Our nonprofit clients often ask us:

• Yes. Neither INFORMS Pro Bono Analytics (PBA) nor the PBA volunteers charge for their time. It is not entirely without cost, in the sense that you do have to commit some staff time to the project.

• If you would like to discuss a project, please follow this link to our contact form and submit it. A Pro Bono Analytics committee member will contact you to arrange a discussion.

• Please send an email to probono@informs.org. We will be happy to answer questions either by email, over the phone or via video chat.

• No. We are happy to do multiple projects with an organization, and have done so in the past. Usually projects are done sequentially, but if you have the bandwidth we are happy to entertain parallel projects.

• Not necessarily. Not all projects require data, though most do. It is common for clients to begin with a project in which volunteers help ascertain what data is needed and how to set up a collection mechanism for that data. Once you have data in hand, analysis of it can be a second project.

• No. Most of our clients do not have internal analytics expertise. If you do have an expert on staff, we are of course happy to work with them.

• This is very much project-specific. You can expect to spend at least a few hours if not more working with a Pro Bono Analytics (PBA) committee member to specify the project and then sorting through the PBA volunteer applications to pick a team. Once the project is launched, your time commitment is difficult to predict, but at minimum you should expect someone on your staff to spend an hour a week in a call with the volunteers, discussing project progress and answering volunteer questions.

• The desired timeframe of the project and the amount of effort is up to the nonprofit, but a typical project length is about 3 months with 1-2 PBA volunteers each contributing about 5-10 hours per week.  We do have projects that last longer and/or involve more PBA volunteers.  A PBA committee member will assist you with scoping your analytics needs into one or more appropriately-sized PBA projects.

• This is subject to negotiation between client and volunteers on a case by case basis, and should be decided at the outset of the project.

Our volunteer analytics experts often ask us:

• It is up to you how much time you are willing to commit. As part of the application process, we ask you to indicate a figure for that. Most volunteers commit between 5-10 hours per week, but during the course of the project, you are free to adjust your availability as circumstances require, and if necessary you can drop off the project.

• This is to some extent up to the client, but we strongly encourage clients to form teams of volunteers.

• No, membership to INFORMS is not a requirement.

• No. If you are on an H1B visa, you can volunteer for a nonprofit or local organization as long as the work would not otherwise be paid.

• No, volunteering is not considered OPT.

• Yes, it is acceptable for a group of people to volunteer as a team.

• No, we are careful to ensure that volunteers do not incur any expenses other than their time.

• In almost all cases, no. Our consultations are generally done remotely. If you happen to be within convenient travel distance of their location and if you and they feel a face-to-face meeting would be beneficial, there is precedent for doing so, but that is entirely up to you and the client.

• This is subject to negotiation between client and volunteers on a case by case basis, and should be decided at the outset of the project.

• Subject to prior approval by both your instructor and the client, yes. That said, we do not typically recommend using pro bono engagements as projects for two reasons. First, the project timeframe may not conform to your academic calendar, meaning in particular that there is no guarantee the engagement completes before the deadline for your project. Second, if problems occur during the engagement, they may prevent you from completing your project.