Companies Celebrate Pro Bono

Business professionals convene to celebrate the impact and new possibilities of pro bono programming

NEW YORK, NY — June 15, 2010 — Against the backdrop of the New York City skyline, over sixty corporate leaders and corporate social responsibility professionals gathered to celebrate the impact of corporate engagement in the delivery of pro bono throughout the nation’s communities. Top leaders in the field representing a broad array of industries — from professional services firms to consumer products — participated in the Taproot Foundation’s “Celebrating Pro Bono: An Evening of Revelry” reception. The cross-sector conversations flowing throughout the room all evening marked a significant milestone for the pro bono movement. Attendees shared successes and strategic questions regarding pro bono, celebrated the impact of their pro bono programming, and crafted visions of new possibilities for pro bono and partnership driven social impact.

The evening was punctuated by live models who mingled throughout the crowd in costume representing each of eight defined models of corporate pro bono programming. The eight models circulated around the rooftop tent, sharing take-away information cards on each of the models of pro bono and spurring conversation about the varying forms of pro bono and the suitability and adaptability of each one to the corporate setting. Attendees were then invited to envision new ways their companies could impact social change through pro bono service, in both the short and long term, by submitting visions for 2020 to a time capsule.

“Celebrating the pro bono movement at our ‘Evening of Revelry’ was an incredible experience. It was so exciting to see the variety of corporate and professional services firms represented,” said Jamie Hartman, Vice President of External Affairs at the Taproot Foundation. “Only two years ago, a celebration of corporate pro bono would have been premature, with many corporations just beginning to understand what pro bono meant for non-lawyers. Since then, the conversation of pro bono in the corporate sector has shifted to focus on how more pro bono can be done and done better — an indicator of the vitality and momentum of the movement.”

Taproot Foundation's "Celebrating Pro Bono: An Evening of Revelry" was made possible by Visionary Sponsors Capital One and Deloitte, Catalyst Sponsor Booz Allen Hamilton, and Trailblazer Sponsors Merck, Allstate and FD. Featured speakers included James "Chip" Cottrell Jr. from Deloitte and Carolyn Berkowitz from Capital One.

About the Taproot Foundation

Taproot’s mission is to lead, mobilize, and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. Since 2001, Taproot Foundation has worked to engage the nation’s millions of business professionals in pro bono services both through award-winning programs and by partnering with companies to develop corporate pro bono programs. One day, Taproot envisions all organizations with promising solutions will be equipped to successfully take on urgent social challenges.

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