Pro Bono

A share of the capacity is reserved for non-profit organisations with social utility. Pro bono here does not mean a smaller standard package, but the same technical depth as in commercial mandates, applied to the bottleneck that really matters to the organisation.

The entry point is always a free technical starting assessment. It clarifies need, risk and a workable lever; from that a focused, time-limited pro bono plan emerges. Nothing prepared in advance is sold; work happens where the organisation can become more capable, more independent or more robust.

Typical starting points

Pro bono suits non-profit organisations. These can be NGOs, associations, trade unions, foundations, education initiatives, research projects, democracy work, social movements or other civil-society organisations.

What matters is less the legal form than the mission fit: data sovereignty, open systems, independence from proprietary vendors and a responsible handling of sensitive data should suit the organisation.

The selection follows four criteria:

  • social lever: the starting assessment clarifies where technical work makes the organisation more capable, more independent or more robust
  • technical complexity where specialised help really makes a difference: need, risk and a workable lever are distilled into a focused pro bono plan
  • the initiative's commitment to take decisions and carry the outcomes forward: the scope sets out what is done, what is deliberately not done and what a handover-ready outcome looks like

Capacity is limited and allocated transparently. A no can therefore be right even with a good mission, when the technical lever is too small, the starting situation still too unclear or the timing not right.

Outcomes

The outcome is not a stack of consulting, but greater capacity to act. Depending on the mandate, this can mean:

  • a clear technical assessment of the situation with risks, priorities and a basis for decisions
  • a robust target architecture for an existing or new system
  • concrete security and resilience improvements with a transparent prioritisation
  • a rescue plan for a stalled project
  • documented operational processes, runbooks or infrastructure as code
  • a basis for decisions on open source, public code, data handling, lock-in or digital sovereignty
  • a handover-ready state that internal teams, partners or a future agency can carry forward

The scope deliberately stays narrow enough so that limited pro bono capacity produces a usable outcome.

Scope of work

The scope of work follows the concrete need. The full breadth of technical capability is brought to bear: security, architecture, scaling, the rescue of stranded projects, operating concepts, automation, data and system sovereignty as well as advice on lock-in and proprietary dependencies.

flowchart TD
    accTitle: Course of a pro bono mandate
    accDescr: From the free starting assessment follows selection by lever and mission, a focused pro bono plan, time-limited delivery and a handover-ready state.
    A["Free starting assessment"] --> B["Selection by lever and mission"]
    B --> C["Focused pro bono plan"]
    C --> D["Delivery, time-limited"]
    D --> E["Handover-ready state"]

Examples, not packages:

  • An NGO processes sensitive data and needs a starting assessment of data protection, access, backups and secure operation.
  • An association runs a system that has grown over time and become too expensive, too fragile or too dependent on individual people.
  • A non-profit initiative wants to scale a digital offering without tying itself permanently to a single vendor, an opaque licensing model or a special-purpose solution that is hard to hand over.

At the end of the starting assessment there is a tailored plan: what matters now, what is deliberately not done, what effort is realistic and what a handover-ready outcome looks like.

Scope boundaries

Pro bono is not permanent free IT support, not a replacement for internal IT, not a free agency service and not licence brokerage. Nor is it a mandate where le dot takes over the organisation's mission, prioritisation or operational responsibility.

What is meant is a focused technical mandate as equals: clarify, decide, stabilise, design, rescue or make handover-ready. The organisation remains the owner of its goals, data, systems and decisions.

When a longer period of operation, a commercial delivery or ongoing support makes sense after the pro bono mandate, that is cleanly separated. Pro bono stays a targeted lever, not a hidden entry into dependence.

Key data

  • Model: free or heavily discounted, depending on organisation and scope.
  • Entry point: a free technical starting assessment of need, risk and a workable lever.
  • Duration: focused, time-limited and designed for handover.
  • Format: usually remote, with clear appointments and documented outcomes.
  • Selection: social lever, technical complexity, commitment and mission fit.
  • Capacity: limited, transparent and not guaranteed.

The entry point is free and without obligation. A short starting assessment clarifies whether and where a pro bono lever makes sense.

Request a starting assessment

Further information