Pro Bono Junkie's Blog

August 2007 Archives

The 2% Benchmark?

By Aaron Hurst on August 16, 2007 6:31 PM |

2%.jpgPublic Architecture just released the results of their survey of architecture firms to determine the level of pro bono work being done and the barriers to increasing the donation of pro bono services.  It is the first study of pro bono work outside the legal profession that I have found.  It is a must read for any pro bono junkie:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb546666.htm

The survey reports that the majority of the firms are spending over 2% of their time on pro bono efforts.  This has significant implications for the overall pro bono movement.  The common objection from consulting, HR, tech, marketing and accounting firms, when asked why they can't do pro bono at the levels seen at law firms, is that they don't have the margins of law firms.  The 2% reported by architecture firms, while roughly half the 50 hours per year required by of the American Bar Association, is much higher than the pro bono investment reported by most professional services firms.  The great thing about using architecture firms as a benchmark is that they have some of the thinnest margins in the professional services community.  If they can do 2%, there is no reason all firms can't do at least that much.

Should 2% be the target pro bono number for professional services firms?

Pro Bono Junkie (PBJ)

By Aaron Hurst on August 11, 2007 9:31 AM |

turnip_with_glasses.jpgEsther Lardent, the queen of pro bono and the head of the Pro Bono Institute (PBI), introduced me to this term at a recent board meeting.  It is apparently a term they have been using for a number of years to describe people who compulsively do pro bono work in the legal community.  The way she described it, as I recall, is that 5-10% of the lawyers in a firm will never do pro bono work regardless of a firm's commitment.  On the other end of the spectrum are the Pro Bono Junkies (PBJs), the 5-10% of lawyers who will do pro bono work even if the firm discourages it.  The remainder of the firm is open to be influences by either group.

I love this term as it describes so many of our volunteers at the Taproot Foundation.  It is the goal of this blog and our site to help build a community of the PBJs who can support each other in the fight to convert the 80% of business professionals who are open to join the pro bono movement with a nudge.

We estimate that there are 7 million business professionals with skills needed by the nonprofit sector.  That means that there are likely at least 350,000 PBJs in this country.  We want to hear from all of you.

To all the PBJs out there, welcome home.

Main Index | Archives | September 2007 »