Ten Steps to a Meaningful Pro Bono Consulting Project for You (the volunteer) and Your Client (the NGO)
Step 1: Decide where in the world you want to go in the Global South (what’s on your bucket list? Where would you like to vacation and be of service at the same time?)
Step 2: Search up great nonprofits in that country (see tips for suggestions below)
Step 3: Reach out to those organizations and offer your services for free
Step 4: Schedule an introductory meeting with the prospective client organization
Step 5: Meet with prospective pro bono client; discuss potential project (the Scoping Meeting)
Step 6: Create a Scope of Work outlining the project activities, deliverables and timeline
Step 7: Conduct the pro bono consulting project on-site; travel to that country; meet with the leadership, visit the field sites and see the programs in action; collect information you need
Step 8: Return home and finish working on your deliverables; meet with the client as needed via Zoom and WhatsApp; email back-and-forth to collect additional information as needed
Step 9: Present your draft findings and deliverables to the client for feedback; make sure you got it right; use the client’s input to revise and refine your deliverable
Step 10: Evaluate the success of your consulting engagement–was it helpful/useful to the client? What feedback do you and they have for making the experience even better next time?
Tips For Step 2 (Search up great nonprofits in that country)
“In the past I just went to the idealist.org website and searched organizations by country:
https://www.idealist.org/en/organizations
”
Worth noting however that those Volunteer Opportunities listed on the idealist.org website won’t necessarily be skilled volunteering or pro bono consulting for experienced professionals (often they are for young people who want to volunteer at a school or orphanage with kids or release turtles into the ocean etc.). So proactively reaching out to organizations that are vetted, reputable, and look like they have great program models is another way to go
Tips for Step 3 (Reach out to those organizations and offer your services for free)
It’s best to connect directly with the NGO’s chief executive–the person responsible for running the nonprofit (i.e. the executive director, founder, or CEO). That way you have full buy-in from the top of the organization and access to the leadership. That’s who you want to train and support with your capacity-building (pay it forward to the next generation of social entrepreneurs).
Towards that end I recommend that you find the nonprofit leader’s name on their website and their email address so that you can contact them directly. Here’s a sample email that I have sent to potential pro bono consulting clients abroad outlining what services I have to offer them.
Tips for Step 4 (schedule an introductory meeting with the prospective client organization)
“I recommend using Zoom with video on to meet with your potential client. But this requires a strong and reliable Internet connection, and best to do on a computer vs. a cell phone. So if these conditions are not available then WhatsApp video is another easy option.”
Tips for Step 5 (meet with prospective pro bono client and discuss potential project)
This is your opportunity to introduce yourself, for the organization to describe their programs and what they would like help with from a skilled volunteer, and decide if it’s a good fit. At the end of this introductory meeting you should have the information you need to create a scope of work (see below for helpful resources on how to scope your pro bono consulting project).
Tips for Step 6 (create a Scope of Work outlining the project activities, deliverables, and timeline).
This you can do after the initial scoping meeting and then send your draft scope of work to the potential client to review to make sure you got it right. Once you finalize you can create a simple consulting agreement outlining what you will do together, and the fact that you will not charge any money in exchange for your volunteer (pro-bono) consulting services. See below for samples that you can use and adapt to suit your needs.
