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Our mission
ProZ Pro Bono's mission is to help non-profits break their language barriers, ensuring that language is never an obstacle to survival or to improving quality of life. PPB does this by providing professional freelance linguists with opportunities to:
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do good in the world,
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leverage their unique skills in favor of causes they deem worthy,
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develop professionally while doing so.
Our story
A truly global community that just keeps growing.
ProZ.com began as the brainchild of translator Henry Dotterer back in 1999, and has been dedicated ever since to helping freelance translators and interpreters fulfil their potential and grow their businesses. Over the last 26 years it has evolved into the world's biggest translator and interpreter marketplace and network, made up of translators and interpreters working in and out of hundreds of language combinations.
Apart from their regular commercial activity, many of the freelance professionals that make up this network have generously offered their time and skills down the years to supporting various causes that make a difference in the world.
It is that spirit that underlines the ProZ Pro Bono project, launched in 2022.
Whether they are new and looking to build their CVs, or highly experienced and seeking to "give back", these translators and interpreters all share one aim: to make a difference, and to apply the highest professional standards in doing so.
The members of ProZ.com have made the entire ProZ Pro Bono operation possible from day one, and we are indebted and grateful to them.
Our core values
Transparency: We hold ourselves accountable to our volunteers, clients, and the public by being transparent in our actions and decisions.
Commitment to excellence: We are dedicated to providing the highest quality language services to individuals and organizations around the world. We strive for excellence in everything we do, from our volunteer recruitment and training to our service delivery.
Stewardship: We commit to being socially, financially, and environmentally responsible.
Ethics: We are committed to upholding the highest standards of ethical conduct and governance. We believe in fostering a culture of empathy, understanding and compassion towards all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Inclusivity: We celebrate diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work and welcome individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, valuing their unique perspectives. We believe in fostering a culture of empathy, understanding and compassion towards all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances, as well as a positive and inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and grow.
Learning: We seek to learn both from the program's experience and from that of all stakeholders, from the Board to the Clients and Volunteers, and are constantly updating our processes and resources. Likewise, we also promote continuing professional development amongst all our volunteers.
Innovation: We embrace innovation and creativity in our approach to providing language services, constantly seeking new and effective ways to meet the evolving needs of our clients and volunteers.
Internationalism: We strive to promote a sense of global citizenship within our organization, bringing people together, encouraging communication and learning between all parts of the globe to create community.
Our numbers
ProZ Pro Bono keeps detailed track of volunteers, projects done, words translated, time donated, and partners served. You can see some of these statistics by clicking on the image below (you will be redirected to a statistics dashboard for ProZ Pro Bono).
Our team
Our team are here to oversee the program, help it grow, ensure efficiency, reach out to partners and supporters alike and communicate with the world.
Nesrine Echroudi
PM, partner outreach, onboarding
Tunisia
Nesrine had already done extensive volunteer work with ProZ Pro Bono and Translators without Borders before taking on project management with PPB. If you have read any Marvel comics in French, chances are you were enjoying her translation work too! She keeps us focused on deadlines and milestones, though her cat occasionally interrupts team meetings.
Cynthia Ferrer
PM, partner outreach, onboarding
Ireland
Cynthia is a language and IT teacher turned translator. She was among the first volunteers when ProZ Pro Bono was founded, and is now the friendly face greeting new volunteers as they join, helping them get started on their first projects. She is responsible for our growing Evergreen gallery, and lives a stone's throw from the Blarney Stone (if you have a good throwing arm).
Jared Tabor
Director
Argentina
Jared has been an educator, a translator, an obsessive plant collector, and has served freelance language professionals as they advance their careers since 2007, at ProZ.com. He joined ProZ Pro Bono in 2025. He now spends his mornings watering the plants while searching for new opportunities for volunteers to do good using their own unique skills.
Rich Sutton
Technology and infrastructure
United States
Rich has over 30 years of experience in the language services and tech industries. He has worked with global language companies such as TransPerfect and Welocalize, as well as in a freelance consultant capacity. He also has a "Rich" history of involvement in leveraging his experience to assist pro bono initiatives. He lives in California.
Our board
The language industry professionals who make up the ProZ Pro Bono Board come from all sectors of the industry and parts of the world. They bring not only diversity but immense experience of our sector.
Claudia Brauer
ProZ Pro Bono board
United States
Claudia is what you might call a "serial mentor". She has created hundreds of hours of training content, and has donated much of that content to the ProZ Pro Bono training area, whereby volunteers have free opportunities to further develop professionally. All of this while amassing nearly half a century of experience operating in the language industry.
Henry Dotterer
ProZ Pro Bono board
United States
Henry is an engineer, translator, entrepreneur, hockey coach, deacon, and educator. He founded ProZ.com, the world's largest online community of language professionals, in 1999. He lives in Syracuse, New York, where, back in the day, he ran his business out of the space over his father's liquor store, under a teeming beehive in the rafters...
Yuna Guillamot
ProZ Pro Bono Board
Türkiye
We're not sure how Yuna is able to participate in as many humanitarian initiatives or help as many people as she does, but she does! Genuinely multilingual and multicultural, she has used her knowledge and skills to further worthy causes through ProZ Pro Bono, The Open Language Initiative, and Translators without Borders.
Lori Thicke
ProZ Pro Bono board
France
Lori is an editor, entrepreneur, philanthropist, international speaker, and bestselling author. She founded the language company Lexcelera in 1986, and started Translators without Borders, the world's largest language charity, in 1993. She lives in the south of France, where she is currently working on her next novel.
Our technology partners
ProZ Pro Bono is able to operate efficiently and keep costs low thanks to the following platforms and software providers, who have graciously provided support through their official non-profit programs:
If you represent a software or platform provider that wants to help ProZ Pro Bono focus on its mission, please get in touch!
ProZ Pro Bono at a glance
Most of this website is in English, but we also wanted to offer our friends and clients from countries around the world a chance to find out about the program in their own languages.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any payment involved in ProZ Pro Bono's work?
None at all. ProZ Pro Bono is 100% cashless. Our volunteers freely donate their time and skills, and we never ask any of our clients for payment in any form. The only thing we ask is that our translators are credited where appropriate, for example on published materials.
I'm a translator or interpreter. Do I need to be experienced to contribute?
We're happy to work with all willing volunteers. If you're right at the start of your career, we partner you with more experienced colleagues so that we can ensure professional quality for our clients, but apart from that, if you're eager to join, we're excited to have you on board. Be prepared to collaborate with others, and to receive feedback where appropriate. If you are experienced, you are also extremely welcome of course, and you can play a vital role in delivering quality work or supporting others.
Do I have to be a paying member of ProZ.com to participate as a volunteer?
Not at all. We do encourage volunteers to look at the many benefits of membership but it's not a condition. Bear in mind that the entire program is supported by the paying contributions of members, so being a member is another way to contribute to the program's goals. As a volunteer, you will need a registered profile on the ProZ.com site, which will allow the systems we use for project notification and tracking, word counts, etc., to work.
Is the program open all year round?
Yes! There are busy periods and less busy periods as in any professional cycle, but we're always here.
Is there a minimum monthly translation requirement?
No. The spirit of volunteering is about doing as much as you want, whenever you feel like it. There are no requirements of obligations, beyond the basic ground rules of professionalism such as communication and deadlines
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How do we verify the legitimacy of partners to avoid potential misuse of translations for commercial purposes?
ProZ Pro Bono's director meets and speaks with all new partners, and the first question we ask on the Partner onboarding form is whether they are a non-profit. In the unlikely chance anyone slips through that process and proves to have commercial aims, we will of course stop working with them immediately.
What does the program do for volunteers? Is our work credited?
We are always happy to give social media reviews to translators, and recommendations to potential clients. Meanwhile, any translations that are published (books, films etc) always credit the translator. However, some of the work we do is for in-house documentation or forms, and clearly in such cases the translator is not mentioned.
Can I help in other ways if I have no time to translate?
There are many ways to help ProZ Pro Bono. By following us, sharing posts or even writing about it on social media, by helping us identify worthy non-profits in your area, and in a variety of other ways, including becoming an Ambassador, getting involved in admin tasks . Just drop us a line and tell us a little about yourself and we'll find a role for you.
Another way of helping ProZ Pro Bono is by donating. Donations are what help cover ProZ Pro Bono's operating costs and will enable the program to reach more and more organizations in need of the kind of assistance and support we provide. You can donate to keep ProZ Pro Bono going from the Support us page.