Starting up a new CSR program can be a challenge, because there always seem to be more questions than answers. But here’s a process that should get you on the right track.
The Inside Story of Patagonia's Black Friday Promotion
Update on Whole Foods
Michael Porter: The case for letting business solve social problems
What does Whole Foods' shareholder trouble say about CSR?
Yesterday, Whole Foods Market Inc. announced that the firm is replacing five of its board members, likely in response to pressure from it’s second largest shareholder, Jana Partners LLC. Whole Foods stock has been underperforming, having lost roughly half its value since it’s 2013 peak of $65 per share. It’s enough to make one wonder if maybe this whole corporate social responsibility thing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
More Great CSR: Give, by Zappos for Good
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The next frontier in CSR: Lobbying
Some practitioners are concerned that the brand and reputation gains of CSR don't seem to stick around for long. And unfortunately, much of the research on the long term impact of good social performance is focused on edge cases. "Did Deepwater Horizon affect BP's consumer perception around social responsibility?" Um... duh. Yes. The culprit, I suspect, is actually integrity.
What if small firms gave like big ones?
More specifically, what if small firms gave the same proportion of net income that big firms did? There are many more small businesses than there are large businesses. If we can figure out a way to break through whatever barrier is preventing them from making charitable donations, we can potentially do an awful lot of good.
How to gracefully say "no" to charity requests
A few days ago I was in a meeting setting up a new corporate foundation for a small business. When I asked whether or not the firm wanted a way to take online requests, one of the partners said, “Absolutely not. We’ll get bombarded! As it is, I get people calling saying, ‘Hi, I’m [big client]’s cousin, would you sponsor my charity event?’”
