because you have been out of work for a year or two. You can't afford to throw money away on gas to support a business. And no, it's not just like going to the gym. Unemployed people don't have money for the gym, either. Or car repairs on their car they are driving into the ground because they can't afford another one. Really. They're not just making it up, so they don't have to work for you for free..

[TheFabOne]

03:36 PM on 09/17/2010

By 'skilled', she means.........lift toilet, scrub dung.

[tuff guy]

03:18 PM on 09/17/2010

in my experience, non-profits never have a budget, but are always the most demanding clients. i always tell them i'm not a charity. i need money to live.

if you can afford to volunteer, great. i've volunteered enough in my lifetime for non-profits. now, i volunteer for friends who are in need.

[JoeBlough]

02:45 PM on 09/17/2010

Why can't they be paid?

[bayviking]

02:13 PM on 09/17/2010

Let me get this straight. There is a desperate need for free labor in this country. Can we have free health care, free housing food and transportation to go with that, please?

[chrysb52]

04:45 PM on 09/17/2010

Amen! "I don't buy the No time, No money excuse" for lack of free healthcare, food and transportation in this country. All sarcasm aside, can we just have truly affordable basic services and a REAL safety net?