Hampton Roads businesses support all different kinds of community involvement, from softball teams to funding local nonprofits.
Some are very strategic in their efforts while others do what they can when some need pops up or an event gives them a branding opportunity. What typically is evident, either way, is involvement results from a passion someone communicates in the company.
Corporate social responsibility is that giving-back aspect of a business operation that supports a need for a group (employees, communities, investors and customers). From in-kind to financial commitment to volunteering, the efforts are far-reaching with many benefits.
Given today’s competition for employee retention and market share, as well as shrinking financial resources for social needs, there should be a growing focus on social responsibility planning.
According to the CECP, a coalition of CEOs, of the 272 participants from well-known brands who participated in a recent survey, 29 percent of giving went to education, 26 percent to health and social services and 13 percent to community and economic development.
I think each of these is critical to Hampton Roads communities, yet sometimes there are so many opportunities that small businesses don’t always know where to begin, think they don’t have enough employees or think they don’t have the budget to participate. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Whether you are considering increasing your attention in corporate social responsibility or just beginning, you will have more value by developing a strategic plan specific for this aspect of your business.
First, ask yourself if giving back is at the foundation of your company’s culture and core values. To get to the “heart” of the question, do you want to make a difference in the lives of your employees, your customers and the communities you serve? If this is true, your vision, mission and/or values should communicate this desire.
Large businesses often survey their employees to see what areas of service are most important to them. For example, if 85 percent of your employees are millennials, identifying what types of needs and organizations interest them may outrank and be totally different than one the officers or management team has determined as critical for the company.
Ironically, millennials and those veterans (or traditionalists) who are still around feel strongly about community involvement, yet the way they serve is often very different. Even if you have a company with an employee population of five to 10, it would be well worth your time to have discussions about the meaning of social responsibility and gain input from all.
When I was in a employee communications management role locally at Cox Communications in the mid-1990s, I found a need to expand and develop our employee community involvement. We grew the committee and efforts from one women’s shelter event to numerous additional activities, and gained enough attention to make a significant difference in the company.
We developed a quarterly and annual employee recognition program (as well as giving them many more opportunities to develop leadership skills), and their reward was to spend a day of work serving on location for the charity of their choice.
Whatever strategies you use, be sure they engage your employees. You will be amazed at the impact, from employee retention to further branding your name in the community.
Some additional considerations for your social responsibility plan should include:
Stick to a theme if branding is one aspect of your plan. Though you may participate in numerous sponsorships in your industry or your community, try to spend a good portion of your budget and involvement in a focused need.
If supporting veterans, identify the organizations based on specific criteria and build a plan for combined funding or in-kind service, employee involvement and board leadership. Develop your program with attention to a social responsibility logo or tagline for the company, content in all your marketing materials, and even professional development opportunities for your employees.
Whatever your corporate theme to serve specific needs, create opportunities to build partnerships with nonprofits by inviting representatives to speak at your business or attend events.
Get your customers involved. This works well if you have included a neighborhood school or public service facility like the fire or police department in your plan. Customers will support your cause and can do so in several ways. Ask them to make cash or goods donations at your facility which you then distribute to a charity.
You could also determine a specific hands-on project the organization needs, like a garden at a school or painting and adopting a room in a shelter. If you are a small business, ask them to join you or bring in supplies. Keep them informed of your progress on such a neighborhood project. Conduct a book drive or other supplies in honor of a special day, like National Librarian Day or National Teacher Appreciation Day.
Make your social responsibilities annual. Employees, customers and charities or nonprofits want to see your company as a leader not only in your industry but in the communities you serve. Whatever you commit to, continue every year, even if you need to change the amount of a donation or the way your employees are involved.
The benefits of having a strategic corporate social responsibility plan are much more than we can talk about in one article. Having served nonprofits over the years, as I do now for STARBASE Victory Inc., a successful STEM education partnership with Portsmouth Public Schools and the community, I know how valuable an ongoing partnership with a business is, both to the company and to the nonprofit.
Identifying a corporate passion for a social need and building a bond with an organization makes employees proud of their work and helps form the kind of commitment that makes things happen!
This article was taken from here.