As law firms have demonstrated for decades, a pro bono program can help achieve internal and external objectives well beyond just making an impact in the community.

A pro bono program can:

• Increase Brand Association with Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Appeal to the 80% of Americans who report that they would switch to a company involved with a good cause (2002: Cone, Inc.). Studies have even shown that companies that are engaged in corporate social responsibility had a 10-year relative return to shareholders that was 65% higher than their counterparts (Graves and Waddock, 2000).
  
  
• Better Leverage Your Employee’s Time
  • Pro bono work is valued at $75-250 / hour, which is a significantly more leveraged investment in the nonprofit sector than the $17.55 / hour value that employees deliver through typical corporate volunteering programs.
  
  
• Recruit & Retain Talent
  • Appeal to employees' desire to work for a socially responsible company.
  • Invest in employee development through low-risk, experiential learning opportunities.
  • Expand diversity of tasks beyond employees' narrow job definition.
  • Reward employees with new opportunities and challenges.
  
  
• Improve Internal Communication
  • Break down barriers between departments by creating teams of employees from across divisions to work together on pro bono projects.
  
  
• Foster Innovation
  • Use a new environment as a catalyst for employees to question assumptions and sharpen dormant skills.
  • Work with new clients to understand new audiences and potential consumer groups.
  
  
• Strengthen Partnerships
  • Create a program that teams your employees with their counterparts at other companies in a low-risk environment.