April 15, 2009
Survey Tracks Shortage of Volunteer Consultants
By Ben Gose
Nonprofit organizations could use more pro bono support during this deep recession, but neither charities nor corporations are taking the right steps to encourage more volunteer consulting, a new study has found.
Nearly 40 percent of nonprofit leaders who responded to the survey said they will spend $50,000 or more on outside consultants this year, but nearly a quarter of the respondents have no plans to use skilled volunteers or pro bono support in any capacity in 2009.
The survey was commissioned by Deloitte LLP, a consulting firm, and is based on online interviews with 300 corporate executives and 360 nonprofit executives. The charity leaders had previously applied for pro bono support from the Taproot Foundation, which promotes pro bono service by business professionals.
Aaron Hurst, the Taproot Foundation’s president and founder, said charity leaders typically think of pro bono services in the legal arena, but he noted that charities could save thousands of dollars by seeking skilled volunteers to help in other areas.
The organization’s Pro Bono Action Tank Web site lists 76 types of pro bono projects, including developing a Web site, redesigning facilities, and creating a training program for employees.
“I would encourage nonprofit organizations to look at the money they’re spending on outsourcing, and evaluate whether they could have more of that done on a pro bono basis, which would allow them to direct more of their own capital to their programs,” Mr. Hurst said.
The recession is already prompting charities to look harder for pro bono assistance, he said. Taproot has received 862 applications for pro bono assistance this year — more than it received in all of 2008.
Sketchy Information
In the survey, 95 percent of charity leaders said they could use more pro bono or skilled volunteer support. But more than a third of their charities currently lack the structural ability to successfully deploy volunteers, the survey found.
Very few charities know how to go about securing pro bono support. Ninety-seven percent of the charity leaders said they did not know who to approach in a company to solicit skilled volunteers.
Likewise, 95 percent of the leaders said they were unsure of which companies would likely respond to their appeals for pro bono support. Only 50 percent of the corporate leaders who responded said their companies provide any pro bono support to charities.
The survey’s findings suggest that charities and corporations may not have enough employee expertise to make pro bono connections.
Nearly a quarter of the charity leaders say have no one in charge of volunteer management, and another 23 percent of respondents say the person in charge of volunteer management has less than three years of work experience.
Among corporations, more than one in four leaders say they have no one to oversee employee volunteerism. Moreover, 17 percent of corporations have no employee volunteer program at all.
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This is disheartening on so many levels. Non-profits are literally shooting themselves in the foot by not realizing the amazing resources (and fundraising potential) that volunteers offer their organizations.
My hat is off to those organizations who see the big picture about utilizing and engaging volunteers — and make the appropriate investments in volunteer management.
— Lauren Apr 15, 12:17 PM #
The one thing to keep in mind, though is that sometimes “corporate” volunteers can do more harm than good if the nonprofit is not clear about their expectations or needs. Often corporate execs. do not understand the culture, challenges or limitations of the nonprofit world and end up recommending strategies that aren’t feasible. Consultants who do work with nonprofits exclusively (or mostly) will often provide much more value.
— Tanya Zumach Apr 15, 01:00 PM #
It’s important to keep in mind the difference between voluntering and providing consulting services pro bono. Over the years, I have provided consulting services to many nonprofits and found that the value they place on the services—espcially when it involves doing more or doing things differently on their part—is exactly what they pay for it: 0. When it gets hard or different, they ignore the advice. Now, I just don’t do it. Getting in and voluneering is another matter and should not be confusted with providing pro bono services.
— Philanthro Joe Apr 15, 02:20 PM #
Is your nonprofit considering a merger or consolidation to save or expand programs? Does your nonprofit need to terminate or renegotiate contractual, debt repayment or lease obligations? Is your nonprofit exploring reduction of employee benefits, salaries or hours?
If you are a 501c3 organization located in Los Angeles whose mission is linked in any way to supporting low income LA residents and you need free legal assistance related to these or many other corporate, transactional or governance issues, please contact the Community Development Project of Public Counsel to see if we can be of assistance. In this time of economic challenge we are attempting to address the needs of the nonprofit community both with our internal nonprofit expertise and the vast resource of attorneys in private practice who have volunteered to help. Our intake line is (213) 385-2977 × 200.
— Sarah Stegemoeller Apr 15, 02:26 PM #
Yes, I am a paid nonprofit consultant and yes, I must say you often get what you pay for… For instance, I have seen Taproot’s work for several organizations and it missed tha mark on meeting my and my nonprofit client’s expectations. Volunteers are amazing resources but successful experience in the field of advice you are shopping should be a prerequisite to investing in paid or pro bono help. Caveat emptor.
— granthelper Apr 15, 05:36 PM #
I am intrigued by an assumption within this article that pro bono volunteers are found differently than “traditional” volunteers. You don’t have to go to your local consulting firm to find amazing talent that can provide pro bono support. For instance, ask your local electric company’s HR Director to review your employee performance planning system — ask the neighborhood bank branch manager to advise on your frontline customer service — ask the Chief Marketing Officer at the nearby tech firm to help come up with a tagline for your next fundraising campaign. Even the volunteers working at your organization right now, stuffing envelopes or mentoring at-risk youth, might be able to contribute in more specific ways that would qualify as pro bono work. Post any of the volunteer positions mentioned above on your online volunteer recruitment resources, like www.govolunteer.ca, and see if you don’t have someone amazing, interested and willing walk through your door.
And for those organizations looking for the easy start to pro bono work, we recommend focusing on the position description. Come up with a role that is project-specific, narrow in terms of expertise required and with a definite beginning and end date. That’s what the “new” volunteer – the pro bono volunteer – wants. We like to call it “knowledge philanthropy.”
— Virginia Edelstein, Volunteer Vancouver Apr 16, 12:28 PM #
Given the high unemployment right now, perhaps people who are looking for work could fill some of their time donating their skill sets to non-profits.
— Lizzie Apr 16, 02:02 PM #