Taproot Foundation and BMW Foundation to Convene 60 Pro Bono Providers; Taproot Releases Report on the State of Pro Bono
San Francisco, Februrary 25 /3BL Media/ - The Taproot Foundation, in partnership with the BMW Foundation, will host leaders from more than 60 nonprofit pro bono providers at the 2nd Annual Global Pro Bono Summit on Thursday, February 27.
The Summit gives these providers, including NPower, DataKind, Public Architecture, and BoardSource, the chance to learn from one another, improve their core business, and share key data and best practices about doing pro bono today.
The meeting is designed to identify key areas for movement-building, such as exploring new partnerships or models for pro bono, creating data standards for the field, or helping nonprofits access pro bono by identifying and connecting to the high-quality pro bono resources that can help them achieve their missions.
“Whether we are talking about pro-bono service or board service, the future of the nonprofit sector depends on our ability to tap into the skills and expertise that we need to succeed.” said Anne Wallestad, President & CEO of BoardSource. “This meeting of the minds is one of the best ways for us to work together to propel the pro bono movement forward.”
As part of the Summit, Taproot has released a report, “The State of Intermediary-Led Pro Bono,” that details some of the key trends in pro bono work. Highlights include:
Nonprofit pro bono providers delivered at least $68.5M in pro bono services to more than 2,500 nonprofits in 2013.
- 17% of nonprofits who got pro bono got it from nonprofit providers like those attending the Summit.
- 92% of nonprofits say they need more pro bono, in areas from marketing and communications to finance to strategy.
- Typical engagements deliver 85 hours of pro bono service to each nonprofit, over the course of around 9 weeks.
“This report provides the first consolidated data on nonprofit pro bono providers and the volume and impact of their work,” said Alethea Hannemann, Director of Product and Program Development at the Taproot Foundation. “In the coming year, we’ll build more robust data around our collective work, so that all nonprofit pro bono specialists can share the value of their work in the sector—and continue to learn from the best practices we’ve pioneered.”
About Pro Bono Service
Pro bono—short for pro bono publico, "for the public good"—refers to professional services delivered without expectation of a fee to organizations serving the social good. It is both a form of support for community organizations as well as an increasingly core part of the ethic of business professionals from design to HR and technology, who believe that high-quality professional services are too important to only be available to those who can afford them.
About the Taproot Foundation
The Taproot Foundation is a US-based nonprofit organization that is a leader in pro bono service. Through its programs, advisory services support, and field-building work, Taproot leads, mobilizes, and engages professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. www.taproootfoundation.org
About the BMW Foundation
The BMW Foundation is an international networking foundation. Through its Global Responsible Leaders Forums, it seeks to inspire leaders to participate in and shape civil society, social entrepreneurship, and politics. www.bmw-stiftung.de/en/
For more information, please contact:
Emmett Mehan
Associate Manager, National Partnerships
Phone: 212.257.7650
Phone 2: 212.257.7650
Twitter: @EmmettMehan
