The pathway to pro bono working

At Costello Medical, our mission to promote health has always included a commitment to sharing our expertise and skills with non-profit organisations that might not otherwise have access to them. Initially, our pro bono efforts were informal and sporadic, constrained by a lack of dedicated time and resource.

The pandemic served as a turning point, prompting us to tackle the challenges of pro bono work within a busy agency. We formalised our pro bono commitment by setting clear targets for pro bono work and recruiting into a dedicated division with ringfenced time. This change helped reassure non-profits that we were serious about our pro bono work, enhancing our ability to build our reputation in the charity sector to widen our network, foster meaningful relationships with charities and ultimately increase our impact.

By creating a dedicated team, we were able to build momentum and elevate the status of pro bono work within the company; in 2024 we delivered over £1.3million worth of work. Our pro bono programme now operates like any other business unit, complete with regular financial reporting. Our CSR policy ties pro bono targets to company size, so that as we grow, so does our capacity to support charities.

Collaborate on the vision of the project

A collaborative approach to defining the scope of a pro bono project makes the most of the charity’s and business’s skillsets. Enter early discussions with a vision of what you would like to achieve from the project, but be open to different methods of reaching that goal. This allows the business to offer ideas on how their expertise can best be leveraged to meet your overarching objectives.

Once aligned on approach, we always share an outline of objectives, responsibilities of both parties and project approach. This ensures shared understanding and helps prevent roadblocks later on.

Create a project with mutual benefit

Beyond the good of pro bono work to the beneficiary, such opportunities provide multiple benefits to the business. For example, we consider how our pro bono projects can promote innovation and learning through new skills, insights into different topics and providing alternative perspectives. Openly defining the mutual benefit to both parties at the outset may help the business recognise the benefits to them, providing additional motivation for investing in a pro bono collaboration. It may also balance the working relationship, helping the charity recognise their important contribution to any collaboration.

Bringing your own expertise will maximise the project’s value and success; full engagement with the project is therefore paramount. If you are not familiar with taking a client role with third parties, request clarification on where your input is needed and how this should be provided.

Open communication also ensures that a project remains mutually beneficial. For example, it’s important to communicate competing commitments, peak periods and resourcing concerns and keep in touch regularly to share evolving priorities. These can then be factored into the collaboration, preventing misalignment and ensuring both parties remain engaged.

Focus on long-term impact

To fully leverage pro bono support, consider how the collaboration could provide you with the skills and tools needed to take the work forward independently. Actively seek out areas of the project where you wish to build your own skills and request training or a project approach that supports this development. For instance, we have provided training in AI prompts and delivered projects whereby the charity takes on increasing responsibility throughout, as the charity’s confidence grows.

Our experience in pro bono working has demonstrated that success lies in collaboration, communication and mutual benefit. By aligning with these principles, business expertise and charitable missions can combine to create impactful, lasting change.