Yes. I take on pro bono and discounted work for nonprofits every quarter, and so do a lot of good people in this field. The trick is showing up with a project someone can finish.
How does your sliding scale work?
Nonprofits, co-ops, arts groups, and startups before revenue can ask for a rate on anything I do, from a workshop to a website, down to pro bono. There are two pro bono slots a quarter. Ask on the first call or say so on the start form. I will tell you what the work costs at full rate, what it costs you, and whether a free slot is open.
What makes a good pro bono project?
Three things, and the projects without them stall.
- A clear problem. "Our donate page loses people on a phone" can be fixed. "We need to modernize" cannot.
- One person who owns it. Someone on staff or the board who answers emails, gathers the content, and can say yes.
- A finish line. A launched page, a policy the board adopted, a grant template in use. Something you can point at when it is done.
Free work dies when nobody on the client side has time for it. Treat it like paid work: a scope, a deadline, and a meeting on the calendar. When you ask, put all three in one short email, and you will hear back faster from anyone you contact.
What have you done for nonprofits?
I built websites in 24-hour Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge sprints for Minnesota Senior Corps and Minnesota Hands & Voices. From 2011 to 2014 I was technology director for I Am Kindness and I Am Rescued, running the systems behind their senior-home visits and dog adoption days. Most of the rest has been quieter: a website here, a brand there, an afternoon on the phone with a director who needed a second opinion.
Where else can a nonprofit find free help?
- Skilled volunteers. Ask your own board, donors, and volunteers what they do for a living. A designer or a database person is often already on your list.
- Corporate volunteer programs. Many larger employers give staff paid time for skilled volunteering. Ask the companies that already sponsor you.
- Local design and tech events. Hackathons and build-a-thons pair nonprofits with volunteer teams for a day or a weekend. Watch for them through your local design, developer, and nonprofit associations.
- Your funders. Some offer capacity-building help or will pay for consulting inside a grant.
Bring the same three things to every one of them: a clear problem, an owner, and a finish line.
What does it cost if I do not get a free slot?
Less than you think, and it can be spread out. A one-hour second opinion is $150. A one-page website is $1,500. A half-day AI workshop is $1,500. Anything over $3,000 can be paid by the month with no interest, and the sliding scale applies to all of it. The nonprofit branding and website answer has more on stretching a small budget.
Answered by Jared Lukes, Minneapolis. Twenty-five years in brand, UX, and technology, currently holding fractional AI and technology seats at three companies. About Jared.