When you hear the term, “pro bono,” do you think of attorneys? It’s not surprising if you do. Short for “pro bono publico,” this Latin phrase means “for the public good” and, according to Wikipedia, is common in the legal profession. We think of attorneys who work for ACLU, for example, or who donate time defending death row inmates.
Interestingly, though, the pro bono work ethic has recently caught on in other industries – and this trend will only continue. Pro bono work is “increasingly seen in marketing, technology, and strategy consulting firms” (Wikipedia). In fact, more and more companies have made “giving back” a vital part of their business ethic and mission. Consider Salesforce.com, which created the Salesforce.com Foundation based on a principal of “integrated philanthropy”: “Donate 1% of salesforce.com’s resources to support organizations that are working to make our world a better place.”
Companies have discovered that doing pro bono work is beneficial not only to the nonprofits they serve, but to businesses themselves. Nonprofits benefit by access to talent and experience. Businesses benefit in other, less tangible ways:
1. Probably the most obvious way is through positive influence on reputation. Whether the company chooses to advertise its charitable work or let the work speak for itself, the company’s reputation is certainly burnished by the good deeds it does.
2. Another important intangible result is the impact on employee loyalty. According to a Booz Allen Hamilton study, the number one motivation for employees to stay with an organization is its mission. A mission that includes charitable work, backed by a genuine commitment from the organization, can be a powerful motivator with the potential to increase employee satisfaction and commitment.
3. Third, pro bono work is an excellent way to provide employees with career experience that might not be available otherwise. Supporting opportunities for employees to use their skills to benefit nonprofits gives these employees incentive to stay with their organization. At the same time, the new skills employees learn in the nonprofit environment (soft skills such as consensus building and leadership as well as job-specific skills) are brought back into the organization to benefit it as well.
On this last point I can speak from experience. In pro bono work I did for both StarVista and Streetside Stories, I was able to increase my skills in messaging, branding, naming, and identity – all of which are important and applicable to my marketing/consulting business. I also gained experience in leading meetings and presentations, invaluable skills that nearly all of us can use practice in. These examples illustrate how pro bono work has benefited my business – while providing a valuable service to the nonprofits I worked for.