TexasDesign

Contributed by David C Baker, ReCourses (see information about upcoming speaking engagements at the end of this article).

Pro bono publico is a latin phrase that refers to the application of your professional expertise to some “public good” as a service rendered, without pay. It’s long been a part of the creative services industry, but it’s not typically managed well in three particular aspects.

First, it’s often reactive rather than emerging from a considered approach that would bring greater benefit to everyone involved. Second, the recipients are sometimes chosen for the wrong reasons: they asked first; they were the most persuasive; they offered the most interesting opportunity; there was some personal connection; or they didn’t object to enduring the work of less experienced employees cutting their teeth on hapless victims. In other words, the work is not taken as seriously since these deserving entities must be content with the scraps. Third, pro bono work is often viewed as a diversion instead of a strong contribution that aligns with your mission, culture, and expertise.

Your corporation is soulless, in fact, though it can be used as a powerful tool to better the world around you. But that impact should be managed well like any other resource, and here are three very specific suggestions to maximize that impact.

Let Pro Bono Flow from Written Guidelines

To be intentional in your pro bono work, you’ll have to have some written guidelines (like a mission statement), against which you can make those difficult decisions that are required when demand exceeds supply. Coupled with a greater emotional intelligence, you’ll be making better long term decisions, yielding greater impact from your time and money.

Among many other things, these should offer guidance to the decision makers (see below) on aligning pro bono recipient choices with your demonstrated expertise (i.e., specialization or focus), as well as the distinct culture at your firm. These two areas of alignment will be critical in getting and giving the most for your time and money, and they will keep the participants engaged in doing good things.

But in the end, the key is to do the right thing for the right reasons, and there are two important parts to that statement. Thankfully, this usually translates into activity that is genuinely fun, too!

Use an Inclusive, Engaged Advisory Board with Term Limits

You need to insulate yourself personally from the decision (”That sounds like an interesting opportunity. In fact, could you run it through our advisory group? We’re so committed to doing this sort of work that we have crafted some guidelines and set aside a significant budget to make sure it happens and happens well.”) But you also want the wisdom of others because in the end you’ll get better decisions, and there will also be more engagement as you harness the collective brains and hands from your group.

The best way to do this is to set up two- or three-year layered terms, with one representative each from these six groups: agency owners; agency managers; agency employees; clients; prospects; and community leaders. Their role is to make decisions about where your agency will contribute based on the guidelines you have crafted.

Conduct an Annual Reverse Pitch For Three Awards

Orchestrated by the advisory board on an annual basis, enlist local media to spread the word in your community so that good causes have a chance to participate. Invite them to download a very simple one-page form from your website on which they’ll outline their situation and their request. Those that are submitted appropriately (and before the deadline) are reviewed by the advisory committee, and six entities are invited to the second and final stage (winners from the year before are excluded).

In this stage, they follow a prescribed format while pitching their need to the same advisory panel. Of those who are invited to make the pitch, half are chosen for an award. One receives totally free labor to accomplish a specific, measurable project that focuses more on doing and implementation. Another receives a strategic plan or the “donation” of your top thinker(s) on the committee(s) of their choice. A third receives a cash gift to use for a specific purpose (capital purchase, hiring of another firm at regular prices, etc.).

Why three awards? I feel strongly that pro bono work should not be done for reduced fees. It should either be at the normal rate or free. Discounted fees just cause confusion and resentment. I also want to make sure that you’re not being invited to sit on a committee (or board) for any reason than your brains. Keep the money and the work contribution separate, and insist that the genuinely needy organization play straight with you by being clear about wanting your advice, your work, or your money. And frankly–please hear me–when all the costs are added up, it’s almost always cheaper to give them money!

Final Checklist Suggestions

So that’s a different take on pro bono work, and one I hope you’ll consider for your firm. If you are an employee at a firm without a thoughtful strategy, how about taking the lead? As you craft your own approach, consider that any good pro bono strategy:

• Is good for others by enabling strong organizations that are already doing good things.
• Is good for you so that you have fun with always more than enough volunteers to help.
• Uses your best people (not the young ones who need to practice or have nothing else to do).
• Aligns with your expertise in the marketplace.
• Is organic, always staying fresh and interesting.
• Helps you attract prospective employees.
• Helps you attract prospective clients.

As the repository of some of the strongest persuasive powers on the planet, we can have an enormous impact in our local communities, and it’s the right thing to do.

Upcoming ReCourses Seminars

• Serving Clients Well–Everything You Need to Know about the Account Service Role, Chicago, Mar 3-4
• Managing Creatives and Creativity–Being an Effective and Confident Creative Director, San Francisco, Apr 23-24
• Expert Resourcing–Understanding and Organizing the Control Tower Within Your Firm (Traffic, Production Management, Scheduling, Budgeting, etc.), Nashville, June 18

Upcoming Speaking Engagements

• Keynote at the annual “Business and Design” event, AIGA DC Chapter, Washington, April 19
• Commencement Address, CCAD, Columbus, May 12
• Managing Creatives for the First Time, HOW, Atlanta, June 12-13