The Pro Bono Institute (PBI) announced today that it will present Deloitte with the first-ever PBI President’s Award in recognition of the organization’s extraordinary contributions to PBI’s work, in addition to unequaled thought and action leadership to pro bono in the legal community. The award will be presented at the 2013 PBI Annual Dinner on November 7 in New York.

The goal of Deloitte’s pro bono program is to have an impact on societal issues that affect the communities where its people live and work. One of the cornerstones of the program is collaborating with other for-profit and nonprofit organizations, which enables each organization to bring its unique skill set and knowledge to the table.

Deloitte has directly assisted PBI with enhancing and refining its collection and analysis of annual pro bono performance data for its Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge® reports. The organization is also working with PBI, Merck, and others on the Pro Bono Measurement Project, a comprehensive process to enable law firms and legal departments to measure the societal good and business benefits of their pro bono work.

“Deloitte is receiving PBI’s first-ever President’s Award because of its notable pro bono culture and its work with PBI to creatively craft solutions for the betterment of our communities,” PBI President and CEO Esther F. Lardent said. “The leadership at Deloitte has successfully adopted pro bono as part of its culture and continues to demonstrate how valuable and effective pro bono collaboration can be.”

Since 2008, Deloitte’s entire organization throughout the U.S. has been involved with more than 1,000 projects, granting more than 4,400 professionals the opportunity to perform close to 365,000 pro bono hours. Another example of Deloitte’s pro bono work involves working with the Special Olympics to provide a range of services including budgeting and strategic advisory work for the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games.

“The skills and passion of our people are what drive the impact and success of Deloitte’s pro bono initiatives on our society,” said David Williams, chief executive officer, Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP. “We are honored to receive this award from PBI and grateful for their continued support and collaboration.”

Deloitte undertook developing its formal pro bono program after a tsunami hit Asia in 2004, leaving people and communities in a state of complete chaos. Determined to do something to help, Deloitte joined forces with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist with the reconstruction of the affected countries.

Over the years, Deloitte has solidified its commitment to pro bono work, shifting from an ad-hoc approach to one of “business as usual.” This mindset includes an annual financial commitment to pro bono activities, a systematic and deliberate approach where results are measured, and a strategic methodology to select pro bono opportunities that have an impact on the community aligned with Deloitte’s own philanthropic principles.

For more information about this and our other award winners, please visit the 2013 PBI Annual Dinner webpage.

About the Pro Bono Institute
Established in 1996, PBI is a nonprofit organization with a mandate to explore and identify new approaches to the poor and disadvantaged unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. In doing so, PBI identifies and develops innovative programs and undertakes rigorous evaluations to ensure that these new approaches are workable and effective. PBI administers a number of projects designed to enhance access to justice, including: the Law Firm Pro Bono Project®, Corporate Pro Bonoâ„ , Second Acts®, Global Pro Bono and Public Interest Pro Bono.

Pro Bono Institute

Pro Bono Institute

Founded in 1996, the Pro Bono Institute (PBI) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. With an unparalleled depth of knowledge, resources and expertise, PBI is the respected resource for all things pro bono. Through our work with law firms, in-house corporate legal departments, and public interest organizations, PBI is the global thought leader in exploring, identifying, evaluating, catalyzing, and taking to scale new approaches to and resources for the provision of legal services to the poor, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. Our rigorous empirical research and analysis; white papers and reports; and advice and support allow us to reach a wide variety of audiences and transform the concept and practice of pro bono. By providing expert consultations and technical assistance, educational programming, and local, national and global pro bono convenings, our goal is to constantly improve and enrich pro bono service. We count among our members, supporters, and partners the most respected law firms and in-house corporate legal departments in the world, as well as the most effective and cutting-edge public interest organizations.

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