PRO BONO: INCREASING OUR NET IMPACT

By Aaron Hurst on October 28, 2011 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have witnessed a revolution in the community involvement of MBA students in the last ten years.  As I head to the 2011 Net Impact Conference, eighty percent of the top 25 business schools in the country have pro bono programs.  Using these programs to attract top talent, have a genuine impact in their communities and engage their students while building their skills, business schools are making pro bono service an increasingly vital & formalized part of their curriculum.  And, we hope, a continued part of every professional's career.

A few examples are all it takes to illustrate this point.  At the University of Michigan (my alma mater) the Ross School of Business has a thriving Board Fellowship Program, initiated in 2003.  They have placed hundreds of students on governing boards of nonprofits throughout South East Michigan - and each of these talented fellows participated in at least one challenging project, ranging from strategic planning to financial analysis.  Not only did they get a chance to apply their knowledge and build their skill set with high level experience, they also get all the benefits of mentorship from existing board members and the nonprofits executive staff.  And the nonprofit receives the benefit of having a talented, enthusiastic and dedicated future leader adding their insights and expertise.  What a fantastic, and impactful, win win.

Hopping to the coast, Stanford's Graduate School of Business has a Board Fellows Program for students as well - and an Alumni Consulting Team (ACT).  Taking the dedication to pro bono beyond the business school, ACT provides Stanford graduates the opportunity to continue using their skills pro bono, providing management consulting services to the nonprofit community of the Bay Area.  Over 1,000 alums have donated their time through this program.  Which leads me to another perk these programs have for the business schools - an alumni network that is involved and engaged is not only good for attracting top talent, it's good for attracting their continued donations as well. But, coming from me, making the business case that biz schools should have pro bono programs is besides my point. 

The tremendous impact pro bono has on the community - and the greater impact it could have if every professional donated their time - is stunning.  And will be, I hope, be an integral part of Net Impact's attendees vision of a better future.   95% of law school deans want students to leave their schools understanding they have an obligation to perform pro bono work.  We're not there yet with business schools, and we need to get there.  As we'll be exploring in a webcast with The Economist's US Business Editor Matthew Bishop November 16^th (register here), nonprofits need business talent now more than ever.  Now is the time for MBA students to demand more from their schools, more integration of pro bono into their curriculums, and set a higher standard for themselves and every one of their fellow graduates to continue, always, doing pro bono.  

HOW MLK INSPIRED THE PRO BONO MOVEMENT

By Aaron Hurst on October 21, 2011 1:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This week the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C. Thousands gathered on the National Mall to remember Dr. King's legacy and be inspired to continue striving for the America he envisioned.  

Here at Taproot, his legacy is not only an incredibly powerful reminder of the work we have ahead of us to create real social change and of how important it is, ourselves, to be more aware of the civil rights issues which continue to plague our society, but also a reminder of the power of pro bono, and of its early roots in the history of the civil rights movement in this country.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy realized we were facing a crisis - and urged lawyers to use their skills to fight the battle for civil rights in the courtroom. He created The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, dedicated to upholding civil rights protections by harnessing the power of private attorneys and firms pro bono, as well as conducting advocacy and educating the public.  This institution was vital to protecting and advocating for people who faced discrimination, opening law centers staffed by top lawyers from top law firms to work pro bono in the South.  In the 70s and 80s their work became commonplace nationwide, working on issues ranging from school desegregation to employment discrimination. 

What these lawyers did, standing up to the anger and fear that pervaded the south, and advocating for justice and equality under the law, was a manifestation of the work of Dr. King.  And legal advocacy was key to the success of his movement. 

Today, you say the word 'pro bono' and the first you hear is 'ahh, lawyers' - and it's really because of the work that was done during the civil rights era supporting activists and every day individuals.  They launched their own pro bono movement, it took off, and they made 'doing it pro bono' an integral part of what it means to be a legal professional in this country - and part of being a valued member of the legal community.  We have a lot we can learn from their success.

But the way Dr. King's legacy lives on in the pro bono movement isn't just through lawyers - at least I'd like to think it's not.   Pro bono embodies his legacy in another, much more fundamental way.  Unlike traditional corporate volunteering, pro bono has nonprofit and business professionals work together, in mutual respect for their talents and time and toward a shared vision for the success of the client.  It manifests MLKs vision of a future of collaboration built on mutual respect. 

Let's remember Dr. King and strive harder every day to embody his work.  While that goes above and beyond working in your community pro bono, I'd say it's a healthy start.  As always, you can apply to be a pro bono consultant in your community here.  And don't hesitate to reach out, join the community, make a difference.  Let's make giving our time and skills an integral part of our career.  Let's follow in King's legacy. 

HP CASE STUDY: BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF THE PENINSULA

By Carol Guttery & Esther Kang on October 18, 2011 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As the world's largest technology company, HP is in a unique position to use its global reach to serve billions by leveraging all of its assets to enrich society and drive sustainable economic growth. Global citizenship at HP creates long-term shared value that will benefit customers, shareholders and consumers. To pursue this further, HP launched its Pro Bono Volunteer Program in Spring 2011 to help Community Partners grow their capacity while flexing HP employees' skills by delivering services and achieving strategic aims of each Community Partner. The program has grown from eight successful projects in the San Francisco Bay Area to include other countries such as Brazil, China and Germany, with the goal to scale the program across 170 countries where HP has a presence.

The Taproot Foundation has been working with HP to develop their program and we were inspired by quality and impact of their pilot projects. We wanted to share this case study as an example of the power of pro bono to create a memorable brand story. 

The Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula's (BGCP) vision is to have all youth aged 6-18 of the Bay Area Peninsula graduate from high school with a plan for post-secondary education or training. Over the past six years, in neighborhoods where less than half of their youth graduate from high school, 85% of BGCP's school site members have graduated from high school with a plan. BGCP has doubled graduation rates by implementing proven practices in strategic partnerships, continues to serve all youth, and motivates students to succeed academically. 

The Challenge

Before collaborating with HP, BGCP's vision statement reflected the organization's national vision to provide after school programs for underserved youth. However, BGCP wanted to develop positioning that emphasized its additional core goals around high school graduate rates and postgraduate plans. BGCP made a commitment to its region to focus on additional core goals and needed a brand that also acknowledged its unique contribution to its local community. BGCP needed a comprehensive vision statement in order to attract the right constituent base. Because BGCP's leadership desired to build upon its existing brand story, they sought out HP's expertise through the Pro Bono Volunteer Program. 

The Work

A dynamic team consisting of an HP employee who has been with the company for 20+ years, Bryan Stahmer, and a new HP employee, Amanda Peterson, led the Pro Bono Project with Community Partner, BGCP. Amanda and Bryan conducted collaborative workshops and briefings with Board members, project managers, employees, and volunteers. With the data they collected, Amanda and Bryan created a SWOT analysis identifying opportunities to emphasize BGCP's unique contributions to the Peninsula. They created four inspirational communication themes as a starting point for BGCP's new brand story. BGCP's leadership worked collaboratively with Amanda and Bryan to create the final comprehensive and memorable brand story. It incorporated the themes Amanda and Bryan designed as well as BGCP's key points that best aligned with the organization's vision. 

The Result

The volunteer experience energized both HP employees because of the enthusiasm, passion and commitment of BGCP's leadership team. By encouraging HP colleagues to serve their community outside of the office environment, Amanda states that she felt like she was "enhancing skill sets" as she worked along side her seasoned colleague, Bryan, and an established community organization. Amanda found the Pro Bono Project to be incredibly stimulating and made her feel good about the company that she worked for. Because of the direction provided by the HP employees, BGCP was able to articulate its mission and vision statements with a memorable brand story and anticipate that this would attract more schools to partner with BGCP. This also differentiates the organization and its participants from other Bay Area non-profits and provides clarity of purpose for its target constituent base. The new brand story will be implemented into BGCP's annual report, website, marketing materials, and social media strategies. In addition, BGCP reported that they would absolutely work with HP again. 

Use Your Skills, Save Penguins

By Aaron Hurst on October 17, 2011 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

STANDARDIZED SKILLS LISTINGS ARE MAKING A MARKETPLACE FOR PRO BONO

By Carol Guttery on October 17, 2011 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The laws of supply and demand suggest that a state of equilibrium is created when the supply meets the demand at an acceptable price for the goods and services being offered. But how does that work in the pro bono marketplace? In this context, the direct 'price' of the service is $0. We know  from our own experience and Deloitte's '09 Impact survey that the nonprofit demand for pro bono is high. And those same experiences tell us that the supply of willing and able pro bono consultants is also high. The low 'price', high supply and high demand should be creating a marketplace of massive scale. And yet, nonprofits tell us that they still have difficulty finding skilled volunteers.

What gives?

One challenge is enabling the nonprofit to gain access to potential pro bono consultants who have the specific skills needed for a particular project. Most systems for identifying skills, tracking of individual interests and activities and nonprofit project requests have been disconnected, making the recruitment process laborious at best.

Taproot has been working with Microsoft and other partners to develop a standardized taxonomy which will help to facilitate the identification of willing, highly skilled volunteers and the process of matching professionals to relevant nonprofit projects.  Current progress on this project can be found in our Volunteer Profile Standards content.

We have also been engaged with VolunteerMatch on this work and are very happy to report that they have incorporated these standards into their new Listing Wizard. This is a major upgrade to their nonprofit listings interface and it's designed to help organizations more easily recruit skilled volunteers. The new offering is now live on their website  and online training on the new tool is also available.

"It's great to be working with Taproot on this as a leader in the space," said Greg Baldwin, president of VolunteerMatch. "Now we're eager to adopt these standards to make them more relevant to the entire sector."

We encourage our nonprofit partners to take full advantage of these new services. And we appreciate VolunteerMatch's efforts to help create this marketplace for pro bono service. 

5 INCREDIBLE YEARS IN CHICAGO

By Aaron Hurst on October 13, 2011 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Last night our Chicago office celebrated five incredible years supporting some of the highest-impact nonprofits in the city with amazing pro bono projects.  It was a great event, hosted at Think Art and attended by pro bono consultants, nonprofit partners, sponsors and staff past & present.  None of our incredible work could have been done without them.

I remember when I first got our office off the ground in Chicago I was concerned.  It's a city I love and is defined by incredibly strong communities that its people are proud to call home.  At the same time, it's a city and a group of people that are so steadfast - so strong and resolute in its ways - that it's almost intimidating to introduce change. 

But, over the last five years, Chicago has proven me wrong. I can say with confidence that Chicago is a place for innovation.  We've worked with 220 nonprofits in Chicago across the community, in nearly every neighborhood.  Last night, I heard from EDs of organizations we've worked with on the south side, the north side, the west and even the northern and western suburbs. 

And Chicago is a place where cross-sector collaboration isn't a contradiction in terms.  It's a place where partnership means pooling resources - financial resources, business resources, social service resources - so that people's lives can improve.  Our pro bono consultants get that, and are eager to give back.  Last night, I met PBCs who were on their 4^th or 5^th project, and still eager for more!   Seeing the relationships that have been formed between them and between them and our nonprofits, and between everyone who was present, it was incredible.  Collaboration at its best.

And the clincher, what really proved my initial intimidation wrong?  Chicago is place where in 5 years, it's possible to channel over $16 million in pro bono services into local communities.

Last night, we heard from pro bono consultants, nonprofit EDs, and from our incredible Taproot staff who have made our work possible.  The stories they told were exciting, every one of them.  Seeing what has taken root in Chicago was remarkable, and entirely inspiring.  It was an honor to be there, and to know that our work will continue full speed ahead.  A toast!  To millions more in pro bono service to the Windy City!

#OCCUPYWALLSTREET - PRO BONO & ACTIVISM

By Aaron Hurst on October 12, 2011 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Less than a dozen blocks from our New York office, hundreds of protesters have set up camp in Zuccotti Park.  With posters and placards calling themselves 'the 99%,' their message is reasonably clear: our society, our government and our social systems should work for everyone, not just the super-rich.  Fundamentally, they're making a demand for fairness. 

So where's the pro bono story?  Pretty much everywhere.  As you'd expect, there are lawyers, who step up to donate their time and skill and knowledge to bail the arrested out of jail.  And, as we've also come to expect, designers are donating their artistic abilities to capture attention and recruit, creating signs and promotional materials.

But the #occupywallstreet protests demonstrate a new trend of pro bono activism.  Less than two weeks ago, well known PR firm Workhouse sent an email "Occupy Wall Street: News from the Front" to the media and their high end connections.  They've continued to step up, donating their professional skills and unique position to reach hundreds pro bono for this cause.  Why? After he visited the protest, Workhouse CEO Adam Nelson said he "never even thought twice about sending out the email."  His firm later issued a statement: "We have no agenda and our service in this regard is simple: Publicize the message as the march continues."

Rather than seeing a protest and grabbing cardboard & a sharpie, this way of thinking goes, 'How can I help?' 'What is it that I could do to support this effort that somebody else couldn't?'

And that, fundamentally, is "thinking pro bono."  Rather than saying 'I should give back' or 'I should join in' it's asking the question 'What can I offer that my community or this movement needs?'  Each of us has skills to share, an area of expertise, a connection that could be key.  And while showing support by picking up a sign is still worthwhile, as Nelson said, using the resources at your disposal for the causes you care about shouldn't require a second thought. 

Today, like most days since the protest began, the park in the heart of Wall Street is filled with people from every walk of life and every background.  Expecting to hear the loud noises of conversation and debate? You've got it.  But there are also a small signs advertising knitting lessons and invitations to learn about diverse topics - pro bono at the micro level.   Diverse outlets have discussed the communal spirit that's sprung up in the park, of the free food and healthcare, even framing it as an idyllic self-contained society.  But it's the stories outside the park - of people using their skills for the causes they care about - that demonstrate how, as a nation, we are working to create a thriving democracy where we all contribute, engage and take part. 

IN MEMORY OF STEVE JOBS: PRESERVING DEMOCRATIC DESIGN

By Aaron Hurst on October 7, 2011 9:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Steve Jobs inspired all of us.  He gave us permission to believe in a futuristic future, one that lived up to its promise and potential.  Whether in the form of laptops that took HAL seriously, or changing how we think of phones - from a one purpose device, to a tool for humanity, for entertainment, for social interaction. 

And through it all, what he's most known for is putting design front and center.  When you power up a Mac, or when you unlock an iPhone, you feel the magic.  He recognized that that feeling, the emotional and physical engagement with something beautiful & intuitive matters.

Steve Jobs showed us the importance of good design & made it accessible to everyone.

We are furthering that purpose by teaching nonprofits the value of good design and reducing the barriers to access.  Every time we help build a new logo or a new website, we are providing a new, better front door to their services. 

Still think that doesn't have a tremendous impact, that design, after all, is only about looks?  Look & feel matters, as Thomas Kever, Executive Director for the Hetrick-Martin Institute told Rob Acton, Taproot's New York Executive Director.  When Rob mentioned he missed seeing lives changed and transformed on a daily basis, Thomas replied:

Next time you have that ridiculous thought, call me!  I'll tell you about Dierdre, a 15 year old teenage girl from Indiana who was kicked out of her home after coming out as a lesbian. She boarded a bus to New York & found us only because she went online and came across our website. Without the website that Taproot built for kids like her, there's a good chance that her life would have gone in a very bad direction.

It's easy to forget that what catches the eye and speaks to us is what draws us in and connects us.  It isn't just 'nice' - it's what makes the difference between struggling to gain access and feeling warmly welcomed. It's about encountering magic, and wonder, and knowing you've found a place you can call home.

Steve Jobs continues to allow us an inspiring glimpse of our human potential through our daily interaction with his products and philosophy.  He will continue to be a tremendous influence in our lives.  And we, in turn, need to continue his legacy of democratizing design and making the cutting edge available to those for whom it matters most.