Holiday Giving

Still looking for a gift for your favorite pro bono junkie?  Check out this gorgeous new book, The Power of Pro Bono, by our friend John Cary, president and CEO of Next American City and former executive director of Public Architecture.  You may remember John from the 2007 Pro Bono Institute Annual Seminar/Forum on In-House Pro Bono – New Challenges, New Solutions, where he spoke at a fabulous session, “Pro Bono in Other Professions.”

The Power of Pro Bono explores 40 pro bono design projects from across the country. The clients include grassroots community organizations like the Homeless Prenatal Program of San Francisco, as well as national and international nonprofits, among them Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity, KIPP Schools, and Planned Parenthood.  These public-interest projects were designed by a range of award-winning practices, from young studios to some of the largest firms in the country, and represent six general categories: Arts, Civic, Community, Education, Health, and Housing.  This book is inspired and informed by the advocacy and design work of Public Architecture, whose 1% program challenges architecture and design firms nationwide to pledge a minimum of one percent of their time to pro bono service, leveraging in excess of $25 million in donated services annually.

The book offers beautiful images that reflect the impressive impact of their work and includes several moving essays that make the case for why access to good design is not just a nice luxury but critical to a just and civil society (sound familiar?). 

What are your favorite pro bono-related gifts?  Leave a comment and let us know!