Robin Hanson

According to Taproot Foundation, 92% of nonprofits across the nation say they do not have enough pro bono support. Of the 500+ companies who pledge to support pro bono volunteering through A Billion + Change, 14% are Fortune 500 companies.

If you take the need for pro bono volunteers and the pool of corporations who support pro bono volunteering, there are not enough volunteers. Furthermore, if you reduce the pool of potential volunteers to businesses who support the arts, the pool becomes a pond.

So how do you attract a different kind of pro bono talent to fill the pond? By forming cross-collaborations with other partners focused on skills-based volunteers and introducing those volunteers to the arts world.

First–Find a local partner

In the spring of 2014, I met Kristin Romaine from the CO+HOOTS Foundation. The CO+HOOTS Foundation is an Arizona non-profit whose mission is to influence and support community growth by engaging the power of coworkers, independent contractors, and small business. This business group is completely untouched when it comes to the spectrum of engagement.

Second–Find a national partner (or two)

I became a Pro bono Champion through A Billion + Change. With the support and name recognition of the A Billion + Change and the Points of Light, I was able to deepen my relationship with our local Corporate Volunteer Council and their members, consisting of local corporations with active employee engagement programs.

Take a look at the work of the Taproot Foundation and their resources. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Collaborate with experts in the pro bono field and include those learnings to your toolkit.

Third–Speak the business language

When I am speaking with the CSR manager at a large corporation, they know why employee engagement is important; however when dealing with a co-worker, independent contractor, and small business, you need to speak a different language. You need to understand that by providing pro bono services, they may be doing so at their own cost. They are giving up a paying client to provide their time and talent for a nonprofit client.

There is a greater need for buy-in outside of the corporate world and the scope of work becomes critical. The Business Volunteers for the Arts (BVA) program knows why they are there, the statement of work, and most important, the time it will take to complete.

It is imperative that the business providing the pro bono volunteer know the value of the work from the nonprofit. We just completed our first BVA project in Phoenix. We used the $125.00 per hour standard for the volunteer time, but the impact recognized by the nonprofit was the best part of the story. According to the executive director, they are estimating a $2500 annual savings! A small business, co-worker, and independent contractor understands what that type of savings means.

Last–Take away the fear

Train both the Business Volunteers for the Arts consultants and arts groups so that the expectations are placed up front.

Be very strategic with your matches. Take the time to develop partnerships. Not all of the co-workers, small business, and independent contractors will have the passion to help arts organizations–but I’d want to be the first organization to introduce them to skills-based volunteering.

Collaborating with the CO+HOOTS Foundation and partnering with A Billion + Change and the Taproot Foundation expose more people to the benefits of pro bono volunteering in a variety of business settings.

I believe a rising tide lifts all boats. I want all business, co-worker to corporation, to support the business of art–let’s get them in the pool of skills-based volunteers.