Taproot and BMW Foundations to host historic global summit in NYC February 24-28

NEW YORK, Feb. 25 /CSRwire/ - The leaders of the pro bono movement from around the globe are convening in New York City to support their progress in engaging business professionals in leveraging their talents to help advance social change. The convening is hosted by the Taproot Foundation, the pioneer and lead architect of the movement, and the BMW Foundation, a global foundation committed to supporting leaders working for our collective good around the world.

The Global Pro Bono Summit is an annual gathering of leaders with a shared vision to make the talents and skills of the business community accessible to organizations committed to social progress. In addition to the global attendees, the Summit will include leaders in pro bono programming from companies like American Express and Google, professional services firms like IBM and Deloitte to domestic intermediaries like NPower and Catchafire.

Over the past ten years, Taproot has inspired the development of organizations in more than 10 different countries dedicated to building the pro bono ethic in their own business sectors. Domestically, they have worked with over 30 companies to drive corporate interest and build world class pro bono programs through its Advisory Services practice. Taproot has also partnered with India@75 to conduct research on the potential for growing pro bono services in India, and with the BMW Stiftung Foundation to organize the international pro bono provider network through a formal Fellowship program.

The 2013 Global Pro Bono Summit marks a new threshold in the development of the pro bono marketplace. Twenty corporate pro bono leaders along with eleven professional services firms will be in attendance, as well as twenty-two domestic pro bono intermediaries. Nineteen Global Fellows with be participating in this year’s Summit, including leaders from France’s Pro Bono Lab, China’s Huizeren, and Japan’s Service Grant Japan.

“The pro bono service movement is truly global now,” said Aaron Hurst, president & founder of the Taproot Foundation. “We are not only seeing amazing pro bono programs pop up all around the world but our corporate partners are quickly expanding their pro bono programs to serve their diverse locations of their operations and customers. We are excited to expand our annual gathering of pro bono leaders to welcome our colleagues from China to Costa Rica.”

The Summit is designed to provide critical linkages between the leaders to help them advance their specific efforts but also to identify the greatest challenges and opportunities for the field at large. It then sets the agenda for the investments needed in the 12 months leading to the next Summit.

In 2012, Summit attendees identified several key opportunities in the field that have resulted in major investments over the past year. This included the initiative to conduct research on the potential for pro bono in India as well the creation of better technology to support corporate pro bono programs. The input of attendees also drove the development of Taproot’s partnership with LinkedIn to create an online platform for the pro bono marketplace, contributing to the newly-launched taprootfoundation.org, which serves as a one-stop-shop for nonprofits seeking pro bono support and for professionals seeking to match their talent with opportunities to drive social change.

This year, attendees will be identifying new opportunities to develop infrastructure for the field. Taproot will be announcing its new partnership with True Impact to create a universal nonprofit application and evaluation standards. New opportunities will also be explored like the potential for pro bono to support small business and organizations working to create economic empowerment for women.

The 2013 Pro Bono Summit is being sponsored by HP and is in partnership with the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy. For more information, please visit:

http://www.probonosummit.org/

About Pro Bono Service

Pro bono--short for pro bono publico, "for the public good"—refers to professional services delivered without expectation of a fee to organizations serving the social good. It is both a form of support for community organizations as well as an increasingly core part of the ethic of business professionals from design to HR and technology, who believe that high-quality professional services are too important to only be available to those who can afford them.

About The Taproot Foundation

Since its founding in 2001, the Taproot Foundation has led the development of the pro bono movement. Through award-winning programs, pioneering thought leadership, and partnerships with companies to develop and scale corporate pro bono programs, Taproot works to engage the nation’s millions of business professionals in pro bono service. Taproot’s website,taprootfoundation.org, is the premier destination for doing, getting, supporting, and learning about pro bono. The Taproot Foundation’s mission is to lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. To learn more visit www.taprootfoundation.org.

About BMW Foundation

The BMW Foundation inspires and supports people to work for the common good and for a society that is capable of meeting the challenges of the future. To this end, the BMW Foundation engages in cross-sector collaborations with partners across the globe. Searching for innovative solutions in politics, business and society the work targets international leaders. As influential opinion makers with a wealth of experience, they can make an important contribution to a society based on solidarity. On the one hand, they can consider the social impact of their professional activities; on the other, they can leave their “silos” behind and embrace a more civic-minded attitude. The BMW Foundation helps leaders to utilize their skills and networks in the form of pro-bono or philanthropic engagement, to cooperate with civil-society organizations, or to assume political office. To learn more visit www.bmw-stiftung.de.