State of Pro Bono: Human Resources Profession

Opportunity

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are over 904,000 human resources, training and labor relations managers and specialists in the United States, and, according to a 2009 Taproot study, pro bono human resources represent a $2 billion per decade opportunity.

Community Need

Typically, nonprofits' greatest HR obstacles involve managing, engaging and retaining staff and volunteers. A key area of their need lies not in implementing systems, but rather in management training.
86% of nonprofits report that they would “probably” or “definitely” seek pro bono human resources support if it were available to them, according to a 2009 Taproot survey of 238 nonprofits.
40% of nonprofit executive directors see attracting and retaining skilled staff as one of their top five concerns, according to a 2009 Accenture survey.

Search Relevant pro bono Projects

Distribution Channels

Professional Services Firms – Pro bono service for human resource needs is not frequently provided by firms.
Corporations – Human resources pro bono service is not yet frequently provided by corporations.
Professional Schools – Most top universities do not offer pro bono service programs for students of human resources.
Trade Associations – Though the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) has yet to adopt formal pro bono service standards or a formal member challenge, they increasingly encourage pro bono service among their membership.
Intermediaries – There are very limited intermediaries offering human resources pro bono service opportunities.
Direct Service Providers – Individuals most frequently offer pro bono service to address human resource needs through their board service.

Common HR Project Models

Learn more about this categorization of pro bono service models by reading the whitepaper: Making Pro Bono Work: 8 Proven Models for Community and Business Impact.

Loaned Employee – An employee is granted a sanctioned and compensated leave of absence to pursue a pro bono project.
Functional Coaching and Mentoring – Employees match up with their nonprofit peers, form a relationship, and share functional expertise.
Standardized Team Projects – Individuals are placed on teams, each with specific roles and responsibilities. Each project is scoped and structured around a standard deliverable based on the needs of the nonprofit partners.
Open-Ended Outsourcing – A company makes its services available to a specific number of nonprofit organizations on an ongoing, as needed basis.

Trends

There is a growing intersection of human resources pro bono service with both board and volunteer management efforts.

Leaders

American Express – Through their Nonprofit Leadership Academy, American Express provides emerging nonprofit leaders with training and mentoring.
Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation – Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, known for their human resources software, helps nonprofits implement HR systems by engaging both its employees and customers in pro bono service to implement their donated software products.
Gap, Inc. – Gap Inc.’s Leadership Initiative is a recent program that pairs Executive Directors of nonprofits with Gap, Inc. leaders for instruction, mentoring, and peer groups aimed at providing human resources support and leadership advice for nonprofit leaders.