23 Insights from the 2019 Corporate Philanthropy Conference

The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "OK", you consent to the use of cookies.

23 Insights from the 2019 Corporate Philanthropy Conference

January 29, 2020 | Brief

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

− Mother Teresa

Measurement, Metrics, and Outcomes

Companies are making a greater effort to build corporate social responsibility (CSR) into their corporate cultures and create purpose-driven employees, because CSR benefits both the company and the community. Organizations are finding that programs for social good improve recruitment and employee engagement, help employees build skills that will fill the talent pipeline, and boost corporate reputation. They are also aligning their CSR and business strategies, because doing so lets companies have a stronger impact on society. Companies are also putting greater emphasis on supporting the local communities where they operate to help bring about social change.

When 121 practitioners and experts met to discuss corporate philanthropy, we took notes. Here are the highlights:

Build CSR or philanthropy into your corporate culture and align it with your business strategy.

When considering a signature philanthropy to support, want to add to your CSR program, or looking to adopt a new cause, keep these in mind:

Determine the core competencies of both the organization and its employees and apply them to your volunteer programs. Since a financial services company’s core competency is asset management, it teaches financial literacy at a local high school.
Do what resonates with employees and customers to ensure engagement. If you’re not sure what these might be, ask them. Also, support and promote programs that employees initiate. For example, employees at a financial services company wanted to address environmental consciousness so they held events to educate people about preserving the Long Island Sound and fundraisers to remove plastic from the ocean.
Also ask: How is this program