Why Expand Pro Bono Service and Skills-Based Volunteering

By contributing business services and skills to nonprofits, corporate pro bono programs are improving people’s lives while adding significant value to their own recruitment, productivity and profitability.

Our nation faces complex economic and social challenges. Addressing longstanding problems like poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, or crime requires collaboration between businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Each sector brings its own set of skills, and by combining these strategically, we can make progress on our most difficult challenges.

Corporate pro bono programs represent the optimal collaboration between business and nonprofits. These partnerships give nonprofits access to the business skills and experience they need to develop and implement sound business strategies, increase their capabilities, and improve their organizational infrastructure.

Pro bono is strategic, proven approach that helps nonprofits sector achieve greater scale, sustainability, and impact while simultaneously providing an outstanding return on investment.

The Triple Bottom Line

Companies have found the pro bono approach helps them achieve a “triple bottom line” by adding value to the company, its employees, and the community as a whole.

Good for Business:

• Increased employee morale, loyalty and productivity
• Enhanced recruitment, especially among millennials and boomers
• Stronger customer goodwill and loyalty
• Enhanced profitability
• Additional investors
• Improved return on community investment

Good for Employees:

• 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
• Improved morale, interest level, and overall work experience

Good for Communities:

• Improved and expanded nonprofit services
• Fewer social problems
• More civic engagement and long‐term, dedicated volunteers
• A stronger local, regional, and national economy
• Better quality of life overall

Despite the many benefits that come from pro bono service, nearly two-thirds of nonprofits don’t work with companies that provide volunteers, and of those that do, most don’t tap their professional workplace skills. While nonprofit leaders recognize that volunteers’ professional skills are valuable to their organizations, many don’t align volunteer tasks with advanced workplace skills, or don’t know how to partner with companies on pro bono programs. Through the Billion + Change initiative, the Corporation and its strategic partners are providing resources to nonprofits and businesses to help them start and make the most of pro bono programs.

Pro Bono Services Nonprofits Need Most

Corporations can help nonprofits succeed – and through them help solve social problems in their communities and across the nation – by leveraging their most competitive asset: their talent. The skills that business sector employees use in their everyday work are precisely the ones nonprofits need most. Corporate talent assets are particularly needed in the following service areas:

Strategic and Business Planning Human Resources and Organizational Development Marketing and Communications Product Development

Finance and Accounting Logistics Information Technology Fundraising and Development

These areas are critical to maintaining productive, sustainable operations in any organization, regardless of the sector.

For more information on A Billion + Change, please contact
Rhonda Taylor at (202) 606-6721 or rtaylor@cns.gov.