When mission connects with expertise, magic happens. Taproot is in the business of connecting passionate nonprofit leaders and skilled professionals ready to offer pro bono support. That magic of connection is at work in the story of Martina Manning, founder and president of RP Gene Research Foundation, and communications professional Kathryn Smith.
Martina started RP Gene Research Foundation after her sons were diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic degenerative eye disease. RP Gene Research Foundation supports cutting-edge research on gene therapies that could provide a cure for those facing the disease.
As a grassroots nonprofit, Martina knew that she needed help to spread the word about the foundation. She learned about Taproot’s work and connected with volunteer Kathryn Smith after posting her request for support on Taproot Plus. Kathryn helped Martina implement a strategy for Google Ads grants as well as assisting in optimizing the foundation’s website SEO.
Martina and Kathryn were recently interviewed by Gayle Guyardo for Bloom, a health and lifestyle show from WFLA, Tampa Bay, Florida’s NBC News affiliate.
In the interview, Kathryn shared that her motivation to volunteer came from her background in communications, and wanting to help organizations strengthen their own outreach. “There are a lot of nonprofits like Martina’s that are looking to get started, looking to get off the ground, and don’t have a ton of resources to get their voice out there.”
Martina raved about Kathryn’s assistance, reporting that she’s already seen results: “She showed me a lot of things that I did not know existed in regard to finding keywords or what people are asking for when they go search retinitis pigmentosa. I’ve started utilizing those services, incorporating things into my website. It’s already increasing my web traffic—I think it went up 50% already!”
Through pro bono, these two passionate professionals were able to combine their efforts, creating impact that is already driving awareness for this important cause. “Martina has done so much through sheer willpower,” Kathryn said, adding, “I hope I’ve empowered her and helped her to amplify her voice and amplify the mission of the organization.”
In addition to the interview with Martina and Kathryn, Bloom also featured a separate interview exploring Taproot’s work with Nonprofit Success Coach Josh Groll.
Host Gayle Guyardo also added that “a lot of busy professionals really want to help out but maybe juggling family and a commute and job demands and can’t always be there to physically help, so this is a way that people can use their skills to virtually help.”
