How Can Businesses Deliver on Social Impact? Play to Your Strengths

How Can Businesses Deliver on Social Impact? Play to Your Strengths

Six Lessons on Strategic Philanthropy to Advance Your Company’s Reputation Chances are if your company made it onto Fortune magazine’s list of “World’s Most Admired Companies” for 2019, strategic philanthropy is hard-wired into your DNA. The prestigious survey uses nine criteria to select the best-regarded businesses, including corporate social responsibility (CSR). Companies embracing CSR—the belief we all have social, environmental and ethical responsibilities to society—are reaping the benefits of their activities in important ways. First, they are establishing goodwill with employees, customers and other community members. That’s earned trust you can bank on. Even better, they are increasing profits and building strong brands. Starbuck’s, which ranks fifth on this year’s […]

How Nonprofits Can Make More Impact on Causes

How Nonprofits Can Make More Impact on Causes

Imagine an America without poverty or disease. A land where everyone is treated fairly, with dignity and respect and without the threat of discrimination or sexual harassment. A country where economic opportunity is available to all. A society with equal access to better education and health care. An environment free from harmful pollution. People spared the violence and crime that isolates so many communities. These and other causes embody the work being done by passionate nonprofits and their business partners around the world. Although important progress has been made on many of these issues, it’s clear to anyone tapped into their daily newsfeed or network news that utopia is not […]

How to Get as Good as Your Charitable Giving

How to Get as Good as Your Charitable Giving

Most of us, one way or another, have been either on the giving or receiving end for charitable causes. We give to our churches or synagogues; buy cookies for the annual Girl Scout fund drive; and participate in the company United Way campaign. In America, charitable giving is as ubiquitous as apple pie. Businesses also give back through their foundations and social responsibility programs. Their generosity shines through with in-kind and cash donations, community grants and in countless other ways. Many incentivize employees to donate their time to worthy causes. What do these organizations have in common? Charitable giving as a core value. Partnering with local charities offers a golden […]

Making or Breaking Your Small Business Reputation in a Connected Economy

Making or Breaking Your Small Business Reputation in a Connected Economy

Although we often hear about how important small businesses are to job creation and economic growth, what may be lesser known is the vital role they play in local philanthropy and solving key social issues. While large, Fortune 500 companies may get the most press and marketing visibility for their philanthropy in the macro economy, small, Main Street businesses are the ones moving mountains in the micro economy. These are the manufacturing, retail and service firms, community banks and sole proprietorships creating the majority of jobs in the neighborhoods, downtown business districts, manufacturing centers and commercial corridors across America. Owners and members of these companies are committed to their local […]

PR, Spin and the Art of Influence

Most small and mid-size business owners “get” marketing. They understand how important it is to define a marketing strategy to attract new customers, satisfy their needs and hopefully keep them coming back for more. But when the subject of public relations (PR) comes up, many are left scratching their heads, or if they give PR much thought at all they consider it an avenue for free publicity. That’s on a good day. On a bad day PR practitioners may be called spin doctors or propagandists. In the urban dictionary, PR is slang for an officer’s nightstick. Some journalists view PR representatives as shields to keep the press at bay when […]