A global celebration of professional
services for the public good #PBW21
OCTOBER 24, 2021
In February 2013, the BMW Foundation and the Taproot Foundation hosted the first ever Global Pro Bono Summit in New York City, an annual gathering of leaders with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to organizations working for our collective good. Since then, organizations from this group have formed the Global Pro Bono Network and have been committed to partner and spread the pro bono movement around the world. Their first contribution to the sector has been to develop the website probonoweek.org.
Pro Bono Week is a global celebration that takes place every year during the last week of October. It celebrates the pro bono ethic across the professions that use their talents to make a positive difference in local communities around the world. Every year, thousands of people volunteer their professional expertise in marketing, legal services, HR, strategy and IT to support nonprofits. In 2018, more than 50 events hosted in 17 countries have been organized during Pro Bono Week.
“Pro bono publico” is a Latin phrase meaning “for the public good”. Pro bono, or skill-based volunteering refers to the voluntary engagement of people who share their skills for free or nearly free with individuals or organizations who cannot access these skills, or who pursue a social goal. People can choose to support a non-profit organization or a person in need for example on their own free time, but some companies also offer their employees to participate in pro bono activities during their working time.
To learn more about all the various events and activities happening around the world during Pro Bono Week, visit our events page. During Pro Bono Week, partners around the world will be hosting a variety of events and activities, including pro bono projects, public recognition of pro bono consultants and nonprofit organizations that leverage pro bono services, social media campaigns, and crowdfunding to build the pro bono marketplace.
Pro Bono Week will provide an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the outstanding work of business professionals who volunteer their professional expertise throughout the year, and to inspire more local communities to provide valuable pro bono services to local organizations serving the public good.
Looking for events to celebrate pro bono during Pro Bono Week? Check out the Events section.
Would you like to share your pro bono event on the website? Please contact elsa@probonolab.org for more information.