Leading businesses are turning to purpose to articulate their mission, power growth, unite and motivate the organization, and become future-ready in a world of non-stop change. Companies can and should use purpose intentionally to figure out how to run their businesses.

Corporate volunteering is now a global practice that was boosted by President George H.W. Bush's founding of Points of Light and the National Council on Workplace Volunteering. As the country remembers the 41st President, reflecting on his work to encourage employees to use their expertise in service to their communities can help motivate companies and their employees to continue his legacy.

Total corporate giving has increased more than 15 percent over three years to a record $23.8 billion, as companies have become more generous. The growing economy and favorable tax cuts have left some companies with healthy cash reserves and many have promised to direct a portion to their communities.

Eighty-two percent of board members, business owners, and corporate executives say it's necessary for companies to advocate for or take a stand on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, as employees and customers increasingly demand that companies become more vocal. A majority also believe that advocacy by CEOs will increase in the next 18 months, following in the footsteps of recognizable leaders whose brands have inspired blue chip companies to use their voices.

Data privacy regulations challenge the growth of virtual volunteer technologies, but companies that can navigate these challenges stand to improve employee engagement opportunities. At the World Volunteer Conference and Global Corporate Volunteer Council in Germany, companies discovered how technology can help them respond to the demands of their employees for meaningful volunteer engagements.

The majority of companies do not measure standardized outcomes related to arts, despite the fact that doing so would help them show the effect of arts support on company objectives. The Impact Genome Project®, an initiative of Mission Measurement, provides a framework for standardized outcomes in the arts sector that companies should be utilizing to understand their contributions’ effectiveness.

Companies promoting associate board experience for their young workers can cultivate leadership skills and loyalty among early and mid-career employees. Young employees want a level of social impact engagement that they find meaningful and accessible in the workplace. Providing that opportunity helps companies solve one of their biggest challenges: attracting and retaining the workforce of the future.

Eighty percent of people who serve on nonprofit boards describe themselves as better leaders, the result of developing skills like board governance, networking, strategic planning, and communication. By supporting meaningful leadership and community engagement, companies that promote nonprofit board service help to grow employees’ value to the company.

Retail is increasingly online, but nearly 75 percent of small businesses don’t have any e-commerce presence and less than 2 percent export, making it difficult for them to thrive in local—sometimes depressed—markets. Retail Revival, a new initiative from eBay, helps small businesses in Akron, OH, Lansing, MI, and Wolverhampton, UK, take their products to the global market. Retail Revival is a community program that draws on the strengths of the company—an example other companies could follow.