Strategic Giving in a Down Economy

Today I twittered about strategic giving opportunities that can make an impact in a down-economy. Arabella Advisors – a company which focuses on strategy, insight & analysis to help clients reach their philanthropic goals – produced a report today focused on 7 urgent & under-funded issues in which donors can make a high-impact difference:


1/ POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT (encourage lasting political participation with the Millennial generation)

2/ GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS (Help by improving agricultural productivity, supporting local & women farmers and increasing awareness of agricultural policies in developed countries)

3/ CLIMATE CHANGE (fund green and cutting-edge technological innovations)

4/ CONFLICT RESOLUTION (don’t overlook youth, who have the greatest opportunity to reduce conflict in the future. Consider funding kids programs)

5/ DISASTER RELIEF (Hundreds of millions of people from more than 100 countries each year don’t get enough long-term support after a disaster)

6/ ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (contributions that impact students & community colleges will have an important impact on the local economy)

7/ GLOBAL HEALTH (Some of the most prevalent diseases are highly treatable at a very low cost. Drive awareness to these neglected diseases and help save 1B of the world’s poorest people who are needlessly suffering).

KooDooZ was founded with the purpose of exposing more families to important causes and bring greater awareness to the non-profits and brands that are actively working in the space to make a change for a social good. I am personally welcoming any and all stories of engagement in this capacity and would like to promote said organizations and the leaders at their helm.

~Lee

Corporate Social Responsibility

I was invited to speak to an elite Los Angeles group of high powered CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) about innovation and corporate social responsibility. Representing an array of organizations (size, demographics, geographic reach & industry focus), the question I wanted to ask the group to tackle was:

• “Is Corporate Social Responsibility working?
  o If so, “How do you define CSR success?”

Over the last few years, all of us – consumers, employees and business leaders – have been shepherded into the “responsible business movement” without the benefit of true definition and scope.

And the result? Some corporations swear they have earned net-positive triple bottom line rewards: a-la “profit, planet & people” – and other corporate CSR initiatives have been labeled as expensive, “green-washing” failures that have actually damaged a company and/or its brand reputation. What has crystallized, for me, is the obvious need for greater collaboration between organizations and the people in them. We need to do this so that we can define true integrated strategies that address the issues of sustainability and social justice.

The bottom line is, sustainability is not a business issue – it’s a societal concern – in which business is deeply implicated. We share this planet and therefore responsibility to its ecology and people.

Since our current business climate allows voluntary and free-market CSR measures – we are recognizing “niche” successes. Critics are demanding that our government get involved. But were we to mandate CSR through legislative intervention, I think we’d run the risk of stifling innovation around these societal problems.

When evaluating whether a company has a successful CSR initiative, I proposed that the following checklist be considered:

• At the organization’s helm, is there a visionary leader or a clearly-assigned CSR implementer?
  Achievement of complex sustainability outcomes is related to the attainment of advanced leadership capabilities. While it doesn’t have to be the CEO, this executive has to have the overall responsibility for delivering CSR objectives, and the authority to remove internal roadblocks.
  
• Is there complete internal “departmental” commitment to the CSR initiative?
  Suppliers need a consistent message, especially between the sourcing & merchandising departments
  
• Does the CSR initiative have measurable goals? (You can’t improve what you don’t measure)
  o Business Ethics / Governance
  o Community Outreach
  o Diversity / Employee Empowerment
  o Environmental Stewardship / Green Practices / Sustainable Development
  o Philanthropy
  o Employee Relations
  o Human Rights
  o Lobbying
  o Transparency / Financial Disclosures
  
• What recognition programs are in place for stakeholders?
  o Supply Chain
  o Employees (volunteerism / gift matching)
  o Community in which the business serves
  o Consumer Engagement
  
• Are there sound external relationships to engage effective Corporate-Community Partnerships?
  o NGOs, Charities, Non-profits, For-profits
  
• Why is the organization engaging in CSR?
  o To enhance the corporate image?
  o In response to stakeholder pressures?
  o Innately part of the corporate culture?

There is a growing body of evidence that links companies which take their pursuit of social and environmental goals seriously -- firms guided by enlightened innovative values -- with superior stock market performance, low employee turn-around and excellent reputations.

As it turns out, my question shouldn't have been whether or not corporate social responsibility is working, but rather "What can we, as business innovators do to make CSR work better?"

Social Responsibilty: Xerox

Can social responsibility be ingrained in a company? I think so.

Take Xerox for example. Alongside several other companies of conscious, they’re providing an invaluable community service with the “Let’s Say Thanks” program. Free to all, Americans can send a post-card to our troops overseas and remind them to come safely home.

Spreading some holiday cheer to those invested in protecting our freedom is fast & easy. Via an online portal (www.LetsSayThanks.com) you can pick one of many beautifully hand-drawn patriotic scenes that were drawn, for this purpose, by kids (6-15yrs) around the country. Then personalize your postcard, by selecting or crafting a short message and hit submit. Xerox will then print the card and send it to a member of the armed services.

Started in 2005, “Let’s Say Thanks” is supported by Premier Partners, Mercury Print Productions, ColorCentric Corporation, SouthData Inc., Quantum Direct, Xerographics and Cathedral Corp. who have partnered with Xerox to print postcards that are delivered to the troops by Give2theTroops – a nonprofit group that sends care packages overseas. (see article) The packages are sent from different state branches to randomly chosen soldiers.

Sending letters from “home” is one of the greatest things we can do in support of our troops. As far as I’m concerned, putting a smile on one face will spread the word of our love to another.

...Peace... ...Love... ...Thanks...

...to those companies of conscience...

...who help remind us to act responsibly & generously...

Companies of Conscience & Kids

I was, in fact, driving my shopping cart down the middle of the aisle like a maniac. Time is money. And with three kids who love to “help,” experience dictates that when it comes to grocery shopping, if I don’t hurry it up, I’ll have a cart full of junk I don’t need.

Apologizing to the woman on aisle 8 who is witness to my frenzied tactic, I mobilize my team. “We’re looking for household favorites, household basics and household necessities,” I remind them as I stoop down to pick up a case of my husband’s favorite cola.

“You know, Mama,” my son says, as I shove the box under the cart. “we really should be buying that soda instead” , “because it’s made by a good company.”

I don’t just pause, I stop. (A miracle in of itself). “What do you mean,” I ask, “GOOD company?”

“Well,” he says with his most serious face, “they do stuff for people. They even give their money to poor kids. They worry about the earth, and they… I dunno… they … they’re good. That’s important right?” I work overtime to control the muscles in my face that are trying to alter the shape of my mouth into an oversized grin.

I can’t believe it’s happened. My son has graduated from “selfish consumer” to “selfless consumer” with a green halo over his head He is now a statistic. Part of the roughly 70% of Americans (according to a recent study by the Natural Marketing Institute), who want to purchase from a specific company because of their strong Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reputation.

“It’s very important,” I confirm.

Blind to the significance of this moment, his 4-year old sibling gleefully plucks products with ultra colorful logos off the shelves and piles them into our cart. I half wonder if any of these cherry-picked products come from a company of conscience, but my focus remains on my son. “Where’d you come up with the good company stuff?” I follow-up.

My son shrugs his shoulders, “Some kids were talking about it at school.”

First graders are now discussing aspects of CSR. Companies with a perceived conscience are making a difference to a demographic they find the most challenging to reach. CSR is clearly an investment that can lead to many long-term benefits, especially when marketed to kids (who make up a +$150-billion a year spending power – and doubling that number when factoring in their influence on mom & dad).

That evening, after I kissed my toothless son goodnight, I looked up the published CSR reports from both soda companies.

With their world-wide recognized brands, these two sizeable companies promote a positive image of their products and activities. Both firms have meaningful CSR programs with significant investments in the communities they serve. Both are capable of staying attuned to social issues relevant to their business – but it appears that one, over the other, has figured out how to communicate their efforts in a way elementary school kids can understand.

That is a diamond in the rough. The implications are life-long.

As a parent, I still have a long journey ahead of me to help my children enjoy greater discretion on consumption decisions. While I take great pride in the fact that my son -- at the tender age of 6 & ¾’s – feels that he should teach me (age deleted) about conscious consumerism, I also want to be sure he understands the difference between effective marketing and effective outcome.

Is it important to be a company of conscience? You bet your bottom dollar -- and KooDooZ™ to those who are out there, making a difference.