Celebrating the pro bono consultants who show up with their expertise and change what’s possible.
Every year, National Volunteer Week reminds us that service matters. And it does. But there’s a version of service that is quietly extraordinary–the kind where a financial strategist helps a nonprofit manage its budget, where an IT specialist builds the digital infrastructure a small organization couldn’t afford to buy, or where a marketing leader rebuilds a brand that was holding a mission back.
That’s pro bono. And it’s one of the most powerful things a skilled professional can do with what they know.
Across Taproot’s 25-year history, we’ve connected thousands of professionals willing to donate their expertise to nonprofits in need of skills-based service, generating tens of millions of dollars in services delivered and, most importantly, immeasurable impact in the communities that our nonprofit partners serve.
Through Taproot, pro bono consultants are making real-world impacts for nonprofits.
Monica Lee Jackson knew exactly what Children of Promise needed. As co-founder and president of the Michigan-based nonprofit strengthening educational, economic, and cultural opportunities for urban youth, she’d been sitting with a digital infrastructure problem that was quietly limiting everything her organization could do. She had clarity on where she needed to go. What she needed was someone who could help her get there.
Brennan Bosco was that person. A cybersecurity and tech consultant with deep experience working alongside nonprofits and mission-driven organizations, Brennan was looking for exactly what Monica brought: a partner who knew what she was trying to accomplish.
What followed is what pro bono looks like when it’s working. Brennan didn’t just execute the request but rather worked to truly understand it. Where Monica’s team had set their sights on Google Workspace, Brennan assessed their actual workflow and recommended Microsoft Office 365 instead–not because it was easier, but because it was right for them. That’s the difference between someone completing a task and someone bringing their full expertise to bear, and it’s the kind of thing that only happens when a skilled professional is genuinely invested in a project’s outcome.
Monica felt the shift immediately. A challenge that had loomed large became a solved problem. Children of Promise now has the digital foundation to build stronger relationships with donors, scholarship applicants, and the communities they serve. And when the project ended, Monica felt confident that Brennan would respond if she needed further support. In her words, she felt like she didn’t have to “start from zero” the next time she needed an extra hand.
Monica and Brennan’s story is one of thousands. What makes pro bono quietly extraordinary is its impact on everyone it touches.
Pro bono transforms nonprofits and those who donate their skills.
For many nonprofits, the challenge isn’t vision but capacity. Pro bono steps in at exactly that intersection, bringing the kind of expertise that organizations need but can’t access on their own.
It might look like streamlining workflows for a team without dedicated operations support, strengthening financial systems to make every dollar go further, or refining a marketing strategy to bring in new donors.
But at its best, pro bono does more than solve for the immediate need. It gets underneath it. Building systems that last. Setting nonprofits up not just to operate, but to grow.
And the transformation doesn’t stop with the nonprofits.
For pro bono consultants, this work offers an opportunity to apply their skills in new contexts, to stretch in ways their day-to-day work might not demand, and to see their expertise land in a more immediate, tangible way.
Working alongside mission-driven organizations often brings pro bono consultants a renewed sense of purpose in their work.
That’s what pro bono makes possible. For the nonprofit. For the skilled professional. For the communities they both serve.
In 2025, pro bono consultants on Taproot Plus delivered more than 95,000 hours of skilled service to nonprofits across the country. Behind every one of those hours is a moment like Monica and Brennan’s – specific, human, and quietly extraordinary.
This National Volunteer Week, there’s never been a better time to join this movement. Your skills can make a real difference for communities in need. Get started now–browse open opportunities on Taproot Plus.
