Pro Bono Policy
Jpetrous Creative Services LLC (“JpCS”)
Last Updated: October 28, 2026
JpCS takes on a limited amount of unpaid and reduced-fee work each year for organizations doing good work in our community. This Policy explains what that means in practice, who qualifies, how a donated project is scoped, and what it does not cover. It exists so that both sides know what was agreed before anyone starts working.
JpCS is a one-person studio. Donated work is real work: it takes the same hours, the same attention, and the same tools as paid work, and those hours come out of the same week.
Writing the terms down protects the organizations we help as much as it protects us. It keeps a generous yes from turning into an unclear obligation, and it means a donated project gets a defined scope and a finish line instead of drifting.
This Policy is not a Service Agreement and does not create one. Nothing here obligates JpCS to accept any particular request.
We use the term to cover two arrangements:
Both are governed by this Policy, and neither waives the third-party costs described in Section 9.
A discount offered through a chamber of commerce, partner association, or our referral program is not pro bono work and is governed by our Terms and Conditions instead.
Priority goes to organizations serving Macomb County, St. Clair County, and the surrounding communities, including:
In weighing a request we consider whether the work will make a visible difference, whether the organization can carry it forward once it is delivered, and whether we have the capacity to do it properly.
We may decline any request, and are not obliged to give a reason.
Capacity is finite. As a general rule, JpCS accepts no more than two pro bono projects per calendar year, works on one at a time, and agrees a defined number of hours for each before starting. Once that commitment is met, further requests are quoted at standard or reduced rates, or held for consideration the following year.
A past pro bono project does not establish a precedent, a standing arrangement, or an expectation of similar work in future, regardless of its size.
A donated project is scoped the same way a paid one is:
The written scope is the whole of what has been donated. Anything outside it — extra deliverables, additional rounds, a second event, or a change of direction after work has started — is a new request and will be quoted before any further work is done. This applies even where the original project was delivered at no charge.
Pro bono clients receive the same standard of work as paying ones. In particular:
Ownership of final deliverables transfers on delivery unless the agreed scope says otherwise. Source and working files remain with JpCS unless their release was agreed before work began.
Donating our time does not mean absorbing out-of-pocket costs. Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, the following remain the organization’s responsibility:
These are quoted or passed through at cost, and are identified before they are incurred.
Donated work is displayed in our portfolio, case studies, website, and social media by default, with the organization named. If you would prefer we did not, tell us in writing and we will keep it off our own channels, subject to the same practical limits described in Section 7.2 of our Terms and Conditions.
We may ask to be credited in or alongside the finished piece. Where a credit would be inappropriate — on a municipal public notice, for example — we will say so and will not press the point.
Jon Petrous serves on community boards and commissions and is active in several chambers and business groups. Where a pro bono request comes from an organization in which he holds a role, he will disclose that role, will take no part in the organization’s decision to engage JpCS, and will step out of any related vote or discussion. Where the organization has its own conflict of interest or procurement rules, those rules govern.
Either party may stop a donated project at any time by written notice. Work completed to that point is handed over as it stands, at no charge. We may pause or end a donated project if it grows beyond the agreed scope, if the organization becomes unresponsive for an extended period, or if paid commitments require the time.
We may update this Policy at any time by posting a revised version with a new “Last Updated” date. The version in force at the time a project is scoped governs that project.
Send a short description of your organization, what you need, who it reaches, and your timeline. We read every request and reply either way, though we are not able to say yes to most of them.
JpCS operates remotely and does not maintain a public office address.
Jpetrous Creative Services LLC
Michigan, United States
Phone: (586) 563-6634
Email: contact@jpetrous.com
Before you go
Call or send a message. Tell me what you're working on and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right fit.