Taproot Foundation Corporate Advisory Services Newsletter on Pro Bono Service | September 2016

It's well known that corporate pro bono is a powerful vehicle to improve the performance of social good organizations. But can engaging your employees in pro bono help your business, too?    Trends and observations from the field confirm that it can. Pro bono has become a versatile tool to help companies reach key business goals -- like developing leaders, innovating new products and services, building a brand, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce. In this edition, our stories look at the intersection of pro bono and business strategy.   The Inclusion Imperative: How Pro Bono Powers Your D&I Strategy   Diversity and inclusion is not just about making your company more diverse -- it affects everything from driving innovation to making you a more competitive employer. Inclusion promotes a sense of belonging that directly affects morale and employee retention, and equity means your employees feel heard, are more likely to contribute, and are more likely to bring solutions to the table.   Cultivating an inclusive environment can be challenging, and pro bono service gives you an easy, action-oriented, and approachable way to achieve your D&I goals. It has the capacity to transform individuals though building individual empathy and providing exposure and education necessary for inclusivity to thrive. This awareness through direct exposure is exactly what we need to change ingrained biases, perceptions, and ultimately behaviors. Read more...   Pro Bono Reshapes the Leadership Development Playbook   Think of a time when you were pushed -- we mean really pushed -- in your work.  How did that experience help you grow?  How did it shape and develop your professional perspective?     These career moments have an incredible impact, and according to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), are deeply influential in our development as leaders.    We sat down to interview Cindy McCauley from CCL to learn more about pro bono as a tool to accelerate this development, and to explore how venturing outside our comfort zones defines and enhances our abilities as leaders. Read more...   Planning for FY2017: Why Pro Bono Service Matters    'Tis the season for strategic planning. This year companies are looking at how to do more with less. But more with less doesn't mean compromising or scaling back ambitions. It means finding the programs or investments that allow you to reach multiple goals at once -- or as we call it: the triple win. And that means pro bono service.   Pro bono service -- donating one's professional expertise for social change -- is a creative way to simultaneously achieve a variety of corporate goals.   Skeptical? Let's look at common corporate goals and why pro bono service is key to helping you achieve them. Read more...   Highlight Reel: 2016 U.S. and Global Pro Bono Summit   Missed both the U.S. and Global Pro Bono Summits? Get an inside peek into what people learned, shared, and created over the course of a few days.    The U.S. Pro Bono Summit and Global Pro Bono Summit are two annual gatherings of leaders from across sectors and industries who come together with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to social change organizations.   This year's U.S. Summit took place in Santa Monica, California from April 13-14. Taproot convened 39 leaders from 27 companies across the country whose experience with pro bono service ranged from seasoned pro bono practitioners to early-stage explorers. The Global Summit took place in Singapore from March 15-18. Together with the local host, Conjunct Consulting, Taproot Foundation and BMW Foundation convened 80 participants that included representatives from pro bono intermediaries, corporations, and local Asian foundations. For information on the U.S. or Global Summit, please contact pr@taprootfoundation.org. Read more...   Pro Bono in the News   Mark your calendar. October 23 - 29 is Pro Bono Week, a global campaign that celebrates and activates pro bono service across all professions that use their talent to make a difference. Visit www.probonoweek.org to see how pro bono service is being celebrated around the world.     A true triple bottom line. Check out Fortune Magazine's 2016 Fortune Change the World List, which acknowledges companies who "do well by doing good." These impressive companies are making it their business to tackle social challenges, and for many pro bono is  a key part of their strategy.    Community-minded companies. Points of Light recently released their Civic 50 Winners, which celebrates companies who are the top "trailblazers for demonstrating how companies can use their time, talent and resources to improve the quality of life in communities where they do business." We're proud to see many pro bono leaders on the list.    To receive updates the latest in corporate pro bono programming, subscribe to the Taproot Foundation Corporate Advisory Services newsletter.