Pro Bono Skills: Untapped Gold Mine?
Friday, May 1, 2009
By: Susan Carey Dempsey

There isn't a nonprofit we can think of that isn't struggling with a budget gap in light of diminished giving and growing community need. Ironically, an interesting report issued recently by Deloitte reflected another wide gap: between companies interested in volunteering the skills of their professionals and nonprofits who could be taking advantage of this resource.

Deloitte’s survey, which involved two separate polls of nonprofit executives and corporate grant makers suggests most corporate grant makers and nonprofits remain focused on giving and getting cash. Few are thinking about using pro bono or skilled volunteerism as a valuable form of currency that could help offset the decline in corporate giving.

In fact, nearly 40 percent of nonprofits surveyed said they plan to spend upwards of $50,000 on outside consultants in 2009. But, Deloitte suggests, if they could secure pro bono work instead, they could free up their precious capital for other critical uses. On the other hand, while 77 percent of corporate givers agreed that their employees’ skills would be a valuable contribution to nonprofits, only half (50%) say they currently offer this type of support.

onPhilanthropy spoke with Evan Hochberg, national director of community involvement for Deloitte, about the findings. He indicated that even in a time when nonprofits are acutely aware of downward pressure on donations, nonprofits are not seeking or utilizing the potential skills available to them from companies willing to offer volunteers.

onPhil: Did your survey findings surprise you or simply confirm your impressions of what was going on in the nonprofit sector?

EH: Actually, it clarified the issue, in two ways:
First , the gap between nonprofits and corporations is still wide, because nonprofits are still focused and built to focus on cash. Despite donors saying that they have less cash and nonprofits knowing they will have less cash, nonprofits are not looking for other types of support. There’s another door of value they’re not knocking down.

Second, it revealed the existence of barriers. Ninety-seven percent of nonprofits surveyed said they don’t know who to go to in corporations to ask for volunteer help, and 95% said they didn’t know which companies to approach with such requests. Part of it may lie in attitudes: 88% weren’t sure they would get a real commitment and the level of professionalism they need.

It showed how much we need to do to create a real marketplace for pro bono provision of skills to nonprofits.

onPhil: In fact, now that you’ve zeroed in on some major issues, what can you do about them?

EH: We really need a breakthrough in thinking. The relationship that the development director has with a corporate community relations person has been centered around money; they’re not asking about other assets that corporate volunteers could provide.

That doesn’t mean cash is off the table. While there’s pressure now on donations, cash has really been flat over time. We developed our program because we felt that nonprofits and corporate partners needed to add other dimensions to their relationships. As a professional services firm, we wanted to offer this to companies.

onPhil: We’re aware of the value of pro bono help to nonprofits, but how do companies benefit?

EH: It allows them to have stronger social impact, a new avenue to become a corporate leader. Previous surveys have shown that it’s a huge recruiting differentiator. What’s more, it provides a company with a huge opportunity to develop the skills of your people..

onPhil: We’ve also heard reports that employee volunteer programs help lift the morale of staff stressed by budget cuts and other economic impacts.

EH: Yes, and we have seen that from previous surveys, companies find that it boosts morale for people to be able to help nonprofits they have a passion for. And not just do it as individuals. It has a positive effect on their impressions of their company. In our own internal survey, volunteer programs were a major reason why they would recommend working at Deloitte to friends; half our employees gave that as the reason. A third said it was a factor in their own decision to join our firm.

onPhil: How do you suggest closing this gap between what’s possible and what nonprofits are accessing?

EH: There has to be a mindset shift. Nonprofits as well as companies have to shift to where they value time as much as money.

Volunteering has to be treated not so much as a mere employee benefit, but a real strategy for making an impact. A company has to ask: what issues is the nonprofit struggling with that our people are uniquely suited to address?

onPhil: What should nonprofits do to begin to shift that mindset?

EH: They should really do their own assessment of their organization to learn where they need the skills that a volunteer can provide. Both the board and staff should look at this. The Director of Development’s position should be changed so that that person is seeking donations of time as well as money.

It has to go with the recognition that a nonprofit is a business. While they have a societal mission, they also have to have a strategy, operations and infrastructure. If they want to make a long-term impact, they have to have the essentials for longevity and sustainability. In areas like marketing, finance, human resources, companies can offer the expertise to help them.

The business community has a big role to play. If you find a smart way to do it, pro bono volunteers are not only a great resource for the benefit of the community, it has a real business value. When properly aligned, it’s a win-win.

About the Author

Susan Carey Dempsey, Editor-in-Chief of onPhilanthropy, is Managing Partner of CauseWired Communications, a consulting firm advising nonprofits on effective messaging. She can be reached at susan@causewired.com.