D.C. Metro Businesses Kick Off National Volunteer Week With Summit On Impact Of Pro Bono Service

TYSONS CORNER, Va., April 23, 2013 /3BL Media/ -- If every business in the D.C. metro region, which includes some of the most innovative and recognizable companies in the world, committed the talent, skills and intellectual capital of its employees to help solve the region's most pressing issues, could we move the needle? At a Pro Bono Summit including more than 200 of the region's top business leaders that took place in Northern Virginia, the answer was a resounding "yes!"

From Charitable Giving to Strategic Impact: The Power of Pro Bono was hosted by A Billion + Change, Deloitte, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber), George Mason University and Fairfax County Government. It brought together some of the region's leading minds from across more than 20 companies and organizations to present a half day symposium on the triple bottom line impact of pro bono – how it can build non-profit capacity, positively impact communities and governments, and boost the business bottom line through leadership and skill development, enhanced brand awareness, employee engagement and much more.

"Pro bono service is a win-win for businesses and the community," said Fairfax Chamber President & CEO Jim Corcoran. "Here in Northern Virginia, we're fortunate to have such a tremendous brain trust of people and talent that it only makes sense to harness our valuable intellectual capital to better our community. We were thrilled to see the number of businesses that came out to express a passion for and commitment to skills-based volunteerism."

This summit was offered as part of A Billion + Change, a national campaign that is inspiring the largest commitment of pro bono service in history. In just a short time, more than 330 of America's favorite brands - more than 43 in the D.C. Metro Area alone - have taken the pledge to donate their best talent to tackle tough problems in their communities and around the world.

"We are closing in on our goal of recruiting 500 companies to pledge their best skills and talents in service. We need your help to get there," said Michelle Nunn, CEO of Points of Light, the home of A Billion + Change, and the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service. "Your talent is needed now more than ever. The demands on our local nonprofits and community services have never been greater while the stresses of reduced funding and declining government support are only increasing. If your company hasn't pledged yet, I encourage you to use National Volunteer Week to join our movement!"

One of the founding companies of the A Billion + Change movement, Deloitte recently committed an additional $60 million in pro bono services nationwide to nonprofit organizations over a three-year period. This pledge brings the organization's total investment to more than $100 million and builds on the organization's prior $50 million commitment, which was completed in 2011 and resulted in more than 300 pro bono engagements that reached over 250 nonprofits.

"We find significant value in pro bono service and welcome the opportunity to share our lessons learned with the greater Washington business community," said Gary H. Tabach, Southeast regional managing partner, Deloitte LLP. "Pro bono service at Deloitte is not about spare time or spare change.  We put pro bono on par with client work and treat with the exact same quality management processes, which enables our people to engage in pro bono service during work hours and receive credit as they would for commercial engagements. We do this because we know our pro bono service not only makes an impact in the community, but it also provides a powerful platform for showcasing and developing our talented professionals."

"Fairfax County is pleased to participate today, recognizing that government cannot solve tough community challenges alone," said Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova. "Growing needs and continued pressure on resources make corporate pro bono contributions to local government initiatives and to our nonprofit partners even more important."

Together, A Billion + Change companies have committed an estimated $2 billion worth of service time – the equivalent of more than 6,400 full-time employees -- to tackle the tough problems and pressing needs of nonprofits and communities. Check out all of the participating companies, learn more about the movement and pledge at www.abillionpluschange.org.

About the Fairfax Chamber The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce (Fairfax Chamber), the Voice of Business in Northern Virginia™, represents 650 member companies with nearly 500,000 employees throughout the region. Since 1925, the Chamber has been working to build a strong business community by providing unparalleled access to business development & thought leadership opportunities; professional development & mentoring; business advocacy and strategic community partnerships. Learn more about the Chamber at www.fairfaxchamber.org.

About A Billion + Change A Billion + Change is a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars of pro bono and skills-based volunteer services in 2013. It was launched by the Corporation for National and Community Service in 2008 and continues as an initiative of the federal agency. Reinvigorated in 2011 with expanded leadership under the honorary chairmanship of Senator Mark Warner, it is now housed and managed by Points of Light, the largest organization in the world dedicated to volunteer service. The initiative is powered by the support of Deloitte, HP, the Case Foundation, Capital One and IBM with additional founding support from State Farm, McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP and Morgan Stanley. Learn more at: www.abillionpluschange.org.

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