Pro Bono Partnership Of Greater Cincinnati

What Pro Bono Partnership Of Greater Cincinnati does

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio (PBPO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary founded in 2014-2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio, that recruits and deploys volunteer attorneys from regional corporations and law firms to deliver free, non-litigation business legal services to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the Cincinnati and Dayton regions. Originally launched as Pro Bono Partnership of Greater Cincinnati, the organization rebranded as it expanded into Dayton, and now serves 400+ nonprofit clients through 1,200+ attorney volunteers, having handled over 2,100 unique legal matters and delivered an estimated $13.8 million in legal services since inception. Its core service offerings include direct legal counsel on corporate governance, tax-exempt, employment, and contract matters; the signature Nonprofit Legal Checkup (a comprehensive assessment yielding typically eight or more foundational legal projects); a 30-minute Employment Helpline operated in partnership with FBT Gibbons LLP; and an educational programming stack including a quarterly Employment Webinar Series with KMK Law, a Ready to Govern! governance series, and standing legal alerts.

PBPO operates with a small staff of approximately 9-10 employees (President & CEO, Director of Education and Senior Counsel, Senior Counsel, Dayton Counsel, Manager of Finance and Administration, Development Manager, Manager of Program Operations, Program & Communications Associate, and Paralegal) and runs on donated office space from Dinsmore & Shohl LLP (Cincinnati) and Bricker Graydon (Dayton). Its technology stack is minimal and operational rather than product-oriented — Salesforce is used for donor and prospect management, and there is no proprietary legal tech platform, mobile app, or API surface. The business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than fee-based: PBPO provides essentially all legal services at no cost to eligible nonprofits, with nominal webinar registration fees ($10/session or $35 for a four-session series) representing the only direct service pricing. Its donor tiers include Champion ($25,000+), Leader ($10,000-$24,999), Advocate ($5,000-$9,999), and Friend ($2,500-$4,999), supported by a challenge grant from the Harold C. Schott Foundation matching donations dollar-for-dollar up to $150,000. PBPO is governed by a board drawn from major regional employers (Procter & Gamble, Kroger, GE Aerospace, Western & Southern, Fifth Third Bank, Bon Secours Mercy Health) and is a member of the Exponentum national network of pro bono providers.

Name

Pro Bono Partnership Of Greater Cincinnati

Legal name

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio

Website

https://pbpohio.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary that recruits attorney volunteers from corporations and law firms to provide free, non-litigation business legal services to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the Cincinnati and Dayton regions of Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Nonprofit legal services
• Pro bono legal
• Nonprofit governance
• Volunteer attorneys
• Employment law helpline

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants: Major grant funding from foundations including Harold C. Schott Foundation ($100,000 over 3 years), Dayton Legal Heritage Foundation ($235,000 over 3 years), Ohio State Bar Foundation ($30,000, $54,200), Supreme Court of Ohio Civil Justice Program ($50,000), and COVID-19 Regional Response Fund ($50,000).
2. Corporate and Individual Donations: Donations from supporters at Champion ($25,000+), Leader ($10,000-$24,999), Advocate ($5,000-$9,999), and Friend ($2,500-$4,999) levels. Challenge grants from Harold C. Schott Foundation matching donations dollar-for-dollar.
3. Event Sponsorships and Registration Fees: Webinar series at $10/session or $35 for all four sessions, with scholarships available upon request.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio provides free non-litigation business legal services to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas through a network of 1,200+ volunteer attorneys from corporations and law firms. Core services include direct legal counsel on nonprofit governance, tax-exempt, employment, and contract matters, the signature Nonprofit Legal Checkup program, the Employment Helpline for 30-minute consultations, and ongoing educational programming through webinars and workshops.

Product overview

Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio operates as a nonprofit intermediary that connects nonprofit organizations with attorney volunteers providing free business legal services. The organization does not offer a traditional software product but instead delivers a service program consisting of direct legal assistance through staff attorneys and volunteer coordination, the Employment Helpline for rapid employment law consultations, the Nonprofit Legal Checkup for comprehensive legal assessments, and educational programming including webinars and workshops. Services are delivered primarily through attorney volunteer matching and staff attorney support, targeting 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the Cincinnati and Dayton regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Business Legal Services to Nonprofits Provides free non-litigation business legal services including corporate governance, tax-exempt, employment, and contract matters to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving low-income or disadvantaged individuals in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas of Ohio.
• PBPO Employment Helpline A 30-minute phone consultation with an employment attorney for current PBPO clients to address questions about employee performance reviews, background checks, reorganizing staff, interview guidelines, and intern/volunteer stipends.
• Nonprofit Legal Checkup A comprehensive review of a nonprofit's potential business legal needs, typically resulting in identification of at least eight foundational legal matters to be addressed by PBPO and its attorney volunteers at no cost.
• Nonprofit Educational Programming and Webinars Educational programming including the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series, Ready to Govern! governance series, legal alerts, and workshops on nonprofit governance, employment, contracts, and tax-exempt organization law for nonprofit executive staff and board members.

Quantifiable outcome

• $13.8 million in legal services and education provided at no cost to nonprofits since 2015
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Southwest Ohio ChaptercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025ACC Southwest Ohio Chapter served as presenting partner for the Nonprofit Legal Checkup program that received the Outstanding Chapter Achievement Award – Best Partnership Program in 2025.
• Thompson Hine LLPcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Thompson Hine served as presenting partner for the ACC Nonprofit Legal Checkup program connecting nonprofits with pro bono attorneys.
• FBT Gibbons LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBT Gibbons partners with PBPO for the Employment Helpline program, providing employment attorneys to address PBPO clients' employment questions in 30-minute consultations.
• KMK Law (Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKMK Law partners with PBPO for the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series, providing attorneys to speak on important issues faced by nonprofit employers including performance management, termination, and compliance.
• The Center for Nonprofit ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series, collaborating on nonprofit employer education.
• Leadership Council for NonprofitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series for nonprofit employer education.
• Miami Valley Nonprofit CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series for nonprofit employer education.
• Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations (OANO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series for nonprofit employer education.
• OneSource Center for Nonprofit ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series for nonprofit employer education.
• ExponentumcoreOthersPBPO is a member of Exponentum, a collaboration of pro bono providers serving geographic regions throughout the United States with shared goal of making nonprofits more effective. Exponentum partners with law firms and corporations to implement national responses to challenges faced by the nonprofit sector.
• Pro Bono Partnership Inc. (NY, NJ, CT)minorOthersNational pro bono partnership organization serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
• Pro Bono Partnership of AtlantaminorOthersNational pro bono partnership organization serving the Atlanta region.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence: Greater Cincinnati nonprofit resource center providing capacity-building services to nonprofits. Regional peer that partners with PBPO on the Quarterly Employment Webinar Series and serves a shared nonprofit client base.
• Ohio Legal Help: Statewide Ohio legal information and self-help resource connecting Ohioans to free legal aid. Regional peer sharing PBPO's Ohio geography and pro bono ethos, but serving individual legal needs rather than nonprofit organizational matters.
• Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati: Greater Cincinnati-based legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income individuals. Regional peer operating in PBPO's geography but focused on individual clients rather than 501(c)(3) organizational clients.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Nonprofits: National network of nonprofit organizations providing advocacy, resources, and education to the nonprofit sector. Broad incumbent serving the same end clients as PBPO but at the sector/advocacy level rather than direct legal services delivery.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: National nonprofit that mobilizes pro bono legal resources to address civil rights issues. Operates broadly in pro bono legal services with corporate law firm partnerships similar to PBPO, though with a civil rights rather than nonprofit organizational focus.

Direct peers

• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts: Pro bono legal services organization connecting artists and arts nonprofits with volunteer attorneys. Operates a similar volunteer-attorney matching model for nonprofit clients, though focused on the arts sector rather than community social services.
• Taproot Foundation: National nonprofit that connects nonprofit organizations with pro bono professional services including legal, marketing, and consulting. Direct peer using the same nonprofit-targeted pro bono delivery model as PBPO, though with a broader professional services scope.
• Pro Bono Partnership (NY/NJ/CT): Original Pro Bono Partnership organization serving New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with the same nonprofit-targeted free business legal services model. As the founding affiliate, it is the most directly comparable peer and shares Exponentum membership with PBPO.
• Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta: Affiliated Pro Bono Partnership affiliate serving the Atlanta region with the same nonprofit-focused free legal services delivery model. Direct peer through the Exponentum network and shares operational approach with PBPO.

Others

• Cincinnati Bar Association: Regional bar association that has recognized PBPO leadership with the Trustees Award and coordinates local pro bono initiatives. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, sharing PBPO's Cincinnati geography and legal professional network.

Market position

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/PBPOHIO
• Facebookfacebook.com/PBPOHIO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pbpohio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pro Bono Partnership Of Greater Cincinnati