In 2022 Fred Banning, a professional services communications expert, founded Fifth Day, an organisation with a mission to promote professional pro bono work among business professionals within law firms. His personal experience of being diagnosed with terminal cancer led him to write in The Lawyer that “if I were to start again, I would do four days a week at the firm and one day a week doing a comms role at a charity pro bono. It’s good for your professional expertise, contacts and soul”.
The sentiment was so resoundingly echoed by colleagues across the sector that it inspired him to establish Fifth Day. When we consider pro bono we often do so through the lens of the value that our skillsets can bring to the organisation or cause we are contributing to. However, there is much to be said for Fred’s sentiment about the personal gain that comes with it.
When we ask our Fifth Day volunteers what drives them to get involved with pro bono work they talk about the satisfaction they feel for using their professional skills for a good cause. It fosters a sense of purpose and connection. It allows them to contribute to causes they care about and see the tangible results of their efforts.
Yet perhaps the less obvious, but most common benefit, is the indirect impact pro bono can have on our own professional development. By leveraging our professional expertise to support non-profit organisations, we can make a significant impact on our communities while also enhancing our own careers. Pro bono work provides an opportunity to step outside our usual roles, face new challenges, and develop a deeper understanding of different sectors and issues.
In several cases our Fifth Day volunteers’ passion for their projects has led to ongoing involvement, such as becoming trustees, members of management boards or school Governors. It has ultimately provided them with a window into different sectors, broadened their professional networks and enhanced their leadership skills.
Pro Bono Week seeks to recognise and support the voluntary contribution made by the legal sector in giving help to those in need. It’s during this time that many of us take a moment to consider whether there is more that we do to make a meaningful difference in our communities and contribute to the greater good. For those who are, there are several roles out there seeking contribution, irrespective of limitations to location or time. It’s just about finding the right project for you.
Fifth Day aims to foster a culture of pro bono work among business operations professionals, similar to the well-established tradition of pro bono work among lawyers. By partnering with Reach Volunteering, Fifth Day connects skilled personnel in law firms with opportunities for rewarding trustee and pro bono work. Fifth Day boasts an ‘Advisory Board’ made up of seasoned legal sector business professionals across HR, IT, Marketing/Comms, Finance, Facilities and Business Development.
