Pro bono, or skills-based volunteering, can lead to transformative results for both your community and company. This important part of corporate nonprofit partnerships allows nonprofits to identify operational needs and infrastructure gaps and your company to engage employees with those specific skill sets. These individuals are equipped to make a big impact just by doing what they do every day. Whether it’s legal review, business process optimization or market analysis support, this is a win-win partnership model with strong benefits.

Though this type of support doesn’t often lead to flashy impact numbers, what it does impact is the ability for nonprofits to put philanthropic dollars toward programmatic work that results in stronger outcomes at a greater scale for the important community work already in progress.

Here are three reasons this type of support is an important part of corporate nonprofit partnerships.

  1. Builds Capacity For Nonprofits
    Nonprofits need unrestricted operating dollars to do their most basic functions. Often, those are limited in favor of high-impact programs or earmarked for essentials—rent, payroll and utilities. This leaves limited resources for crucial work like strategic planning, organizational marketing, operational efficiencies, etc.
  2. Drives Change In Community
    Nonprofits are the backbone of communities, but they can’t do it alone. As a company, you can leverage your resources—starting with skilled volunteers—to amplify their efforts. Think of how you might add skilled volunteers when you partner with local nonprofits. Could they use a marketing strategy to complement the programmatic engagement? Do they need consulting on board engagement?
  3. Increases Employee Satisfaction And Retention
    The expectations of companies are higher than ever before, both from external and internal stakeholders. Edelman’s Special Report: Trust at Work found that 74% of people said that when considering a job, they wanted the opportunity to do work that would shape the future in a meaningful way. Pro bono support is a way to meet the needs of many stakeholders that benefits the local nonprofits and increases employee satisfaction.

Read the full article about skills-based volunteering by Jennifer Sirangelo at Forbes .