Encore: Work that matters in the second half of life.

A skills-matching service that helps generate millions of dollars of pro bono help for community organizations each year also serves to introduce skilled professionals to careers in the nonprofit sector.

Many of the professionals who have volunteered to help nonprofit organizations with specific projects have continued to work with those organizations after the projects are complete, said Lindsay Firestone, manager of strategic partnerships for the Taproot Foundation. Some have gone on to serve on nonprofit boards or as salaried employees, she said.

Fred Barson of San Rafael, Calif., for example, was asked to serve on the board of Hand in Hand, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that trains teachers and caregivers, after he helped create a brand strategy for the organization. The 68-year-old marketing business owner began volunteering for Taproot because he wanted to give back and meet more professionals in his line of work. “Both of those have paid off in spades,” he said.

An unexpected benefit has been learning what makes nonprofits tick. “I’m kind of boggled, to tell the truth, by how many nonprofits there are in the Bay Area and the valuable work they do,” Barson said.

Taproot was founded in 2001 by Aaron Hurst, whose grandfather, Joseph E. Slater, helped create the blueprint for the Peace Corps. To date, Taproot has awarded more than 750 pro bono projects, provided by about 10,000 business professional, to about 600 nonprofits. Taproot estimates the value of the services at $30 million.

The services are valuable to the professionals as well, giving corporate executives an introduction to nonprofit work that may expands their career possibilities. A recent study funded by the Packard Foundation, “Corporate Baby Boomers and Volunteerism,” found that the volunteer opportunities that appeal most to boomers are those with a finite and predictable commitment and ones that make use of their skills.

Most of the projects submitted by nonprofits are in the marketing category, such as naming and visual identification, key messaging and help in designing printed materials. Other projects on nonprofits’ wish lists include information technology, such as Web site design and donor database design; human resources, including performance management and capacity assessment; and strategic planning.

Most Taproot projects are completed in one year. A recent status check found that 86 percent of projects are running within two weeks of their original deadlines.

Getting up close and personal with a nonprofit sometimes results in longer relationships, particularly for older workers. When experienced workers assist with a project such as brand strategy, Firestone said, “They are often sharing information with the executive director or board members.” Occasionally, these individuals maintain contact with the organizations as a volunteer, board member or even as an employee, long after the assignment has been completed.

Teresa Scaletta, 44, is currently working on a Taproot project with team members who are all older than she is. They are creating key messages that can be used in advertising and literature for West Suburban Literacy Partners, an alliance of four literacy groups in the western suburbs of Chicago. Until recently, she was worldwide marketing manager for Eastman Kodak. She decided to take a career break while her son was attending high school.

Scaletta has been surprised by the high caliber of the professionals involved in the seven Taproot projects she’s worked on. She noted, “Most people are used to working their job day to day and not feeling appreciated. When you walk into meetings with a (Taproot) nonprofit client, they are so happy. One told me, ‘We could never in a million years afford the talent pool that we have here now.’ As a volunteer, that’s great feedback to get.”

Summing up her Taproot experiences, Scaletta said, “Believe me, I’ve gotten more back than I give.”

Taproot is headquartered in San Francisco. In addition to the greater San Francisco Bay Area, it serves New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Boston.