Pro Bono / In-Kind / Donated Services for Mission-Based Organizations
When, Why & How?
By Jayne Cravens
There are all sorts of professionals who want to donate their services
-- web design, graphic design, human resources expertise, legal advice,
editing, research, and so forth -- to mission-based organizations.
And there are all sorts of nonprofits and NGOs who would like to attract
such donated services.
But often, there's a disconnect -- misunderstandings and miscommunications
and unrealistic expectations that lead to missed opportunities and
frustrating experiences. It doesn't have to be this way!
The current situation
Most for-profit folks don't think strategically about their pro bono
work, as in setting criteria for an organization they would assist,
the number of organizations they want to assist or the amount of work
they want to undertake in a year, etc. Most for-profit folks choose
a pro bono gig because the timing happens to be right for such, the
organization approached them personally, and the organization/cause
is already one the for-profit person/consultant is personally drawn
to.
Most mission-based agencies don't approach businesses or consultants
for pro bono work based on the benefits to the for-profit person or
company; instead, they focus primarily on why they need the help,
and the amount of help they need. Instead of creating an opportunity
that sounds appealing, they issue a plea that can sound... desperate.
Benefits of donating services
There are a number of benefits to a consultant or business to take
on pro bono work:
- it can offer opportunities to apply skills that paid jobs don't
currently
- it can offer greater exposure of a consultant or business's work
- it can increase the amount and quality of portfolio material to
show off to potential paying clients
- it can lead to paid gigs
- it can be a refreshing, fun, enlightening change for employees
from their usual focus. For instance, a software training company
hosting a workshop for teen agers.
- it can offer experience in and exposure to a whole new sector
-- the mission-based or nonprofit sector -- which has knowledge,
skills, work/management styles and resources that can be applied
to the for-profit sector (some businesses use employee volunteering
as a way to allow employees to develop certain skills relating to
professional development).
- it can demonstrate a consultant's commitment to the community,
which many people take into consideration when choosing with whom
they are going to do business.
How much of donated work can a consultant or business deduct from
taxes? None. There are some tax credits volunteers can take relating
to expenses incurred during pro bono work, however. see Tax
Credits for Volunteering Costs for more information.
Hey, for-profits: think strategically!
1. Think about WHY you or your company wants to provide donated
services. It can be all or just a few or even just one of the reasons
already mentioned, but it should be defined from the very beginning,
and communicated to mission-based organizations you may assist.
Ask yourself or your staff this question: "No matter what else results,
the most important thing for me/us that will happen because of this
donated service is..."
2. What type of service do you want to provide? What type of service
do you NOT want to provide? The more specific you can be about the
type of work you do and don't want to donate, the more likely that
you will find the right volunteering opportunity for you or your
company (yes, that's right, pro bono service means volunteering!).
3. Set parameters for your donated services! Do you want to help
one organization, or a group of organizations? Do you want to help
on a variety of projects throughout the year, or just one big project
during a select period? How many hours a week will each staff member
be permitted/encouraged to donate?
4. Some companies or consultants pick a particular kind of nonprofit
to assist: organizations that are focused primarily on preserving
or restoring the natural environment, on the arts, on youth, on
seniors, on people with disabilities, on people in a particular
geographic area. Maybe your company will want to rotate its focus
each year, or stick to just one. But this is another point to consider
and define before you start looking for a pro bono opportunity.
5. What should the qualities of the nonprofit you assist be? Cultures
vary from nonprofit to nonprofit. Think about the kind of culture
you want to work with, that would be compatible with your own. One
that is open to change and innovation? One that believes that computer
technology is a fundamental element of effective service delivery?
One that is focused on team decision-making? One with strong leadership?
One where you will work with several staff members, or just one?
6. How will you identify nonprofits to assist? Write up a formal,
one page description of the kind of pro bono experience you are
looking for, using the aforementioned criteria (the kind of services,
the kind of agency, etc.). Set up a meeting with your nearest volunteer
center (the Points of Light Foundation web site can show you where
that is), or with your nearest nonprofit development center (your
nearest United Way central office can tell you where that is), and
show them the description of the project you are looking for. These
organizations can help match you to the right agency for your donated
services. Also ask within your employee ranks -- perhaps they are
already associated with a nonprofit as a volunteer that would meet
your criteria. But, again, have a written proposal for pro bono
services. It will make it much easier to say "no" to nonprofits
who solicit your assistance but who aren't what you are looking
for.
7. The mission-based sector is NOT the same as the for-profit sector!
Just because something works in the business world does not mean
it will work -- or is even appropriate -- for the mission-based
sector. The nonprofit sector encompasses important, unique expertise
and resources; pro bono experiences is an opportunity for for-profit
folks to learn about the vital work that nonprofit organizations
undertake, and learn about approaches that might work back in the
for-profit world. The first thing that businesses can do to help
is ASK what is needed, not assume they already know.
8. Don't be offended if a nonprofit declines your offer of donated
services. A volunteer manager on to CYBERVPM cautioned, "It's a
common problem that well-intentioned, but frankly ignorantly conceived
assistance actually makes the lives of the (nonprofit) staff more
difficult and hinders our ability to do work that corresponds with
our mission. (Often) we're so darn busy being grateful for something
that isn't inherently helpful. The reward is more in the doing,
so finding something that's inherently a benefit means working with
the agency in question and carefully designing and planning a response
that is consistent with the needs."
9. Set a start date and an END date for each pro bono project.
It's a good idea to have a written contract with the agency outlining
deadlines and everyone's expectations for each project involving
your donated services, just as you would for a projects for your
paid services.
10. Many nonprofits become frustrated with companies or consultants
providing donated services because the for-profit side feels that
the nonprofit should be satisfied with whatever service is provided,
whenever it is provided. "After all, it's FREE." This is an unhealthy
and potentially disastrous attitude. Treat the organization you
are assisting as a customer, just like your paying customers. Their
deadlines and expectations are just as real as your paying customers.
They drive the process, not you. If this is not something your organization
is comfortable with, forget donating services -- look into more
simple group volunteering (like a beach cleanup or something). An
example:
I worked at a theater company where a very high
profile and well-respected design firm produced most of our show's
logos (that went on the posters, the cover of the program, etc.).
About half the time, we loved the designs outright, but the other
times, we either wanted adjustments, or, the designs just weren't
what we wanted/needed. But when we asked for something else, the
designers were beyond miffed, because, since it was free, they
felt we should "just take it." It prompted me, at a later job,
to put in certain criteria re: working with pro bono consultants
(there still had to be a written contract; there had to be an
"end" date for services, at which time we'd negotiate renewal;
and so forth). It seemed to really change the attitude of those
providing pro bono consultants, as well as those working with
such, to know that there would still be performance measures and
written agreements. It created a much more satisfying experience
for everyone, I think.
Another example, this one from Tony
Poderis:
One time in particular, a wonderful group
of creative folks at a local agency had been at work for weeks with
a "pro bono" project to give us a new annual fund slogan and logo.
Time and again we politely asked for a "peek" or two at what they
were doing. Bless them, but they were so excited about the project
that they wanted to "surprise" us at the end of their work. Sure
enough, it finally came to the "Ta Da" presentation day, and sure
enough, there was a great "surprise" --- that the finished work
was totally unacceptable. Because we had no on-going evaluation,
they unfortunately entirely missed the point of our campaign. They
meant well, but it simply did not work. We felt badly about it and
they were upset and disappointed.
11. Most organizations are looking for quality, not quantity. For
instance, in a volunteer recruitment campaign, the goal is to recruit
as many quality, appropriate, diverse volunteers as possible; not
to have thousands of people visit a web site every day. In a major
fund raising campaign, the mission is to raise the most money from
the fewest sources in the least amount of time; it's not to create
a "brand" or market an "idea" to the entire community.
12. Is this project really going to be completely free for the
nonprofit organization? Tony
Poderis cautions:
"Pro bono" almost always solely involves
the contribution of creative time and talent of the agency's professionals.
It rarely --- if ever --- accounts for other charges they incur
from outside the firm for services they do for you (the nonprofit),
but which they do not have "in-house," such as the taking of photographs,
video, printing, type-setting, page-making, etc., etc. Oftentimes
those charges are later unexpectedly presented to the recipient
charity for the charity to pay --- and those expenses can be significantly
high. You must have a written understanding up-front regarding such
outside services. Make certain you have a written agreement to cover
all the eventualities of donated work --- and they are many.
13. As mentioned earlier, a nonprofit's deadlines and expectations
are just as real as your paying customers. Often, a company puts
the pro bono work at the bottom of the priority list, leaving the
nonprofit in seemingly endless limbo and causing some of their own
projects to come to a standstill. Most nonprofits understand that,
in times of crisis, they are not going to be your priority. But
patience only lasts so long. If you can't meet the very real deadlines
associated with pro bono services, then donating services is NOT
something you should do.
14. What will be the process for the organization you assist to
evaluate your work and communicate to you their evaluation? How
will you measure success regarding your donated services? Include
this in the contract with the organization. Hearing an evaluation
of your donated service is part of a quality volunteering experience.
15. Think about how you want the nonprofit or NGO to recognize
you or your company for donated services, and note this in the contract
you create for the pro bono services. Do you want:
- Your company logo, with a link, on the organization's web site?
- A whole page on the web site or in the organization's newsletter
detailing your contributions?
- A listing in the organization's annual report?
- A banner in the organization's lobby?
- A letter or certificate of appreciation? Be very clear about
your expectations for recognition, and be open to negotiation;
for instance, many nonprofits have policies not to post other
organization's logos or links to other organization's on their
home page (most for-profit companies have this same policy).
16. As mentioned earlier, a benefit of providing donated service
is that it can increase the amount and quality of portfolio material
to show off to potential paying clients. And with this in mind,
Marla Erwin of Ten Sharp
Design notes:
For this reason, volunteering an hour
a week of maintenance work is actually LESS appealing to most
freelancers than commiting a 20-hour-a week redesign project.
A substantial redesign can boost their portfolio and help them
get new gigs, but volunteering to fix broken links doesn't bring
in new clients. A lot of companies who need pro bono work will
divide the work into tiny pieces, thinking it's easier to ask
for small things from 10 people. In the end, though, they would
often be better off asking one person to do the work start-to-finish.
Volunteers are more likely to include a maintenance period with
their design/dev work than to take the maintenance piece alone.
So to answer the original question, I rate pro bono work on three
scales: 1. Do I have the time and energy to take this on now?
2. Is this a cause/company/organization I want to support? 3.
Will there be some benefit to me, such as a strong portfolio piece,
learning new skills, publicity, networking, or just having fun?
17. Businesses should reflect and assess their employee volunteering
activities each year, if not after each donated service stint is
completed. Otherwise, you will never know the impact your pro bono
activities are having. It doesn't have to be a simple process to
gather employee feedback about their volunteering activities on
behalf of the company; it can be as simple as via a survey, or by
having employees simply sit around during lunch and talk about their
experiences while someone records their input in some way. Questions
to spur discussion could include: What did employees learn as a
result of their donated service activities? What impact on the nonprofit's
mission do they think resulted from their donated services? Did
the volunteering experiences help them in their jobs in some way
and, if so, how? What did they enjoy about them? What did they dislike
about them? What were the qualities of a positive experience? Of
a negative experience? What did they wish they had known before
engaging in the activities? How would they like the next round of
pro bono activities to be different?
Find more tips for working with nonprofit organizations at Dos
and Don'ts for Technical Assistance Volunteers, a document to
help those people providing legal, computer, human resources, marketing,
or other expertise to mission-based organizations.
A word to nonprofits/charities
Mostly, we've been addressing for-profits. But, nonprofits, you need
to think about your responsibilities too!
If you are looking for pro bono assistance, don't just issue a plea
for help; instead, write a description of your needs that highlights
what about this pro bono assignment would be interesting, fun, and/or
beneficial to the for-profit person or company.
People providing pro bono services are volunteers -- treat them as
such. They should receive at least the same recognition -- pins, mugs,
certificates, invitations, newsletters, etc. -- as your other volunteers.
They should hear how their contributions impact your organization
and those it serves. And they should be told thank you, again and
again. It may not always be appropriate to say yes to donated services.
In addition to ethical situations (such as how the company or consultant
is associated with your staff or board), the services offered may
not be what your nonprofit wants or needs. There may be large costs
to your agency to maintain or support whatever the business or consultant
creates for your organization. Or what they are proposing may not
fit with your organization's mission.
When a company or consultant approaches your organization about donating
a service, do some internal evaluation about what is being proposed,
and what you think your own staff and resource commitment will be
to make the pro bono service something that serves your mission.
Always treat the company or consultant with the utmost professionalism.
Provide them with information and feedback at all stages clearly and
quickly. If, in the beginning, the company or consultant doesn't talk
about creating a contract for this project, then you bring it up and
make sure it happens.
How can you find pro bono assistance? In addition to the traditional
channels for volunteer recruitment (contacting your local volunteer
center, circulating opportunities among existing volunteers, donors,
board members and other supporters), try target-marketing
volunteer recruitment to specific groups via the Internet. Also
see Feeling
Good About Doing Good, by Contract Professional magazine. "Contractors
who donate their IT talents to help others find they receive more
than 'thank yous' in return -- they're developing new skills, making
friends, and gaining personal satisfaction. "
Caution! Re: Accepting Technology Donations "Free" computers and
software are sometimes not worth the price. Before your organization
says yes to any technology-related donation, no matter how good the
deal sounds or how great the company donating is, please read this
tip sheet.
For books on this topic in our bookstore,
click the
link(s) below:
Employee Volunteering/ Corporate Social Responsibility
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From http://www.coyotecommunications.com/probono.html.
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