The Power of Pro Bono
The current cost of living crisis has everybody feeling the pinch and tightening the purse strings. It’s affecting charities in two ways.
The need for the services provided by charities is growing
The number of donations are dropping as people look to reduce spending
How can charities overcome these challenges and continue to provide vital services to those who need them?
By the power of pro bono.
In times like these, it makes sense for charitable organisations to build relationships with corporates that can offer the skills needed to continue doing good.
In this post we're going to look at some examples of charities and companies that work together as a force for good and tell you how you can find a pro bono partner.
But first…
What does pro bono mean?
As well as being an affectionate term used to describe fans of international rock band, U2, pro bono is short for ‘pro bono publico’ – a Latin phrase that means “for the common good”.
It’s used to describe the services provided to by professionals for free to benefit a charitable or social cause.
Law firms often provide pro bono services to charities and not-for-profit organisations, as do financial, media, marketing, and consultancy companies.
Let’s look at some examples.
JP Morgan’s Force For Good programme
Each year, global financial services provider, J.P Morgan, connects its digital experts to charities in need of support. Their tech teams ideate, develop, and implement digital solutions that charities need to improve functionality.
One such charity is the Make a Wish Foundation. J.P Morgan worked with them to develop an app to improve the user experience and streamline their ‘wish’ granting process.
Salesforce’s Power of Us programme
Customer relationship management solution Salesforce helps charities by offering ten free subscriptions and up to 20 hours of support on a pro bono basis.
With their support, Age UK Hythe & Lyminge gained a centralised digital system that helped them stay connected with their community and provide vital services during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
KPMG and NSPCC
KPMG (one of the big four accounting organisations), offers philanthropic, volunteering and pro bono services to a chosen charity for a three year period.
Before partnering with Marie Curie, they supported the NSPCC from 2018 - 2021.
During this time, the company helped build organisational capacity and deliver priority projects to the tune of £500,000. The support amounted to 3,119 hours from 195 colleagues.
How to find a pro bono partner
After reading about these examples of successful corporate-charity partnerships, you may be thinking about seeking out pro bono support for your organisation.
But where do you start?
How do you find a pro bono partner?
Here’s what to do.
Work out what support you need
Before you approach businesses requesting pro bono support, make sure you’re clear about exactly the type of support you’re looking for. This will help you focus your search and develop your pitch.
Do you need legal advice? An audit of your accounts? Tech or marketing support? Is it a short-term or long-term need?
Get to grips with your aims and objectives first and the search for the perfect partner will be much easier.
Know where to look.
Like our earlier examples of pro bono partnerships, many businesses run official pro bono programmes.
Start by checking out the websites of some of the big companies in the sector you need help in. You can also find similar schemes by doing a search on Google and keep an eye on charity publications such as Charity Digital and Third Sector for advertisements.
If you’re a smaller charity, there’s a helpful list of resources here.
Social media can be useful too. Especially LinkedIn, as it's a business-centred platform.
Start a discussion on your charity’s business page. Ask your staff to share the ask on their personal profiles and join relevant LinkedIn groups. You never know what might come your way.
Communicate your needs clearly
Once you’ve found a potential pro bono partner and you’re formulating your ask, be clear that you’re asking for pro bono help, and clarify exactly what, when and why you need it. It’ll save your time and theirs if everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is expected.
Know the limits
Although businesses are more than happy to provide free services to charities, there’s a limit to the amount of time and resources they can offer.
Be patient and appreciative of the work they do and be sure to let them know if there is a budget for the work, even if it’s a small one.
Final word
That’s the power of pro bono. Have you found our dive into the topic helpful?
If you’re looking for the best charity professionals to join your team, give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how we can help.