A Better Digital World with Pro Bono

Bringing a data first approach to decision-making and action has become a very important business strategy for nonprofit organizations. Gigabytes of data are collected, and there is an obligation to use it in a way that supports the mission and beneficiaries of organizations that are making a difference in our communities.

The celebration of national pro bono week provides the opportunity to reflect on the success of the first year of our Data Citizens with Purpose® program. Through this initiative, we are further upskilling our people at KPMG to think data first and be leaders in providing data-driven insights to our clients. Working along-side skilled professionals, our people put their new and enhanced data and analytics stills into practice deriving data-backed insights to nonprofits’ key business questions.

I know we are doing this right, when I hear from a client like Patricia Brown, Vice President Corporate Engagement and Relations at NAF, who shares that, “We could not be more pleased with the services we received. For years we had been thinking about how the advisory board standards impacted academy quality and now have valuable data analysis that we can act upon.” Or when Jill Eid, Executive Director of Girls on The Run-Chicago, observes, “Working with KPMG was exceptional. I've worked with other firms on pro-bono projects that have not always met the exact needs of the organization, but this one did!”

There is no better teacher than experience, and there are few better ways to engage employees than to provide work that is meaningful. When we help our employees support and engage with meaningful nonprofit organizations in our communities, we add meaning and value to what they do. We see evidence of this when 96 percent of our program volunteers would recommend the experience to their colleagues. As our employees work on these projects, in addition to their general client work, there must be truth to the adage: If you want to do something for yourself, volunteer to help someone else.

Providing pro bono services is a win-win. In an era of remote and hybrid work, it has been the right way to create a digital community impact. Our neighbors and communities benefit from data-driven insights and follow-up action, while KPMG wins with deeper experienced and engaged employees. If you are considering implementation of pro bono services, the question is not, “why do this?”, but rather “why are we not already doing this?”