I now have a rule which is “Pro-Bono No No!†You are starting out in this crazy web design world and someone you know at a not-for-profit appeals to you to make them a web site but unfortunately they have absolutely no money and all the whales are dying or the chickens are suffering or whatever. They are a startup and you want to build your name… Seems like a good idea right??
Nope, seriously, if they are not willing to pay you anything at all, they are not serious enough to use the site and not only will it be wasted (a waste of your time and talent) you will also never have it hit the www. Most likely this is just a phase or a side project which they are not serious about. I have nothing against giving someone a good rate don’t get me wrong. I’ve done more than one pro-bono job and put my heart and soul into it only to have them abandon the project and my site to the recycling bin on my desktop. Too bad, didn’t work out, I’m busy with school now or whatever. I’m just warning you to make them put their money where their mouths are at least a little bit. It can save your time and your friendships.
Heed my warning.
I agree with you that working for free is never a good idea. But please differentiate between the “Friend Project” and the “Charity Case” and true Pro Bono Work, which (if handled right) can get you pretty far.
I’m passionately against spec work and undervalued design, but I also think pro-bono can be rewarding, even for the newbie. I’m in the middle of writing a series about Working Pro Bono, and my mantra is now, and will always be – Get Something Back.
Best of luck!
Tom Stephan
Dyer Straits/Working Pro Bono Columnist,
http://www.businessofdesignonline.com