Pro Bono Queue

When client work is thin, the cooperative maintains a queue of pro bono projects — community organizations, mutual aid groups, nonprofits, and open source work that members can bid on through the same auction mechanism.

How It Works

Pro bono projects enter the weekly batch alongside client work and cooperative work. Members bid on them the same way — time estimates, Vickrey pricing, credited hours. The only difference is there’s no client revenue attached.

• Pro bono hours count toward the 32-40 band like any other project
• Pro bono hours count toward salary (members are salaried, not per-project)
• Pro bono hours count as surplus above 32 for dividend weighting — though in a slow week, there may be less profit to distribute anyway

Why It Matters

Solves the “not enough work” problem

Agency work is inherently uneven. Some weeks are packed, some are light. Instead of members scrambling to fill hours or the cooperative stressing about pipeline, slow weeks just mean more pro bono capacity. The 32-hour floor stays achievable.

Structural values, not aspirational ones

The cooperative doesn’t just “care about community” — it builds community work into the mechanism. When capacity exists, it flows to people who need help. This is mutual aid at the organizational level.

Recruiting

Developers who want meaningful work and a safety net now have a reason to choose Daemon. “You get benefits, you pick your projects, and during slow times you build for the community” is a strong pitch.

Portfolio and reputation

Pro bono work is real work. It builds the cooperative’s public track record and individual members’ portfolios. Community impact feeds back into client acquisition — organizations that see the cooperative’s pro bono work may become paying clients.

Sourcing Pro Bono Work

TBD — options include:

• Members nominate community organizations they’re connected to
• Local nonprofits / mutual aid orgs can submit requests
• Open source projects the cooperative uses or values
• Partnerships with organizations like Code for America, local civic tech groups
• Standing projects (e.g., maintaining a community resource the cooperative built previously)

Interaction with the Mechanism

Pro bono projects have no special treatment in the auction. They’re just projects without client revenue. The mechanism doesn’t need to know the difference — it allocates based on bids and capacity.

The cooperative does need to track the distinction for financial purposes (pro bono hours are a cost center, not revenue-generating), but that’s an accounting concern, not a mechanism concern.

See: Revenue Model, What Happens When There’s Not Enough Work?