Pro Bono Week Spurs New Community Service Ideas
Originally published on Causecast's blog
This time in October is when volunteer leaders honor the power of pro bono, a global campaign that celebrates and activates pro bono service across all professions that use their talents to make a difference. Organized by Taproot, the leading national advocate for pro bono service, and inspired by the American Bar Association's National Celebration of Pro Bono, Pro Bono Week is an opportunity to highlight the global network of pro bono champions who mobilize volunteers around the world.
Since Pro Bono Week was first launched three years ago, the popularity of this form of service has risen to the point where it’s become the fastest-growing employee-volunteering program. According to Daryl Brewster, CEO of CECP, a coalition of 150 CEOs of the world’s largest companies focused on societal engagement, the percentage of companies offering pro bono service increased from 40 percent in 2012 to more than half last year.
This year, the focus of Pro Bono Week is on the innovative ways that pro bono service builds new communities. By drawing business professionals and corporations into causes they would otherwise not be exposed to, pro bono service offers creative paths for collaboration and can spur community service ideas. This unique form of service also allows social change organizations to tap expertise they don't typically have the resources to access, creating a huge impact on a nonprofit’s bottom line.
