Busy executives worry about taking on yet another initiative. But they shouldn’t. There are employees in your organization who will be the drivers behind the program. You just need to find them and empower them to take the lead.

A great way to do that is to start with an employee survey. You have an overarching corporate philanthropy program in place. Adding an employee engagement program starts by knowing what –within your focus area – employees can get excited about. Ask them.

Get them engaged by asking their opinion

An employee survey allows you to hear the opinions and get buy-in from employees. What causes are you employees interested in? How they would like to be involved in those programs? What ways can your team give back?

Our favorite approach is a quick online survey. Whatever tool you use, you can ask both open ended questions using a comment box, and you can give employees a series of options to narrow their selection to a few top choices. Plus, you can invite employees to volunteer. Those who volunteer are your starting team.

With the survey results in hand, get that volunteer team together for a strategy session. You have a direction and need to figure out how to get things moving. You need a plan with some goals and a timeline.

Based on that plan, you can engage employees in a program that builds teams, enhances morale, and helps you attract and retain great employees – all while you contribute something of value to the community.

Your program might include an employee day-off program where everyone is supported in taking a day to volunteer with a local nonprofit. You might take on a done-in-a-day project where you go as a team to clean up, rebuild or restore. You might host an event to collect items or funds for a cause you all agree to. It will look different for each organization and that’s why the benefits are great. The program supports your unique team and culture.

Today, writing a check is just the first step for a company to give back to their community. While it’s still essential to give financially, another big piece of the puzzle is employee engagement.

Let us know: What would be helpful for your organization to learn how to collaborate more effectively?

What does it mean to internalize CSR?

The number one reason I’ve seen companies fail at maximizing community impact is because they did not invest in learning and valuing where its business and societal interests overlap.  Businesses feel a pressure that they are expected to find a solution for many of the world’s environmental and societal problems. While it is becoming increasingly important to customers, it’s unrealistic to think your business can be everything to everyone; that’s where a strategic focus in tying the businesses intellectual capital with financial contributions comes into play.

How can your business internalize CSR?  

 Bring in an expert

An objective 360 degree assessment of your company’s current reality will give you new insights to guide your community investment goals. An expert will be able to identify your company’s strengths and build a community investment blueprint that connects the core of your business to an overarching need that exists in the communities where your employees live and work.

Develop sound partnerships

To maintain a strong community presence in key markets, align with similarly minded business, nonprofit and government entities that support your company’s community investment vision. You may run into some constraints depending on the unique needs of each community, and if you have a partner with similar invested interests, you’ll have greater resources (both human and financial)  to address unforeseen challenges.

Build a “creative trust”

Think of CSR as an evolving effort. Once you have a strategic community investment plan in place, there is no rule that you cannot adjust and refine your practices. The experience of every employee involved in carrying out a responsibility to meet the plan’s objectives will be different. Establish a process for gathering employee and other stakeholder’s feedback. If you truly internalize CSR and value the feedback, new ideas will begin to flourish and a broad-based sense of ownership will prevail.  This will help you sustain your efforts despite the constant changing political, economic and social environments in diverse global communities.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Any CSR plan is incomplete without an effective communication plan. Your communication strategies should consider your internal and external audiences. Highlight the programs strengths and accomplishments. Develop communication strategies for reaching your various stakeholders and employees to earn their support and increased engagement. Creating and executing a communications plan is equally as important as the process that goes into developing a CSR plan. Without effective communication, your corporate social responsibility will fall short of building your brand to help you meet business objectives.

 –Jean Galloway

A company’s generosity is often  judged by a dollar figure associated with its community investment. Reflecting on the best and worst of corporate giving in 2010, CSR experts found that companies who made the “best’ list were actually those who were more generous and effective with a non-financial based committment.  Target’s  $150,000 donation to Minnesota Forward made the “bad” list. Now there’s an example of a thoughtless, not strategic financial gift that caused more harm than good. This goes to show that it’s not about the money. You can’t buy reputational capital, you have to earn it by doing something.

For instance, take a look at Microsoft’s move to train out-of-work people in technology skills. Rather than sticking to cash contributions, Microsoft recognized that they had something more to offer. In this economy, companies are struggling for cash, but that doesn’t mean they can’t give back. The silver lining in having less money to give is that it forces you to think outside the box and sometimes this will lead you to a corporate giving strategy that is more effective than writing the big check.

Every company–no matter what size— has something to offer the community. Maybe you’re just not sure what it is. This year challenge yourself to find that something more that will reward your employees and the community you depend on to further your mission.

1. Focus on what is important to your employees, customers and key stakeholders.

Humana is in the business of providing health insurance. In this business they recognize their unique opportunity and responsibility to help citizens in their community live healthier lives. Humana has made a transparent decision to focus on improving consumer health because it is important to the community it serves .

2. Maximize your impact by engaging partners in the public and nonprofit sectors to leverage mutual commitments to causes.

Last year, Great-West launched Great-West Great-Teachers, an initiative designed to provide teachers with the resources needed to give their students a well-rounded financial education. Through a partnership with Colorado Jump$start Coalition, Great-West was able to leverage the organization’s expertise and make their financial education curriculum more available to teachers who wouldn’t otherwise have access.

3. Have a plan to see your commitment through.

There is never a shortage of need in the community and as an executive with budget making authority it is easy to make an emotional decision about where to give back. But do you understand how the business’ commitment affects employees? Are you really reaching your target market? Are you really able to make a long-term impact?

 Cheers to you for a healthy and  prosperous new year!

 Part of the power of Colorado Gives Day is the way the program brings the nonprofit community together as supporting partners for a 24 hour period of giving. Galloway Group is proud to have played a role in bringing FirstBank and Community First Foundation together to execute the Foundation’s big idea to devote one day to online giving to increase engagement and awareness of our state’s nonprofit organizations. Colorado Gives Day was beyond successful because of the true collaboration that took place between charities, donors and businesses.

 Over the 24-hours more than 18,700 donations came in to nearly every one of more than 500 nonprofits. There were some significant contributions made to children’s organizations such as Tennyson Center, Advocates 4 Children and Teen Challenge.  The largest number of donors contributed to Denver Rescue Mission, Food Bank of the Rockies and the Jeffco Action Center.  One donor contributed over $78,000 to 8 different charities and one individual donated to 30 different charities. 

 It is amazing to see the community come together in a way it never has before. As we head into the new year, we feel inspired and ready to build on this momentum and keep our fingers on the philanthropic pulse that keeps this community thriving.

 Cheers!

The Galloway Group team

A Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) report, Shaping the Future: Solving Social Problems through Business Strategy, based on research by McKinsey & Company, captures new perspectives on corporate social responsibility

Your business is known for the value it brings to the community because you have invested in becoming a part of the solution.

“proactive engagement is no longer optional for today’s businesses. To avoid a vicious circle of regulation and mistrust in business, it is imperative that companies become part of the solution, because now more than ever, the health of society and that of business are inextricably linked.”– Chronicle of Philanthropy

You understand the long-term view of profitability.

 “Companies should take a leadership role on issues where they can create shared value, value for both the shareholder and society at large,” Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, chairman of Nestlé S.A. said at a CECP CEO Conference in London in May 2010.

You are already a leader in corporate social engagement. As we get ready to enter a new year, have you thought about how your strategy will keep you in that position?

Vikram S. Pandit, Chief Executive Officer for Citigroup, recently spoke to the Chronicle of Philanthropy about how the corporation’s  philanthropy has changed. He answers this question and speaks about how the bank’s community investments are ultimately smart for the business, even after losing  $27 billion  in the global financial crisis and taking bailout money from the U.S. government.

“Anything that makes your communities prosper has to be good business,” he says.

That’s a tough point to argue.

Regardless of whether the economy is up or down, does your company have a strategy to guide decisions on corporate philanthropy?

 The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) is a network of global CEOs who recognize the strategic value in corporate philanthropy and share a mission to ”lead the business community in raising the level and quality of corporate philanthropy.”  CECP is dedicated to sharing the best practices, research and tools to measure the effectiveness of giving programs. These global leaders provide resources to encourage philanthropy, but they also believe that like any other business function, “discipline applies to philanthropy” and philanthropic leaders are expected to ….

1) Lead by example. If you’re not involved personally, how can you expect your employees to jump on board? 

2) Be creative. Executives continue to face the challenge of maintaining corporate giving programs. How can you keep your community partners engaged?

3) Anticipate. You can only be certain of uncertainty. The social challenges we face today will most certainly look different tomorrow, let alone 10 years from now.  How will your company change its giving strategies to meet the needs of your community in the future?

What do you think it takes to be a strong philanthropic leader?

Even though people are earning less, spending less and therefore giving less, that doesn’t mean that we have all lost our charitable spirit. Certainly nonprofit organizations still need our support–but now they have a bigger challenge to get our attention.

The Denver community seems to be stepping up to this challenge. Joanne Davidson, society columnist for The Denver Post writes, “to attract the crowds that contribute the money, folks planning charity galas have been forced to step things up a notch.”

So how do you make your charity event ”pop”?

Galloway Group has worked with many nonprofits in the last 10 years to create signature fundraising events. In our experience, we have seen the best results when the “Big Idea” for the event connects to the organization’s values and mission.

If your goal is to raise money and awareness about diabetes prevention and treatment, is a golf tournament going to help you achieve that goal? Sure, people will probably attend the event, and you may even meet your fundraising goal. But will a golf event give you an opportunity to communicate your need for continued support? Will it help you cultivate mutually beneficial relationships?

Based on our experience and the results we have seen, we’ve put together a  few key steps for creating an event.

1) Determine your goals and objectives

2) Develop a “big idea” that connects to the organization’s mission and values

3) Share the idea with your network and mobilize interest supporters– outside perspectives will help you determine how well your idea will resonate with the community

4)Recruit a strong committee to ensure success–leadership selection is arguably the most important step

5) Create a plan to build awareness and excitement — what is your strategy?

When it is all said and done, it is crucial to thank every person involved. 

The last step is evaluation. Was the event successful? How do you measure that? Did you meet your objectives and goals?

Are you attending any bar setting events this fall? Let us know!

—Jane McGillem, Associate