The key is knowing how much time you have to give.
People often worry about how they will fit pro bono work into their already busy lives, and so, much like learning a new language, or starting a new hobby, it stays on the bucket list. I started doing pro bono work when I was working full-time. Granted I don’t have kids, but I do have a lot of other hobbies and interests that I’ve kept going whilst doing pro bono too. For me doing a few hours here and there where I could fit it in during my week worked best. An hour or two in a cafe on a Sunday morning with a tasty coffee by my side, on long train rides to out of town work meetings and sometimes in the pub on a weekday evening (although I quickly learnt one drink is the max I can imbibe and still do good work, tipsyness = very sloppy work).
Other people like having fixed times that they do pro bono work, much like having a gym routine. Say, every Monday evening. You could also see if it's possible to do pro bono work during your work hours. My work agreed I could spend a day a month on pro bono work, allowing me to host workshops during work hours, when my brain was at its best. Today many workplaces give employees a certain number of days a year to do volunteering work, and pro bono work is a great way to use those days.
There are many different types of pro bono opportunities, so no matter your time wealth, there will be ways for you to fit pro bono into your life.
Time really should never hold you back from doing pro bono, there are so many different opportunities out there with different time needs, from just a few hours for a very specific deliverable through to opportunities that last many years.
If you know you can’t commit very much time then one-off events are best for you. Many organisations host events and workshops that bring together professionals and social good organisations to solve a specific problem or to swap skills. Bigger companies may organise these for you, or be open to you arranging one at your workplace. Charities may also need support on a very specific task, that isn't too time intensive, like writing a series of emails to send out to their supporters.
If you’d like to have a greater impact, then getting involved with a specific project is a better option. There’s still a clear end-point, making it easier to fit into your life, but you are getting involved in the doing and can really put your skills to good use. Charities are often looking for professionals to help them on a specific project, like creating social media content or to meet specific objectives or deadlines, say around their annual planning cycle. This means you have a really clear understanding of how you can have an impact, and what’s expected of you. It's also easy to find opportunities as charities are looking for people with certain skills, rather than specific job titles, you can learn more about lateral skill swaps to the charitable sector here. With these project based opportunities make sure you are clear on the time scale, as that will help you work out how many hours a week you will need to dedicate to it. Some projects can be time intensive over a short period, others require a small amount of work over a longer time.
Some professionals enjoy being connected to a socially good organisation for a longer time period, as you really get to know the organisation, develop strong relationships and see the difference you are making first hand. These roles are often more advisory in nature too, meaning they may take less hours per week than helping out on a specific project. You could mentor someone with a similar role to you. Or you could take on a role as an advisor, providing advice based on your area of expertise. You could also join the board of a socially good organisation as a trustee, governor or director. As a non-exec board member (fancy way of saying unpaid) your duty is to strategically oversee the organisation's work, to ensure it is having the most possible social impact. Usually you are required to attend a board meeting every quarter and provide more specific support based on your professional expertise when it's needed by the charity. So, although it's a formal opportunity, with legal responsibilities, it can be fairly time light.
The most time intensive option is not advisory, but to take on a permanent role but in a pro bono capacity. This is a good option for people who are between jobs, or returning to employment, as few can give so much of their time for free. If you embark on any of these roles I’d suggest staying in post for at least a year, which is why I’ve categorised them as longer time commitment options. Just like in regular employment it takes a while to get to grips with the role and provide valuable contributions to the organisation.
For these more in depth relationships it's helpful if the cause you work with is aligned to your values, beliefs or hobbies, as that will motivate you to stay committed and provide high quality work. You can read more about how to work out what causes you care about here.
There really isn't a right amount, and charities make use of all the pro bono opportunities I described above. It's more about knowing which level of commitment would suit you best, so you enjoy the experience and are able to provide high quality support to the organisation you work with.
Sign up to one of Skilling Time's free workshops to design your ideal pro bono experience.