Summary: Volunteering professional expertise for the good of the community is by itself rewarding. It is also an endeavor that can strengthen mentoring bonds within a firm and among design and construction professionals, increase the public understanding of the value architects bring to the process, and enhance economic strength and growth. At the same time, there are caveats for design professionals willing to donate their problem-solving and team-building expertise pro bono. To provide a fuller understanding of the opportunities, responsibilities, and risk management, the AIA has just made available on-line the Institute Guidelines to Assist AIA Members, Firms, and Components in Undertaking Pro Bono Service Activities.

For decades, the AIA has sponsored pro bono programs such as Regional/Urban Design Assistance Teams, disaster preparedness efforts, Sustainability Design Assistance Teams, and, more recently, the AIA 150 Blueprint for America. It was in 2007 that the AIA Board amended the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct standard 2.2 to address public services. The just-published guideline is a result of that amendment.