When a local business like Hammond Communications Group donates $15,000 worth of marketing services to United Way of the Bluegrass each year, that's corporate pro bono.
When Lexmark and Toyota donate the staff time of thousands of volunteers during the work day with a value of tens of thousands of dollars to the nonprofit community, that's corporate pro bono.
When six Deloitte firms come together to provide $3.5 million in work hours to the United Nations Development Program to help with business and financial controls after the tsunami, that's corporate pro bono.
Pro bono is different from corporate philanthropy, serving on a nonprofit board, volunteering, and donating in-kind services. Pro bono is the donation of professional services that are included in an employee's job description and for which the recipient nonprofit would otherwise have to pay. It is a subset of skilled volunteering that gives a nonprofit access to the business skills and experience they need to develop and implement sound business strategies, increase their capabilities and improve their organizational infrastructure.
In providing pro bono services and skills, the end result is not only the improvement of other's lives but a benefit to the company providing them. Companies that are involved in pro bono work find that their commitments result in more successful recruiting, productivity and profitability
When one sector tries by itself to solve social problems like illiteracy, crime, homelessness or poverty, our country comes up short. These complex social problems need the involvement and collaboration between businesses, non-profits and government. As each sector has its own skill sets, the combination of these skills and resources have the most powerful potential to take on any challenge we face as a community.
This past February, a national summit was held that invited business leaders from across the country to explore how their organizations could benefit from the pro bono culture that has produced tremendous results for both the nonprofit sector and the corporate world as well. Over 150 top employers, government agencies and nonprofits met to discuss the collective impact these collaborations would make throughout our nation.
The objective of the summit was to create a shared vision for pro bono service, expand the pro bono ethic, share best practices, and to secure commitments from attendees to help nonprofits address social needs.
The summit also kicked off an ambitious campaign to leverage $1 billion in skilled volunteering and pro bono services over the next three years.
The summit also provided an overview of a win-win-win solution.
The company benefits from:
• increased employee morale, loyalty and productivity;
• enhanced recruitment, especially among millennials and boomers;
• stronger customer goodwill and loyalty;
• enhanced profitability;
• additional investors; and
• improved return on community investment.
Employees benefit from:
• Enhanced organizational, leadership, communications and decision-making skills;
• Expanded and more-sophisticated core competencies;
• Larger, stronger networks, both inside and outside of the company;
• Additional opportunities to advance within the company; and
• Improved morale, interest level and overall work experience.
The community benefits from:
• improved, expanded nonprofit services;
• fewer and less critical social problems;
• more civic engagement and long-term, dedicated volunteers;
• a stronger local, regional and national economy; and
• better quality of life overall.
It is important to recognize that an effective nonprofit sector is crucial to the nation's strength and security. The nonprofit sector is the fastest growing sector in the U.S. economy and is playing a much bigger role in society overall as it responds to a greater need for services. In the past ten years, the number of nonprofits has grown by 67 percent, and the number of foundations has nearly doubled. And while our nation is rich with resources and talent, many still struggle to meet the basic needs. The nonprofit sector works every day to meet these needs despite constant funding shortfalls. To provide critical services and grow to meet new needs, the nonprofit sector must begin to integrate business-like practices. The gap that exists between the need for modern business management systems and implementing them can be addressed most effectively in one way - by creating a pipeline of professional human capital from the business world.
Yet with the pro bono approach gaining more attention and momentum, there is still much work to be done, as it is an underutilized resource. 62 percent of nonprofits do not work with any companies that provide volunteers. Just 12 percent of nonprofits typically align tasks with volunteers' specific workplace skills. And only 19 percent of volunteers say their workplace skills are the primary service they provide when they support a nonprofit organization, according to the 2006 Deloitte/Points of Light Volunteer IMPACT Study.
In short, this new definition of pro bono is an idea whose time has come.