Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy Briefs
2018
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Confessions of a Teenage Nonprofit
April 17 | Robin Smalley, Co-Founder, mothers2mothers | Comments (0)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.
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More and Better: The Growing Corporate Volunteer Movement
April 10 | Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO, Keep America Beautiful | Comments (0)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.
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Employers and Consumers Can be Instrumental in Fighting Child Sex Trafficking
April 02 | Michelle Guelbart, Director of Private Sector Engagement, ECPAT-USA | Comments (0)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.
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Revitalizing a Community Arts Organization: Lessons for Funders
March 28 | Alice Korngold, Author, A Better World, Inc.: How Companies Profit by Solving Global Problems...While Governments Cannot | Comments (0)Without a sustainable revenue model to support a compelling mission, nonprofits’ funding will dry out. Sadly, many nonprofits today face this dilemma. Gina Gibney, artistic director and CEO of Gibney Dance, based in Lower Manhattan, has a story that has a number of valuable lessons for foundations and the nonprofits in which they invest.
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Companies See Gun Reform as a CSR Issue: Why Now?
March 22 | Alice Korngold, Author, A Better World, Inc.: How Companies Profit by Solving Global Problems...While Governments Cannot | Comments (0)This weekend, Americans will join students in the March For Our Lives to demand that safety and the lives of our young people become a priority. Marchers will call for an end to gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today. Ever since the horrific murder of students at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) School in Parkland, Florida, not only are individuals responding to the MSD students’ call for action, but companies as well.
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Granting to China Made “Easy?”
March 20 | Ted Hart, President and Chief Operating Officer, CAF America | Comments (0)The China Overseas NGO Management Law went into effect January 1, 2017. The law requires that foreign NGOs coordinate their efforts with the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and provides the framework within which they can continue their activities in the country through two ways: opening a representative office in China or applying for a temporary activity license.
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Proxy Proposals on Charitable Contributions Are Rare, but Will We See More?
March 13 | Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader, Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, ESG Center, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Socially responsible investors have become a bigger part of a company’s ownership. Large funds, such as Vanguard, BlackRock, pension funds and others are exerting their influence for better ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) performance. Various nonprofits are also flexing their muscles. Will the increased scrutiny lead to more proposals on charitable contributions?
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The Globalization of the Arts
March 06 | Grace Cho, CEO, Orangenius | Comments (0)A presidential commission looking at the state of American schools concluded that funding for arts education is “on a downward trend” thanks to widespread budget constraints and an increasing emphasis on high-stakes testing. The result, the report said, is that “just when they need it most, the classroom tasks and tools that could best reach and inspire students—art, music, movement and performing—are less available to them.”
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Creating Business Value through Social Impact is More Effective when Corporate Citizenship is Built-in, not Bolted-on
February 27 | Jeff Hoffman, Institute Leader, Corporate Citizenship & Philanthropy, ESG Center, The Conference Board | Comments (0)Positive social impact, the result of a company’s efforts to do good directed towards solutions to important problems, is more impactful when a company integrates those efforts with their core competencies and through their products and services. Many corporations’ efforts have been adjacent to the company’s business, or “bolted on.” A “built-in” ethos, where the company works to create value for both the bottom line and the outside world has strong long-term success implications for both.
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Turning Workplace Philanthropy into a Daily Habit
February 26 | Nick Bailey, Vice President, Innovation and Products, Salesforce | Comments (0)There’s an astounding number of nonprofits in the world today. We’re talking millions. In many ways, that’s a good thing: It signals not only that there is an ever-increasing number of ways to get involved in social good, but also that people are standing up and trying to make a difference. And it’s no secret that the world needs this kind of social action now more than ever.