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Every week, I talk to software agency founders who are burned out on routine. Theyve mastered the frameworks. Theyve scaled their teams. But what theyre really searching foroften quietly, sometimes urgentlyis purpose.
And then something happens. I show them a project where their skills can help thousands of people access healthcare, education, or safety. Their posture changes. The questions sharpen. Wait, we can actually do that? Yes. By doing what they already do bestideate, build, solvebut on a problem that improves lives and even saves them.
That moment is electric.
The term that doesnt match the work?
And yet, after more than a thousand tech-for-good matchesincluding over 100 AI-driven collaborationsI keep returning to one thing that still doesnt feel solved: a term.
Pro bono.
Its the term most often used to describe this work. But in tech, it rarely sparks that same excitement. It sounds like a gesture. A side project. Something small.
Thats not the kind of work were seeing.
At Tech To The Rescue, we facilitate projects where software teams build AI tools that process multilingual crisis data in real time to support emergency response; create AI chatbots to combat malnutrition in rural Ecuador; develop early-warning systems in conflict zones; or deploy tools that accelerate child abuse prevention or disease early detection. These arent feel-good sprints. Theyre high accountability, impact-critical buildssolving problems that are urgent, complex, and impossible to address with off-the-shelf solutions.
From courtrooms to code: The pro bono paradox
In the legal world, pro bono is institutionalized and respected. In tech, its fuzzy. Theres no standard or incentive. Too often, its misunderstood as junior level or one-off.
Were not ready to throw the words out. But we are challenging it.
In our world, “pro” already stands for professional. These are scoped, outcome-driven, expert-level projects. When we say pro bono, we mean fully committed tech partnershipsnot side gigs. Its time to reclaim the words.
We call this “extreme matching.” We dont pair teams with nice ideaswe match them with necessary ones. This isn’t volunteering. It’s strategic problem solving.
The collaboration gap: When technology isn’t the problem
At our recent AI for Health Matching Day, we brought together experts across sectors. Professor Angela Aristidou at Stanfords Institute for Human-Centered AI and UCL School of Management said it plainly: The gap is not techits collaboration.
It echoed something I hear often. Tech leaders often say, Wed helpif someone asked, and if we actually knew how. Nonprofits say: “We didnt think a company like that would take our call”or admit they dont know how to start.
At the same event, Radhika Batra, MD, founder of Every Infant Matters, showed how AI diagnostics and mental health tools are saving livesbut only through deep partnerships. Her organization has helped over 700,000 children avoid blindness. Norberto de Andrade, founder of Polipro.AI and Metas former AI policy director, emphasized cross-sector collaboration, experimentation, and prototyping legislation as essential tools in designing a more humane and sensible system for us all.
These arent just technology problems. Theyre narrative and systems problems. And the way we talk about this work shapes how seriously its taken.
Beyond charity: The terminology trap limiting tech’s social impact
In tech, language becomes culture: Agile. Open Source. DevOps. What we call something affects who shows up, how its funded, and what gets prioritized.
Just like vibe codinga buzzy term for playful AI experimentationis trending on social media, maybe impact coding or purpose coding can describe something more vital: human-centered, real-world problem solving. Maybe it’s something we havent named yetbut urgently need to.
What matters is that we start naming and understanding the work in ways that reflect its scale and transformative potential.
From Google.orgs fellowship program to Salesforces 1-1-1 model , tech giants are implementing structured corporate giving frameworks. Meanwhile, smaller agencies and startups struggle to find similar models that fit their scale. Yet our internal data reveals something surprising: SMEs often commit proportionally more time, resources, and consistency to pro bono collaborations than larger companies do. Its a counterintuitive finding that challenges conventional wisdom about who drives the most meaningful impact. We now need the language, recognition, and infrastructure to match.
Talent wants alignment
At the same time, this momentum is being fueled by a new wave of talent demanding greater alignment between their work and their values. According to Randstads 2025 Workmonitor report, which surveyed over 26,000 workers across 35 markets globally, 29% have already quit a job because they didnt agree with their leaders viewpoints or stances. Nearly half (48%) said they would not take a job if the company didnt share their environmental or social values. And 43% have considered quitting because of their companys stance on political issues.
Pro bono, high-skilled, social impact work is already happening. Its not small. Its not random. Its not charity. These are long-term, mission-critical partnerships that demand rigor and deliver real results.
Whether we keep the term pro bono or evolve it into something new, one thing is clear: The story needs to changebecause the impact already has. And the companies that help rewrite it will define what tech-for-good truly means in the decade ahead.
Jacek Siadkowski is the CEO and cofounder of Tech To The Rescue.
