Choose your bono based on what you give a monkeys about.
Probably only a handful that include stalwarts like Cancer Research, RSPCA and the NSPCC. These blockbuster charities only make up a fraction of the ‘for good’ organisations out there. There are nearly 170,000 charities and 100,000 social enterprises in the UK (both charities and social enterprises tackle a social issue, but charities generate income through fundraising whereas social enterprises sell a product or service).
Most for good organisations have just a few employees and a fairly small annual turn-over.
These small organisations can really benefit from skilled professionals like you supporting them through pro bono work, as they may not have access to those skills otherwise, and it enables you as the professional to really get stuck in and see the value of your work. You can read more about the different types of pro bono opportunities, and the time required to do them well here, they range from one off opportunities to longer term commitments.
A charity’s cause is essentially the area they focus their work on, the way they are making an impact in the world. The categories can get really small and niche but there are some broad areas which can help you direct your search for a charity that's looking for skills like yours, because the best pro bono opportunities are when there is an alignment of both passion for the cause and skills, which you can read more about here. And it's also worth pointing out that not all causes 'save the world', and that makes their impact no less valuable.
Arts and culture causes include museums, universities and theatres.
The top ten causes in the UK are:
So we’ve established there are lots of good causes out there that you could work with. How on earth do you go about selecting the right cause for you? For some people it’s simple. Perhaps you have a personal connection with a cause that makes you really intent on supporting it. Or perhaps you know someone working at a charity and you find out about opportunities that way (that’s how my pro bono adventures started, through my friend Charly who runs The Girls Network. I have since worked with many organisations working to end educational inequality, despite not having kids or a background in education).
When looking for new pro bono opportunities recently I got a bit bamboozled with the array of choice and found it helpful to think about the issues that I felt particularly charged up about. For example media focus on male violence towards women early in 2021 brought up a lot of strong feelings in me, so I started looking for female empowerment charities that were seeking marketing support. It was a good way for me to channel strong emotions in a positive way.
Another way to think about it is to assess your own values. What is really important to you? Perhaps you believe in helping others and so are drawn towards community charities. Or maybe you value creativity and so look for arts and culture charities.
Lastly you can try forgetting about doing good for a moment. What do you love doing? Are you really into food? Perhaps a health charity or a food bank would be for you. Do you love animals? Go find an animal charity. Are you an outdoorsy bod? Environmental and conservation charities could be your jam.
It’s certainly not essential that you care about the cause you support, but it helps provide that extra motivation, as you’re putting your time into something that matters to you. Whether that’s dance or Dalmatians there will be a charity out there doing work that you care about. At the free meets I run we spend time exploring what our beliefs, values and hobbies are, to help identify meaningful causes for each attendee.
Sign up to one of Skilling Time's free workshops to design your ideal pro bono experience.