HELPING THE DOWN-AND-OUT WITH A PRO BONO PROGRAM THAT WINS FOR EVERYONE (May/June 2001 Issue)

I’m quoting a colleague, Don Orlando this issue. His explanation of something I’ve long espoused is a really good treatment of the subject, "How to you help people who can’t afford your services and make it a win/win proposition for everyone involved?" Here goes...

People in the "helping professions" (do you recognize yourself?) are motivated by more than money. Much of our satisfaction comes from guiding our clients in life-changing ways. In some cases, we help people get the jobs they need to put food on the table. Other times, we help people to the rewards of a lifetime career. And, it seems the greater the need, the more we want to help. We start with great expectations. Too often, we are disappointed.

Perhaps you’ve had my experience. I, too, wanted to give something back to my community by donating services to those who needed them most. My plan seemed logical and fulfilling. The reason pro bono clients couldn’t pay me is because they lacked the very thing I could help them get—a job. I just knew I could help. Everyone would win. I decided to offer pro-bono services to about one client a month. I was sure I could spot the most deserving. After all, I worked with job seekers of all kinds everyday. I could spot people with potential. It would all work out fine.

I failed miserably. Oh, I did one pro bono client a month-for nearly a year. And, in eight months, just one was successful. Not only wasn’t I helping anybody, I suspected I was hurting everybody. My pro bono clients had their hopes dashed and I felt responsible. In addition, I knew that having a string of unsuccessful clients wasn’t helping The McLean Group’s reputation. Then I found a way to turn around my pro bono program. I want to offer that same satisfaction to you. But before I tell you the secret, some analysis might be useful. I found out why pro bono programs like my original effort don’t work: our pro bono clients lack certain things. Some you can’t control; others you can. Let’s start with the former category.

You and I are not therapists. Clients in denial (people who just can’t keep a job because it’s always someone else’s fault) are beyond our reach. So are those with unrealistic expectations they won’t abandon. The trade school graduate who firmly believes he can ride a certificate in basic word processing immediately into a career as a network administrator needs help I cannot give. Finally, there are the lazy. These aren’t really job seekers. To their way of thinking, jobs must seek them out. The lazy firmly believe they have a right to a job. No matter what their qualifications, the "entitlement mentality" will keep them from employment. In short, we can’t help the unemployable because their needs are outside our control. However, deserving pro bono clients have needs we can help meet.

Those who desperately need work are often discouraged by the rejection that is part of every job search. At first, you might confuse their attitude with lack of commitment. You can start a pro bono system that will weed out those who truly lack dedication to find a job.

You’ve taught your clients that they get what they pay for. They see the value you provide and don’t judge you on price alone. But what about the pro bono client? Will he or she see your work as valuable when you give it away? This new system can remove this obstacle.

If you’re a career coach, you know that it takes more than a job seeker to find a job. People looking for work need support-others who want them to succeed and ask about their progress often. The system I will describe uses this fact to boost your success rate.

I cannot take any credit for this marvelous new pro bono system. I got the idea from Jack Chapman. Here’s how it works. Before you offer to give your services to a pro bono client, ask the following questions:

Do you have ten (or five, or any number you choose) people who will support you? If your prospective client doesn’t have support, please don’t offer to work with him or her. But if he or she does have people who will stand behind them, it’s time for the next question.

What is your favorite, well-known charity? Focus the client on a charity people will recognize easily, the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and the like. Now you are ready to set the baseline. Tell your client to inform each supporter that you will donate your career consulting services, but only if each supporter writes a check to the chosen charity in the amount you specify. Make the amount reasonable. If the client is poorly connected, then each of his supporters may only be able to write a check for ten dollars. If the client is stuck between jobs, but has been successful before, you may ask each supporter to write a check for fifty dollars. Set a date and time for the client to bring all the checks to you. Make it very clear that the whole deal is off if the client misses the appointment or doesn’t come up with the checks. Be firm on this point. You are testing the commitment your client must have to make the whole process succeed.

When the client brings the checks, copy the name and address of each supporter, place the checks in an envelope addressed to the charity, and mail them. Write a letter to each supporter, thank him or her for their efforts, outline the services you intend to provide (who said pro bono and promotion can’t go together?), and encourage them to check your client’s progress regularly. Your client now has a support network with a personal stake in his or her success. Soon after I started Jack’s system two things happened. The number of pro bono clients I worked with fell like a rock. The number launched on successful careers took off like a rocket.

Here’s another point I [Jack Chapman] would like to add: One further benefit of doing the pro bono work this way is that you have 5-10 more people out there who know your work and — as they keep in touch with the client — respect your work and the results you can produce. So, you do get "paid" down the road from referrals.] If you’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to have a satisfying pro bono program, I hope this article will get you on the right track. If you haven’t thought about a pro bono program, please use what you learn here to start one. Few things offer such a great return to someone in a helping profession.

Jack Chapman is author of:
Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute
He is a career consultant in private practice and runs ongoing support and training teleconference sessions for career consultants in private practice.
He can be reached at 847-251-4727 or jkchapman@aol.com.