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Effective Engagement of Pro Bono Volunteers
Great Talent for the Greater Good
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Welcome
Presenters David Roll, Founder, Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation and
senior partner, Steptoe & Johnson Gretchen Van der Veer, Acting ED, President’s Council for
Service and Civic Participation & Dir. Leadership Development & Training, Corp. for National and Community Service
Eleanor Rutland, COO, Venture Philanthropy Partners
Who’s Who in the Room? What’s Your Hope for Take-Away?
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What We Hope to Accomplish…
Participants will: Understand how business and professional services
can benefit nonprofits/social entrepreneurs Understand how nonprofits/social entrepreneurs can
partner with business and professional services Gain and share best practices on both sides Provide input on how to better facilitate more pro
bono, better matches and greater benefits Where to go if you’re looking for a partner
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Background
What is pro bono? Professional quality services delivered in the
public interest without the expectation of fee 2008 Pro Bono Roundtable
Sponsored by the Taproot Foundation
“Harnessing talent and value at the intersection of business and nonprofits”
2008 ABillion+Change Campaign, President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
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Background (cont.)
Is this a new concept? No. Pro bono publico is Latin phrase meaning
“for the public good.” Has been around for many years in legal profession.
Increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms.
Recently becoming more and more structured part of corporate social responsibility efforts.
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Current State of the “Supply”
Legal profession (extrapolation to other professional services firms) Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation State of PB in large American law firms before
meltdown Effect of the current economic meltdown on PB Supply of pro bono or low cost lawyers is way up
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Current State of the “Supply” (cont.)
Corporate America 80% of US corporations provide financial
contributions to nonprofits2009 Deloitte Survey
50% of US corporations provide business skills/pro bono (up from 42% in 2008)
2009 Deloitte Survey and Indiana University Survey Business leaders “get” that new strategies are
needed to help communities adapt to new technologies, knowledge, & skills
2008 Business Civic Leadership Center Report Big Companies more likely to use a wider array of
community investment strategies 2008 Business Civic Leadership Center Report
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Current State of the “Supply” (cont.)
Corporate America (cont.) Economic crisis and President’s Call to Service
fueling new interest Social Innovation Fund Millenials A Billion+Change campaign
President’s Council for Service and Civic Participation Three year effort kicked-off in December 2007 23 Corporations have pledged $500 million worth of
pro bono to date
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Current State of the “Supply” (cont.)
Current Contributors to A Billion+Change
Accenture Booz Allen Hamilton Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd Capital One Citi Deloitte Entrepreneur Foundation General Electric Harvard Business School
(HBS) Community Partners IBM Intel
ING Americas KPMG LexisNexis Manning Selvage & Lee McKenna Long & Aldridge Monitor Group National Geographic Society Pfizer Public Architecture Taproot Foundation Target UPS
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Current State of the “Demand”
Interest and commitments on the supply side are up, is there an equal demand for the increased supply?
Are nonprofits benefiting from the increased interest and availability of pro bono consultants?
How are nonprofits / social innovators making use of partners in the corporate and professional services sector?
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Current Environment
Increase in Supply of Resources
Increase in Demand for Services in the Nonprofit Sector
Tightened Budgets of Nonprofit Sector (due to Resource Constraints)
Greater Demand for Pro Bono Resources?
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The Challenge
Few nonprofits think of pro bono resources as a form of currency Corporations generally provide financial contributions to nonprofit, but
few provide the business skills/knowledge of their workforce
Corporations view financial donations as more effective than skilled volunteer support
Nonprofits value monetary donations greater than skilled volunteer support
Nonprofits and Corporations better equipped – and more culturally aligned to manage cash gifts
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The Challenge (cont’d.)
Contradiction between value placed on skilled volunteerism and the alignment between supply and demand Grant makers’ efforts to contribute skilled volunteer support are not in
sync with value Nonprofits state a greater need for skilled volunteerism – but efforts to
seek it are inconsistent with need
Barriers to giving and receiving pro bono services Lack of infrastructure and capacity to manage and train volunteers Perception that there is no demand for skilled volunteers Lack of knowledge among nonprofits in securing pro bono projects
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VPP Engagements
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Lessons Learned
Biggest problem – 501c3s Flakey Lawyers/Flakey clients The problem of offering “free” services Social entrepreneurs sometimes don’t fit the
PB guidelines of law firms Appreciation of cultural differences Establishing long-term relationships Finding right lawyer with right expertise
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Lessons Learned
Fit is important
Align expectations
Clarify scope
Ensure expertise and opportunity are in sync
Project vs talent gap
Plan for exit
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Lessons Learned (cont’d.)
Transfer knowledge
Quantify value
Engage the Board
Put it in writing
Create a pipeline of opportunities
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Existing Resources
LawForChange™ Billion + Change page http://
www.nationalserviceresources.org/probono Corporate Partnership page
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/program-management/corporate-partnerships
www.Serve.gov – for volunteering opportunities Intermediary organizations (Taproot, Common
Impact, Venture Philanthropy Parners, etc._
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What Resources are Needed?
Matching service? What would it look like? Other tools or technologies? What can be done to better facilitate the
effective engagement of pro bono volunteers on behalf of nonprofits or social entrepreneurs?
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Thank you!
Gretchen Van der Veer
David Roll
Eleanor Rutland