David Moss started work as a Taproot pro bono consultant in 2012, and since then, he’s worked on four Taproot projects as a photographer. But his commitment to giving back started well before that. In fact, that ethic for giving back has made a huge impact on David and his wife’s life together.
“When we were in our late twenties, my wife and I were looking for work that was more meaningful than our 9-to-5 jobs in New York City. We did something crazy: quit our jobs and spent a year working as volunteers with a non-profit refugee resettlement organization in Georgia.”
And that was just the start. After Georgia, David and his wife spent time working in a Vietnamese refugee camp in Thailand and 18 months in Zaire with Habitat for Humanity.
“Those experiences changed the trajectory of our lives,” said David.
Now living in DC, David continues to find ways to give back, and fortunately for Taproot, he’s joined our community of consultants. Using his photography skills, he’s made an impact on local nonprofits, contributing to some visually stunning annual reports and websites.
“David Moss continues to be a great pro bono consultant in our region. His talent and work are widely recognized as of great value to our nonprofits,” said DC Program Manager Lola Adele-Oso. “We’re very fortunate to have him as part of our Taproot and DC team.”
When you ask David, these experiences have been meaningful for him as well. “In the past few years, I have had the opportunity to work with a dance company, programs that work with the homeless, lawyers who help indigent immigrants, and a group that teaches teamwork through sports. I’ve taken pictures in settings as varied as a Kennedy Center stage, a community garden, and a corporate fundraising event at a kickball tournament.”
“I have met people who have overcome incredible adversity, such as a former drug addict and HIV-positive man, who beat his addiction, is healthy… and runs marathons! And I have been inspired by the dedicated folks who run the various service organizations.”
“I have to admit that I feel like I get at least as much out of each pro bono experience as the organization does. So it’s definitely a win-win!”
David Moss also acknowledges there are some differences between the experience of paid work versus pro bono work. “With paid work, you are always trying to ensure that you are getting fair compensation for your time, and if you spend more time on something than expected, you can feel cheated,” he says. “With pro bono, you just put in as many hours as needed to produce the best product, and you really don’t care how long it takes. It’s just the joy of work.”
To anyone out there considering doing pro bono work, David has one piece of advice:
“Stop considering. Give it a try.”
We like that advice! Thanks, David, for all of your pro bono work, for being a part of the Taproot community, and for inspiring others to follow that path!
