Today, a business’ act of giving back is what many consider corporate social responsibility (CSR). Businesses and corporations demonstrate their CSR in many forms like donations to charities, employee volunteering, environmentally conscious processes, ethical labor practices and more. It has become a key practice for many businesses as customers and employees have come to expect it. Individuals want to support businesses that share their values and employees want to be engaged in their company’s efforts in community involvement.
Maurice Mitchell, one of the founders of Mitchell Williams, once shared that during the early existence of the firm he was influenced by one of his clients, a leading philanthropist in Little Rock, and his commitment to giving back. Since that time, community service and giving back became a firm focus that has grown to be the core fabric of the firm’s culture.
When done right, CSR lets businesses show they are passionate not only about their work, but also the community around them. Here are some tips to help you put a clear CSR strategy in place:
1. Earn support.
Establishing a CSR program requires buy-in from the top, a champion. Without a long-term commitment to CSR from your executive team, customers and employees will not view your efforts as truly genuine.
2. Focus your mission.
An easy way to focus your corporate social responsibility is to get involved in ways that align with your company’s mission and values. With so many initiatives and programs to choose from, start simple with projects like volunteering at local nonprofits, fundraising for a local cause or selecting one charity to support throughout the year.
3. Localize.
For CSR initiatives to have an impact, it’s vital that businesses are not tone deaf to the needs and issues in their community. Right now, that is more critical than ever. Think about how your business can get involved in your immediate and extended communities, and in turn build trust, momentum and consistency in your overall CSR initiatives.
4. Encourage participation.
Don’t hesitate to encourage and promote employee participation in your CSR initiatives. Involving employees in the process can build motivation and promote innovation. An in-house social responsibility committee can be incredibly useful for planning activities, initiating projects and motivating others to get involved. Giving back as a group can be a valuable team-building exercise.
5. Support employee service.
While your company may have an established CSR focus, it’s also important to support employees in their personal community service efforts. Recognize employees in their community service, provide a platform for employees to share information about the charities they support and give paid time off for volunteering.
Like any business strategy, CSR needs buy-in, structure and accountability to build out a robust giving back program. Organizations and charities need our support more than ever. Now is the time to start planning so that when we have pushed through the COVID-19 pandemic — and we will — your business is prepared to serve others and build relationships in the community.
