President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation Pro Bono Pioneer Award
New York City Feb 12, 2008 – Six companies and nonprofits will receive Pro Bono Awards from the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation tonight for their leadership in engaging business professionals in pro bono service to meet community needs.
The Ad Council, General Electric, Harvard Business School Community Partners, McKinsey & Company, Monitor Group, and Pentagram Design will be recognized at an awards ceremony this evening featuring Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy and White House officials at the Harvard Club.
The awards ceremony is the kick-off to tomorrow’s Summit on Corporate Volunteerism, which will bring together 150 top corporate, government, and nonprofit leaders – including U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao and Fortune 500 executives - to launch a multi-year campaign to boost the amount of skilled volunteering and pro bono service professional employees give to nonprofits and communities. Leaders will set goals and map strategies for making “pro bono” as common in marketing, finance, technology, and management consulting as it is in the legal field.
“These awardees are setting a powerful example of corporate citizenship that we hope others will follow,” said Jean Case, Chair of the President’s Council. “Embracing a pro bono approach is good for employees, the community, and the bottom line. America’s businesses have an extraordinary pool of skilled talent, and engaging corporate volunteers on a large scale could make a profound difference in the well-being of our communities and our country.”
General Electric is receiving the “Pioneer” award for its visionary approach of incorporating pro bono service into its broader employee volunteer program. GE was one of the first companies to create an in-house pro bono legal program, and ten years ago GE created the Pro Bono Partnership to stimulate and encourage pro bono service to nonprofit organizations by corporate counsel. GE Volunteers serve in 38 countries, primarily in the areas of education, the environment, and community development.