Writers to the Rescue (WTR), The McGraw-Hill Companies’ pro bono program, provides nonprofit organizations with the services of writers, editors, communication and/or public relations specialists from The McGraw-Hill Companies on a volunteer basis. The program addresses the fact that many nonprofit organizations do not have the staff to produce important communications materials that fit within their larger program, fundraising, and/or capacity-building strategies.

Today, the Writers to the Rescue program enjoys the participation of more than 100 employees at The McGraw-Hill Companies. Each employee is matched with a nonprofit organization that has requested writing assistance for one-time or ongoing projects. While the program initially focused on providing professional skills in the areas of writing and editing for nonprofit organizations, WTR has since expanded to leverage additional employee skills such as graphic design, layout and illustration, as these skills proved to be equally in demand.

Community Partners (CP), the philanthropic arm of The McGraw-Hill Companies, serves in both a management and advisory role for WTR, offering its expertise and resources to ensure that the program is effective, employees are prepared, and the experience is enjoyable for all parties. CP identifies partner organizations and pro bono projects, taking the lead in approaching current nonprofit partners of the company, contacting umbrella organizations with access to nonprofit networks and soliciting suggestions from employees. In addition, CP manages the application process for the program and ultimately is the entity that connects nonprofit organizations with employee teams that have the skill sets to best meet their needs.

Regular recruiting information sessions highlight examples of past projects in order to demonstrate the concrete results from the WTR program. Training opportunities are also available for interested volunteers, giving them the necessary knowledge and resources before they begin projects. By ensuring that the WTR program is well communicated, coordinated and managed, The McGraw-Hill Companies demonstrate their ultimate support of employee pro bono efforts, enabling the volunteers to focus not on program management, but on serving the needs of their nonprofit partners.

As added incentive, the Employee Volunteer Grant program awards grants to eligible nonprofit organizations where employees of The McGraw-Hill Companies volunteer. Individuals volunteering more than 50 hours in one year are also eligible to receive up to $500; teams of at least 3 employees are eligible for up to $1,000. Lastly, The McGraw-Hill Companies celebrates pro bono efforts through an annual Corporate Achievement Award for employee teams who have successfully developed an idea, product or service. Since 2000, this award has recognized employee team efforts for volunteer community service. In 2004, the core employee advisory team for Writers to the Rescue received this honor for its efforts to meet the needs of local nonprofits in an innovative and effective way.

Community Partners (CP) engages in ongoing evaluation in order to assess outcomes and understand how it can increase impact and improve its programs. At the conclusion of each completed WTR project, CP asks both employee volunteers and their nonprofit partners to complete an evaluation form that captures the extent to which the WTR experience met the expectations of both parties, as well as suggestions for improvement. While the formal evaluation efforts undertaken by The McGraw-Hill Companies are an effective tool, the most compelling results are illustrated by the number of the nonprofit organizations served by WTR who re-apply for assistance with additional projects.

The McGraw-Hill Companies would like to see the Writers to the Rescue program build on the strong foundation it has established during the past four years. The company sees value in replicating the WTR model across the company, expanding the focus on communications skills to leverage the additional specialty professional skills in finance, education and business information that the company’s employees have to offer. The company also strives to expand throughout the U.S. and internationally, so that every regional office of The McGraw-Hill Companies is executing WTR or a similar WTR model.