Corporate Social Responsibility in the Fall

Leadership teams inside an organization understand that building a quality product and/or delivering an exemplary service experience are not enough to be competitive in today’s global market.  Wise leaders know that consumers and employees seek more fulfillment and want to know that their time and money go to companies who contribute to the betterment of society. The intrinsic need of humans to want to help others has been heightened by tumultuous world events over the past years and has become a catalyst for change resulting in the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. 

Companies are recognizing the demand to give consumers and employees what they want – goods and services which meet their needs while knowing that the company is making efforts to improve society in some facet. CSR initiatives vary among companies, but they all have one goal in mind which is making a positive impact on the local and greater communities of their consumers and teams. Human Resources professionals are often tasked with crafting and deploying CSR initiatives so here are some initiatives that organizations of all sizes can seek to implement.

Community Service Projects and Charitable Giving

Survey your team to find out what CSR initiatives are near and dear to their hearts. Use their feedback to craft regular opportunities to give back to the community. Getting employee teams together to participate in community service opportunities gives everyone a chance to get to know each other outside of the work environment.  Provide opportunities to do events during the work day to increase participation, alleviate child care concerns and reduce travel expenses for employees. Don’t forget to include remote workers in the company’s corporate social responsibility efforts.  Just because an employee might reside in a different zip code or country does not mean there are no service opportunities wherever they reside.  Provide remote workers time to contribute to their local communities, and share their efforts with their company teams. 

Charitable giving provides a more streamlined approach to direct assistance.  While community service projects and charitable giving initiatives are often intertwined, both opportunities provide a way to actively and passively contribute to those in need. Look at options to make corporate social responsibility initiatives available to consumers. Hosting community service projects that are open to the public is a way for citizens to learn about your organization, promote your company branding, and potentially lead to finding future talent.    

Corporate Social Responsibility Ideas

• Habitat for Humanity is well known for its role in assisting individuals to secure housing. Habitat for Humanity is dependent on volunteers in its effort. Don’t let the fear of not being mechanical or not knowing how to wield a hammer properly deter members of your organization from participating. Skills can be learned and having an eager, positive attitude to help others can offset technical learning curves.
• Schools seek volunteers to support students and staff. If your organization has employees with school age children, encourage staff to participate in school volunteer activities during the workday. Consider coaching a sport or lead a school club. Donate books to the school library and classrooms.
• Before school starts, do a “backpack attack” to collect backpacks and school supplies for students. In December before many schools go on Winter break, reach out to schools to determine which supplies (pencils, dry erase markers, allergen friendly snacks, jackets, etc.) are essential to start the Spring semester. Acquire those items, or collect money to donate for school causes.  
• Many cities and counties have animal shelters who seek volunteers.  Dog walking, pet nurturing, supply collection, and promotional support are crucial for these facilities. Research shows that interacting with animals reduces cortisol in humans resulting in less stress and lower blood pressure so both humans and animals benefit. 
• In many areas, blood is in critical shortage. Some blood collection facilities have mobile collection vehicles so schedule a time for the collection facility to arrive onsite so employees, and the public, can conveniently donate. 
• Adopt an elder. Some residents in long-term and memory care facilities do not have local relatives to assist. Reach out to these facilities to find out what items their residents need and provide those items. Spend time visiting with the residents, and listen to their stories. Not only will employees learn more about the past, they will learn more about themselves too. 
• All year, but in particular at Thanksgiving time and winter months, there is a need to aid food insecure individuals. Host a food drive within your company to collect essential food and toiletries for those in need.  Deliver collected items to a local food pantry, and assist in sorting and distributing the goods. 
• Mentor youth. Various nonprofits exist to provide mentorship to at-risk, minority and low-income youth. Discuss education and career goals.  Simply listen to what the youth has to say.  For some kids, having one person who cares can light a spark to ignite their goals. Working with today’s youth strengthens the future for all of us. 

Environmental

We have one world in which we live together so we must care for it.  Respect for the environment is crucial to sustainability. Speak with local government and school representatives to determine areas of highest necessity. Planning initiatives that connect others while improving the environment provides employees with tangible opportunities to see their efforts grow.

Environmental Ideas

• In the midst of urbanization, there is still a dire necessity for greenery. Identify opportunities to plant more trees and pollinator plants to attract more bees, birds and butterflies. As trees grow, they reduce carbon dioxide emissions reducing our carbon footprint. 
• Test your green thumbs by growing food in a community garden that can be given to those in need. 
• Help parks and playgrounds stay clean and safe by picking up litter. Donations can be given towards the purchase of new playground equipment and supplies.
• Work with your local government to schedule community litter pick up days to broadly promote the effort and recruit involvement. If your organization wants to conduct smaller scale events, set aside one day a month (or time frame of your choice) to pick up litter at a chosen location. Rotate between parks and the areas around your company’s location(s). 
• Look internally within the organization. What type of recycling initiatives can be implemented? Paper and plastic are two materials that can be recycled.  Seek ways to scale down the use of them. Offer reusable options and provide recycle bins for plastic bottle use. Reducing the use of paper is not only environmentally friendly but a huge cost saver to businesses.  

Conclusion

The value of corporate social responsibility initiatives outweigh additional costs. Companies which invest in their local and global communities tend to have a more loyal customer base. They also have improved brand recognition which helps in the highly competitive talent acquisition realm. For employees, time away to volunteer can lead to heightened productivity. According to an AFLAC CSR study, 95% of employees report being more productive when they work for a company with a strong purpose.

CSR is good for the company’s profitability in another aspect as well. That same survey found that 77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place. As part of your organization’s branding, show its commitment to aiding others. Include your organization’s CSR initiatives on your company website, social media platforms, and in job postings in your applicant tracking system (ATS).  Use your onboarding platform to communicate CSR importance and opportunities early with employees. By broadcasting CSR beliefs and initiatives often and in different formats, employees and consumers will receive the message and recognize that your company believes in making a positive difference.