ProZ.com Translation Forums

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Absolutely right!

Jennifer Levey — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 15:05:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: Jennifer Levey
Post title: Absolutely right!

[quote]expressisverbis wrote:
Publicly announcing on a professional forum that you are willing to provide your professional services for free can seriously undermine the perceived value of translation and of the translator's work.[/quote]

And the same goes for most (I won't say 'all'...) respectable professions.

Radical underselling of any worthwhile service is a shot in the service provider's own foot, leads to devaluation of the market value of the product, and is disloyal towards others in the profession.
JL

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | My thoughts

expressisverbis — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:46:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: expressisverbis
Post title: My thoughts

I agree with the fellow translators who have pointed out an inconsistency here.
You say you lack work, but then you explain that you do receive offers, just not offers that match the type of translation you want to do. That is, of course, a perfectly valid choice, but it is still a choice.
Every translator has different priorities and circumstances, both professionally and personally.
In my case, I simply cannot work for free.
First and foremost, I have to make a living from my work, and beyond that, I have a great deal of respect for what I do and for the value of professional translation.
I would not feel comfortable simply giving my professional work away because I happen to have some free time or for some other reason.
Sometimes necessity is precisely what makes us get moving, put our hands to work and pursue an objective instead of waiting for the right thing to fall into our lap.
If your ultimate goal is to find pro bono translation work, then I would suggest actively looking for it rather than simply announcing it here and waiting for someone to offer it to you.
And you already have a place to start: ProZ Pro Bono.
Although I’m not familiar with the service or how it works, it seems to be exactly what you’re looking for.
It was created specifically to connect language professionals who want to volunteer their skills with organisations that need them:

[url removed]

Finally, and this is just my personal opinion as a fellow translator, I think there is another aspect worth considering.
Publicly announcing on a professional forum that you are willing to provide your professional services for free can seriously undermine the perceived value of translation and of the translator's work.
We already have enough pressure on our profession when it comes to rates and the perception of what professional translation is worth.
If you genuinely want to do pro bono work, go and look for the organisations that need it.
That's how you can find it, you don't wait for it to come looking for you.
Things don't simply happen by magic in life. When we really want something, we have to take action and work towards it.
In any case, I genuinely wish you all the best and hope you find the kind of work you are looking for.

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | You still...

Matthias Brombach — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 18:03:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: Matthias Brombach
Post title: You still...

[quote]José J. Martínez wrote:
[/quote]
...haven't changed your rates so far here on your proz profile.
16 years ago I was approached by a Dutch agency with the hint that freelancers wanted to pay him to get work (hoi Steffen!)...

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Either way ...

Daryo — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:34:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: Daryo
Post title: Either way ...

[quote]José J. Martínez wrote:

Ok, I get a lot of offers but they are not offers for what I like. I do not like interpreting, I do not like games, I do not like anything that is not traditional written translation. If it is not that, I do not want to do it. So then, if I am just sitting and not doing anything, well, I prefer to translaste in a charitable way. [/quote]

Either you need an income, in which case it looks like it's high time to start thinking out of the box - which would not include working pro-bono translations (as DEFINITELY not of any use nowadays: what's the point of working for free so that later you can work for peanuts??)

or

you don't need the income - in which case working pro-bono translation is ALSO of no use. Choosing a book you like and translating it is in my view a far better option: YOU decide what to translate AND you might even be lucky to get some royalties and / or recognition as literary translator.

My 2 cents.

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Damaging the market even more

ibz — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 15:56:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: ibz
Post title: Damaging the market even more

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh, José, but by doing this, you're damaging the market even more. Just imagine a painter who can't get enough jobs, for example. Would he then start working for free just because he likes painting?
Or a dentist who treats anyone for free? (I'm not talking about the occasional free treatment for someone who can't afford necessary dental care.)
Translation is demanding and not just a hobby.
By the way, I assume that you still need to earn a living. So where does the money come from?

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Maybe it does not make sense but...

José J. Martínez — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 15:46:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: José J. Martínez
Post title: Maybe it does not make sense but...

Ok, I get a lot of offers but they are not offers for what I like. I do not like interpreting, I do not like games, I do not like anything that is not traditional written translation. If it is not that, I do not want to do it. So then, if I am just sitting and not doing anything, well, I prefer to translaste in a charitable way.

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Well...

Gregor Trebec — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 14:54:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: Gregor Trebec
Post title: Well...

Well, Asians will be more than happy to have you.

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | There is no pro bono work...

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 11:54:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Post title: There is no pro bono work...

I have worked pro bono occasionally during my 40 years of professional translation experience, but I must say that if paying clients are entrusting their work to AI, it is only natural that charities do the same…

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties... | Makes no sense

ibz — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:48:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: ibz
Post title: Makes no sense

So you're complaining about a lack of work, yet now you want to work for free? I don't understand.
Put your energy into thinking of new business opportunities, improving your skills, contacting new clients, or doing whatever helps you, but don't advertise your work for free. It doesn't make sense at all.

Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...

José J. Martínez — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 16:12:00 +0000

Forum: Money matters
Topic: Lack of work... Now I want to offer Pro-Bono for my specialties...
Poster: José J. Martínez