Kathy Cripps’ recent post for the Council of Public Relations Firms blog reminded us that the Bateman Group’s pro bono work not only feels good, it also has direct benefits to our business. Our current mix of cause-based clients, three of which are entirely pro bono, include:

• Little Kids Rock is a national nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of low-income children by restoring and revitalizing music education in U.S. public schools.
• Recyclebank helps create a more sustainable future by rewarding people for taking everyday green actions with discounts and deals from more than 3,000 local and national businesses.
• NatureBridge is the largest residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service. Its mission is to inspire personal connections to the natural world and responsible actions to sustain it.
• WeOwnTV is a collaborative media education project for disenfranchised youth and young adults living in Sierra Leone.
• Bay Area Rainbow Symphony is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer identified (LGBTQ) musicians and composers toward the goal of broad crossover appeal and excellence in the performing arts.

For an agency our size (12 people and growing), I am proud to be representing so many incredible causes. I’m also proud that we can offer all of our employees the opportunity to work with at least one of them. In addition to warm fuzzies and recruiting, Bateman Group as a business has also benefited immensely from these relationships.

For example, prior to signing on as Little Kids Rock’s pro bono agency in 2009, we exclusively serviced B2B technology clients. This experience with Little Kids Rock helped us build the credibility and media relationships to attract additional consumer clients such as RecycleBank. Our collective work with RecycleBank and Little Kids Rock in turn helped us to recently add NatureBridge to the client roster.

Our pro bono work has also been invaluable to the firm’s professional network. Through our involvement with WeOwnTV, I had the great fortune of meeting my friend Paula Cavagnaro, who in turn invited us in to pitch the business at Motista. Of course, we ultimately won based on the quality of our proposal and ideas; however, we probably would not have otherwise been presented this opportunity without the personal connection to Paula.

Most importantly, all of these accounts have been a big draw to helping us recruit and retain the top talent Bateman Group is known for. Bottom line: our work with pro bono and cause-driven organizations is easy to trace back to many tangible business outcomes. Here’s why I believe our approach has paid off:

1. Authentic intentions: At the risk of preaching to the choir, I will say it anyways — an agency’s philanthropic efforts need to be authentic and rooted in the right place in order to reap the rewards.
2. Long-term commitment: We’ve taken a long-term view with our pro bono investments, committing the time and human resources so our contributions have a sustained impact on furthering the different causes we support as well as advancing the careers of our employees.
3. Value-add: When evaluating a pro bono project or long-term engagement ask yourself if your team is well equipped to deliver real value. Not only will the client miss out by going in the wrong direction, but the experience will be unfulfilling and potentially discouraging for any employees involved.
4. Strategic intentions: While authentic intentions and an ability to deliver meaningful value come first, a corporate social responsibility program can also be designed so that benefits to your organization, either directly or indirectly. For example, ask yourself, will a pro bono client help broaden your skillset, be a draw to new recruits or potentially new business?

We’re interested in hearing from other PR and marketing agencies about their pro bono experiences and best practices for delivering mutually meaningful returns.

Follow Bill Bourdon on Twitter @bbourdon.

The Bateman Group signed on our very first pro bono client last summer with Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit bringing free musical instruments and instruction to underfunded public schools in 23 cities (think Red Hot Chili Peppers not Bach).

I am thrilled to report that earlier this week Little Kids Rock received a $500,000 donation from the Dr. Phil Foundation which will bring rock’n music programs to 25,000 school children in  New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Tampa, and two additional cities to be named by the end of 2009.

This is what my friend and Little Kids Rock founder David Wish had to say about the partnership:

Dr. Phil’s passion and vision dovetails perfectly with our history of bringing music to children. This is an extraordinary opportunity to partner and make a real difference in the lives of thousands of kids. With the creation of Little Kids Rock Across America, we will be training more teacher volunteers and reaching more kids in more classrooms who would never have had opportunity to play music in an economy where arts programs are evaporating.

According to Dr. Phil McGraw:

Little Kids Rock approached the Dr. Phil Foundation in search of a meaningful way to put music into the lives of children who need it. With the help of this great organization, the Foundation has created a program designed to expand what they have been doing so effectively, one guitar, one school district and one volunteer teacher at a time. David Wish had a dream, and he made it real. I am proud that with his help, Little Kids Rock Across America will be teaching kids and their mentors what the power of music can really do to change who they are.

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