Corporate Citizenship Briefs

As part of staying up to date on corporate social responsibility and nonprofit program management best practices, we sat down for a chat with Jason Saul, Founder and CEO of Mission Measurement, and Alex Parkinson, Senior Researcher and Director of the Society for New Communications Research of The Conference Board (SNCR). Here’s what we learned about why it’s important to measure impact, what donors expect, current trends—and common mistakes.

At the spring meeting of The Conference Board’s Global CSR & Philanthropy Council, the group closely considered their next steps with regard to the SDGs. Members had provocative discussions stimulated by various guest speakers from organizations such as the United Nations Foundation, US-ASEAN Business Council, The Conference Board, and Palladium.

Employees who serve on nonprofit boards play a vital role in helping to achieve the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, many companies do not include nonprofit board service in reports of volunteering for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Companies need to recognize the valuable participation by their employees in advancing nonprofits and the SDGs through board service.

Immigration has long been a political battleground, but in recent years it has taken on even more significance. Stronger rhetoric from the White House and leanings in favor of a stricter immigration policy have caused concern among immigrant populations around the country. In opposition to the federal stance, many cities have sought out programs to protect immigrants from deportation and to support their transition into American society. And companies have lent their support to these efforts.

This year, more than 100,000 volunteers will celebrate service during Comcast Cares Day by participating in volunteer projects all over the world. Making a positive impact in the communities where Comcast NBCUniversal employees live and work is a value the company embraces all year long. Businesses can ensure that the impact of service days like these lasts well beyond one day by linking their service projects to city priorities and ongoing initiatives.

Nonprofits are like teenagers—they have difficult years, but with the right support, they can thrive and achieve great things in “adulthood.” The international nonprofit I co-founded, mothers2mothers (m2m), is now 16 years old, an awkward age for nonprofits, at least in the eyes of many donors. m2m employs HIV-positive women as community health workers.

For years, “more” and “better” have been the shorthand goals of the volunteerism movement. Inspiring more people to volunteer and finding opportunities for that support to be of the most value to communities and causes has been the mission. During National Volunteer Week (April 15-21), we celebrate the impact of volunteer service here in the U.S., and the power of changemakers to come together to tackle tough challenges and build stronger, more vibrant communities.

When I explain to people what I do for work, they are often surprised and caught off guard. You would assume that my work isn’t great “party conversation,” but I find that people like to talk about human rights and protecting childhood. As the director of private sector engagement for ECPAT-USA, I work with companies to understand how human traffickers (with a focus on child sex traffickers) may use their infrastructure to exploit people.