Скачать или смотреть How to Unlock Pro Bono Consulting for Your Nonprofit

Karen Epstein, Executive Director of PennPAC, explores the transformative power of pro bono consulting. Karen, a University of Pennsylvania alumna, shares how PennPAC connects skilled alumni volunteers with nonprofit organizations in need of strategic support across areas like marketing, operations, fundraising, and governance. With a mission rooted in civic engagement and skill-based service, PennPAC serves nonprofits in New York, Philadelphia, and the Bay Area—and increasingly supports virtual engagements nationwide.

Karen demystifies what pro bono consulting actually entails, differentiating it from general volunteerism. “Pro bono is really skills-based volunteering,” she explains, highlighting the structured vetting, training, and project scoping PennPAC provides to ensure successful engagements. She also touches on the growing interest across generations in community service and how PennPAC taps into that momentum to create cross-generational, multi-disciplinary teams.

The conversation explores both the opportunities and potential pitfalls of using pro bono consultants. Karen emphasizes that while the service is free, some organizations may require a minimal contribution to cover infrastructure and quality assurance—what she refers to as “low bono.” She also advises nonprofits to be thoughtful about confidentiality and project readiness when seeking support.

Listeners will learn how to cultivate long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with skilled volunteers, including how to keep them engaged beyond a single project through professional development and varied entry points for involvement. One key takeaway: your consultant may be a finance expert by trade but crave experience in marketing or leadership—so give them room to grow, too.

Whether you’re considering your first pro bono partnership or looking to launch a similar alumni-based initiative, this episode delivers practical wisdom and real-world examples of impact. “We believe both the nonprofits and the volunteers are our beneficiaries,” Karen shares—a statement that underscores the dual-mission success of PennPAC’s work.

00:00:00 – Welcome guest Karen Epstein
00:02:15 – What is PennPAC
00:04:04 – Defining pro bono consulting
00:06:01 – Common consulting project types
00:07:56 – Who are the volunteers?
00:09:43 – How nonprofits can prepare for pro bono work
00:12:44 – Risks and how PennPAC mitigates volunteer pitfalls
00:14:49 – Confidentiality and data protection in consulting
00:16:39 – Measuring satisfaction on both sides
00:18:36 – “Low bono” consulting: what it is and why it matters
00:20:57 – Cultivating consultant-volunteer relationships
00:24:22 – Cross-generational team dynamics
00:26:16 – How to apply to work with PennPAC


📬 For those interested in submitting a project or volunteering, visit www.pennpac.org #TheNonprofitShow