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Chris Jarvis - My Blog
Chris Jarvis - My Blog
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Corporate Volunteering: Top 7 Requests & the Bad, Better and Best Responses (1 of 7)

“We want a volunteer experience that can be done in no more than a day, and no less than a half-day.”

Companies want to engage their communities through employee volunteering programs. For most, this means calling a non-profit and scheduling an activity. But how should non-profits respond? Is there a “best” answer for everyone?

Everybody wants to volunteer. And those who don’t....well, they’re bound to feel a little left out of conversation at the next cocktail party. Volunteering is the latest and greatest way to contribute to society. It’s trendy - and unlike skinny jeans, this trend is bound to last. (Don’t get me wrong, I like skinny jeans.)

As corporations jump on the volunteering band wagon, non-profits are frantically trying to manage the influx. Incidentally, they’re finding themselves a little (ok, a lot) frustrated. Corporations make a lot of sometimes unreasonable requests of non-profits when it comes to setting up the ideal volunteer experience for their employees. We’re about to begin a series examining the top seven (yes, seven) requests, and the Bad, Better, and Best way for Nonprofits to respond.

One thing to remember: while its good for you, the Nonprofit, to know what companies want, its equally important for you to know why they want it. Assessing “why” will guide you to a solution that’s better for you, your community, and their company.

The 7 Requests:

The Ideal Volunteer Experience....

1. ...can be undertaken in a day
2. ...can be done together as a team
3. ...has intrinsic value
4. ...does not clash with other objectives
5. ...enhances the skills of their employees
6. ...coincides with the company’s chosen cause
7. ...coincides with what their employees want to do


1. "We want a volunteer experience that can be done in no more than a day, and no less than a half-day.”

...WHY?

First things first: why does the company want this? Well, the answer is in the question; the experience cannot be too big, or too small. It must feel significant enough to draw people out of the office, and not so significant that they’re scared away.

Now, consider how these things effect you and your Nonprofit, and decide how to respond.


Bad, Better, and Best Responses:

BAD: Invent Work.

Ok so, if you happen to have stand-alone project, in dire need of completion, that would take about a day to finish, and provide a great photo-opp for a group of employees.... then, great. You’re good to go. Fulfill the request. If not, remember that your time and resources are limited. Unless there is an obvious and significant payoff for your provision of this opportunity, you probably want to pass. Whatever you do, do not invent work. Got that? Do not have them repaint the same wall that was painted last week. Inventing work is bad for your non-profit organization.

Inventing work is equally bad for the corporation. Community engagement has become an essential strategy for business. Checking a one-time activity off the “social responsibility” list does not qualify. Hold yourself and the business to a higher standard. If they are asking to volunteer with you out of a genuine effort to become socially responsible, help them do it. Sure, the customer is always right, but it’s your job to help them ask better questions - and be more right. Inventing work is bad for the corporation.

Inventing work is bad for your community. When a corporation volunteers with your non-profit, they are bringing a potential wealth of skills, resources and networks. To access these resources, you must draw the business into more than a “quick and easy” arrangement. Inventing work may be the simplest answer, but ultimately, by offering a one-time, “repaint the wall” experience, you could be stealing value yet to be realized in connecting with that business. See what I mean? Bad for the community.


BETTER: Propose a partnership.

Alright, after you figure out “why” the company wants what they want, and after you decide not to invent work, let’s consider a better response: Partnership.

It’s really not so complicated. When the CSR guy calls from the corporation, ask about the company’s goals. Like this; “Is this volunteer activity part of a grander scheme or bigger goal you have for the company?” And when you’ve got him listening, let him in on some of your goals. For example, if your NPO was hoping to build a playground for a local school in the next year, explain that you could use a group twice a month over the next 6 months to help with the manual labor. Draw the company into a conversation of mutual benefit. You’ll know within minutes whether or not this corporation is one you want to work with.

Designing the partnership will take deliberate effort to ensure everyone gets what they need without giving up any non-negotiables. Social partnerships are like any other partnership and require some level of commitment in order to thrive. At some point, this will mean institutionalizing certain aspects, but don’t worry - keep it simple and take it slow. The rest will come organically.

A partnership is better for you, and it’s also better for your community, and better for the business. It offers the offers the business a genuine CSR strategy toward becoming socially responsible, and offers the community the potential benefit of the resources the business brings. Propose a partnership: its a better response for everyone. (For good resources on Social Partnerships check out our Facebook Page).

BEST: Have your cake and eat it too

The problem with “proposing a partnership” is fairly obvious - it’s not realistic to partner with every business who calls. You would overwhelm yourself trying to coordinate that many efforts. Believe me, one, two, maybe three partnerships are enough.

So, if you’re not inventing work, and you’re already partnering with a corporation, what do you do with the rest of the requests for volunteer opportunities? Well, you make it easy, of course. Have your cake and eat it too.

All you need is an ongoing, open volunteer opportunity. This is a space where all types of volunteers can show up on a regular basis (preferably weekly) and involve themselves to any degree they want. The activity provided should be one that can be accomplished with 3 volunteers, or 53. The point is, volunteers see your organization for the first time, and you see them. There is no pressure, no obligation, no disappointment. Volunteers who aren’t worth your effort, weed themselves out. Volunteers who will benefit your organization, stick around. This is the volunteer’s “first stage” - and its important to meet them where they’re at.

If you’re a community kitchen, the activity can involve serving meals. If you work with nature, you can plant trees. If you’re an organization that feels you can’t accommodate this kind of space, trust me: There’s a “first stage” space for everyone. Sometimes it takes some work to get there, but its worth it in the end.

With an ongoing, open volunteer opportunity, you’ll have a great answer for every business who calls. You’ll meet the company where they’re at - really, all they want is to try it out. At the same time, you’ll offer them a chance to develop a partnership that will effectively move them toward their CSR goals, while opening the door for your non-profit to their resources. It’s mutually beneficial and, once the space is set up, the process is more than easy - it’s virtually automatic. To read more about the benefits of a fully automated volunteer process, read this series: How to Offer a Great Volunteer Experience.

“We want a volunteer experience that can be done in no more than a day, and no less than a half-day.”

When a business asks for a volunteer opportunity that can be accomplished in a day, it’s bad to invent work. It’s better to propose a partnership. And it’s best to have your cake and eat it too by offering an open, ongoing opportunity. If the “best” response sounds like too much work, don’t give up yet. It’s cake. Just check out this series for a few hints: 3 Reasons Why You're Finding It Hard to Find and Keep Volunteers

Next time: “We want a volunteer experience that can be accomplished as a team” and how to respond.

Chris Jarvis
Senior Consultant, Realized Worth, Toronto, Canada 416-567-2004
Email me; chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
Join our Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter @RealizedWorth
Check out My LinkedIn Profile

November 6, 2009 | 4:14 PM Comments  0 comments



3 Reasons Why You’re Finding It Hard to Find And Keep Volunteers - And What To Do About It
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Volunteer rates are down, but more people are talking about the importance of volunteering. There’s a disconnect. Here’s why, and what you can do about it.

Outside there’s an audible hum, and it’s increasing in volume by the minute. People are talking about the things that matter, the causes that move them, the communities they love. They are talking about the need to get more active, more involved. Apparently society has decided to give back like never before, and they have decided to do it through volunteering.

Or.....have they?

Non-profit executives and volunteer managers will tell you a different story. From their perspective, fewer people are showing up and fewer still are willing to make the necessary commitments. Not only that, but the volunteers seem more selfish. The question has become, “What am I getting out of the experience of volunteering?” rather than “What am I giving?” And the widespread popularity of Corporate Volunteering programs only multiply these frustrations.

The thing is, it’s true. People are very interested in volunteering, yet less willing to make long-term time commitments. They are socially aware, yet seem concerned with program outcomes and personal fulfillment rather than the value of “doing the right thing.” Oddly, (despite the fact that many volunteer managers struggle with recruiting new volunteers) volunteer rates are, in fact, steadily increasing. People are far more active and informed than ever before. Each week hundreds of corporations are looking to formalize a volunteering program and mobilize employees in their communities.

So where’s the disconnect? If more people care, and more people are actually volunteering, why are non-profit execs so frustrated? Why does it seem tougher to find and keep volunteers today than it did just two or three decades ago?

A Paradigm Shift

A major paradigm shift has taken place over the last 10 years. This shift has made recruiting and retaining volunteers more difficult - although it has nothing to do with the general interest or willingness to commit to making a difference.

SHIFT ONE: From card catalogs to wifi. We have been Googleized. We now live in a world where everything and everyone are within reach all the time. When I want to see something I’ve never seen, learn something I don’t know, or meet someone for the very first time, I can. And within about .06 seconds. The speed is amazing, but the real power lies within the potential for connection. Through social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter I have discovered experts and thought leaders in my field, connected with them, and expanded conversations. Nothing is off-limits to me. No experience is too far away, no culture too removed. My expectations are high because the world is my oyster.

IMPACT: As a culture we expect real and immediate connections. Googlelized volunteers will not appreciate being assigned to stacking boxes. They will not value sweeping up after. When you hand them printed material to walk out with, expect to see it in the recycling bin by the door. Not good enough. Not anymore.

Today’s expectation is for direct connections with outcomes and with people. My interest is captivated by the opportunity to give a goat to a village in Kenya because I can learn about the area, it’s history, the people living there - even the names of the family who received my goat. Giving to an amorphous cause to fight hunger is simply not the same. I can’t make it part of my own story. The same is true for volunteering.

In order to underscore the importance of this shift, I’ve included the following video about Social Media and it’s implications for everyday life. A special thanks to Heidi Massey for sending this along to me (We’ve never met, but we are fast “social media” friends - Heidi's blog).





SHIFT 2: From finding the right job to becoming the right brand.
We are now in an era where we seek to create a personal brand, rather than find a good job. This trend has been burgeoning for decades and has reached a point where few people expect to work at one company until retirement. We are now free to choose from an array of experiences. From interviewing for an interesting position, to stepping up as an entrepreneur, we can create the life we want - the life we dream of. A good job is no longer synonymous with a sense of security. Instead, options equal security. Instead of retirement at the age of sixty, we expect to have an increasingly valuable brand, with specialized possibilities to choose from. Forget retirement, we’re just getting started.

IMPACT: Very few people can or want to make long-term commitments.
This is not something to fight against - it is simply the new reality. Non-profits who continue to ask for long-term commitments of a few months, let alone a year, will continue to experience disappointment. The “good” of the cause or the quality of the program will not make a difference. Unless the volunteer happens to have a pre-existing vested interest in the organization, the lifestyle of this new paradigm will allow only disdain for long-term commitment.

SHIFT 3: From commodity to experience.
Not too long ago, we were all farmers, extracting the commodities we needed from the earth. Then came the Industrial Revolution and the factories that enabled us to transform those raw commodities into goods to sell. Over the past century the gross domestic product of most developed nations switched from primarily manufacturing goods to that of offering services. Recently, we’ve personalized these services to an even greater extreme. We are becoming an economy of experience.

A perfect example of this is coffee. Beginning as a commodity, coffee is simply a bean taken from the earth. From there, coffee is transformed into a good, sold in stores. It becomes a service when you receive it from your favorite coffee shop in the morning. But if you want to take coffee to the next step, you need to go to that great Third Place. Starbucks. At Starbucks, you’re not just buying coffee, you’re buying the coffee experience- right down to cushy chairs, cool music, modern decor, and free wifi. Starbucks barely sells coffee. Mostly, they sell experience. And most of us are more than willing to pay for it.

Joseph Pine does an exceptional job of presenting these insights in a talk he delivered at TED.



IMPACT: Volunteering needs to be an “experience first” event. Sure, people will show up to paint a wall if that’s what’s needed, and the invitation is clear and urgent. But if you want to keep those volunteers, and attract even more, then the focus must be on the experience of the volunteer, not the task that they are performing. We all know when we are a means to an end. And most of us are cool with that if we believe in the cause. But in most cases, people must be provided an experience in which they can personalize their volunteer work, and internalize their motivations for being there. (For more explanation on motivation and volunteering read this blog post: Want Good Volunteers?)

Shifting gears


People are googleized, branded and experiential. If those of us who recruit and manage volunteers are going to be successful, we’ve got to account for these changes. Here are some initial thoughts that might encourage the necessary adjustments:

  1. Create regular and easy opportunities to volunteer. And I mean really easy. No police checks. No lengthy registration forms. No liability forms. No prior-to event sign up. Instead, find an event that can be held once a month, if not weekly. Make it easy for groups, families as well as individuals to attend. Most organizations I’ve worked with cannot even imagine how this is possible. It is. It just takes a little work, and some imagination. Mostly, it takes a willingness to admit that the thing not working now, aren’t going to start working anytime soon. Like it or not, change is required.
  2. Instead of using volunteers as a means to an end, use the tasks volunteers perform as the means to an end. It is the experience volunteers have and not the tasks they perform that is the point. Focus on the experience, and you’ll discover the commitment and productivity of your volunteers grow.
  3. Ensure that the experience involves close proximity between your community or cause and your volunteers. This is an essential part of volunteers internalizing the experience and discovering very personal and compelling reasons to invest in your organization.
  4. Only spend time on people who are worth spending time with. (Trust me. Sometimes the seemingly selfish moves are the best for everyone in the long run.) If people come back, and they demonstrate a keen interest in what you’re doing as an organization, then they are the prime candidates for your efforts.
Chris Jarvis
Senior Consultant, Realized Worth, Toronto, Canada 416-567-2004
Email me; chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
Join our Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter @RealizedWorth
Check out My LinkedIn Profile

September 17, 2009 | 5:34 PM Comments  0 comments

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Want Good Volunteers? Dump The Altruistic, Find The Self-Interested (Part 2 of 2)
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

Selflessness and altruism make for bad volunteers. Without self-interest, volunteers easily opt out of commitments and objectify those they are trying to help.


Good: just not good enough

When people show up to volunteer for the first time there are multiple reasons behind that decision. Almost certainly, those reasons are extrinsic. A motivation is extrinsic when it exists outside of the person - like an athlete who feels compelled to run harder when he hears the crowd cheer him on. On the other hand, intrinsic motivation exists within us - like when that athlete runs harder because of the pleasure the sport brings. (For more on extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation read Part 1 of this series). When it comes to volunteering, it’s not that extrinsic motivation isn’t good - it’s just not good enough.

Extrinsic motivations aren’t good enough because they don’t last. On the other hand, when our motivation is intrinsic, personal, and tied to our identity, it becomes a priority. If we want people to volunteer with us over the long haul, then we must leave behind the glorified altruistic, for genuine self-interest.

But wait, isn’t volunteering is about giving back? Isn’t it about appreciating how much we have, and helping someone who doesn’t have so much? Volunteering is selfless, isn’t it? Doing good, solving problems, making the world a better place?

It’s Us. Helping Them.

Right?

Well, that’s certainly where we all start. But there comes a point when our good intentions toward others threaten to transform them from people into objects.


My true value

Sunday Suppers in Halifax were held each week in the gym of St Andrews United Church. Our guests were men, women and children experiencing the full spectrum of poverty. Most were dealing with addictions and mental illnesses, many were homeless. We served approximately 150 meals to these families each Sunday. The meals were organized so that over the course of a year thousands of people could experience volunteering. People could show up on a whim without any prior commitment, preparation or experience. I simply oriented them with a 15-minute introduction before serving the meal.

Now, I knew that out of the 50 to 70 volunteers, only a handful would know anything about the issues of poverty, homelessness, addiction or mental illness. I also knew that they sincerely wanted to help in some way. Most of them had intended to serve at Sunday Suppers for some time, but their busy lives had kept them away. That is, until today.

Today, these people had managed to set aside other commitments in order to show up. They were ready to make a difference, feed the hungry, solve a problem. So, I introduced myself and gave a quick sketch of how the meal would operate. Then, I took a few minutes to address our volunteers’ expectations:

“The poor are not a problem to be solved, and we are not going to make a dent in the issues of hunger here today.”

All eyes blinked, clearly asking, “Yes? So what, in fact, are we planning to accomplish by handing out all this food?”

I continued, “We are here to remember who we are; where our true value lies. We have been bombarded all week by messages that try to persuade us that our value is found in the labels on our clothes, the model of our car, the square footage of our house, the letters in our degree, and the tonnage of our consumption. We are driven to buy more, sell more, make more, consume more.”

Many heads nodded in silent, exhausted agreement.

“But none of these things make us valuable. Not any more than the complete lack of these things make our guests - the men, women and children waiting to receive this meal - less valuable.

Rather, we each possess an innate value that transcends these trappings and the frenzied activities of our lives.”

The group had become quiet. Some looked at the floor, others exchanged knowing glances.

“In fact, as a volunteer at this meal, your highest contribution is simply being here. Now don’t get me wrong, we need people to run the meals, wash the dishes and clean the floors,’ I said as I smiled and elbowed the guy next to me. ‘But the most amazing gift you have to offer is the simple message “You are worth it”. By showing up here today for just a couple hours, you’re telling our guests, “You are worth some of my life.”

While you were pressured all week to do more, gain more, become more, these men and women were being told to get off the street, get away from the door, go find a job. Two hours of your life this Sunday afternoon is priceless. Because today we remember together who we are. We remind each other where our true value lies. And we lift each other up in a celebration of life, community and hope.”

The orientation would conclude with a brief prayer of gratitude. Then, we would walk out together to spend time with our guests...and to remember, if only for a few moments, our mutually innate value.


Where our true value lies


At Sunday Suppers, the time volunteers spent among the guests was essential. It was when the line between “us and them” became sufficiently blurred. Who is serving and who is being served? Who really gives, and who receives? Unless we become personally engaged with those we are serving, we will find ourselves working to fix them. Our goal will focus on enabling them to look, act, and talk like “us.” Sure, we want these things for good reasons. Poverty is not a ‘culture’ to be preserved and cherished. It is, rather, a societal class that exists because of systemic injustice and apathy. But there is a defining difference between viewing poverty as an issue to be addressed, and objectifying those affected by poverty by viewing them as a problem to be fixed.

When we are motivated to help someone else we naturally consider what good we can do, what resources we have to offer, and how we can actively be a part of some kind of solution. We want to ‘fix’ something, develop a solution to the problem. We want to make life better. Again, there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as that’s the starting point. If we stay there, with those notions of the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ we will almost certainly begin to objectify people.

Self-interest, not altruism is what makes for a great volunteer. Help your volunteers discover the personal reasons they have for being there. Doing so will ensure their commitment and keep them from objectifying those they are working with.

Chris Jarvis
Senior Consultant, Realized Worth, Toronto, Canada 416-567-2004
Email me; chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com
Join our Facebook Page
Follow me on Twitter @RealizedWorth
Check out My LinkedIn Profile

September 10, 2009 | 3:38 PM Comments  1 comments



50 (plus 1) Great Sites For Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

  • 10 ‘Must Have’ sites on CSR.
  • 10 of the best blogs on CSR.
  • 31 websites with excellent resources, links, media, tools, news and much more.
  • 20 people to follow on twitter who will ensure you know everything there is to know about CSR and Sustainability.
The '10 Must Have' sites on CSR: 3BL Media: A recent newcomer, this site keeps getting better and better. TheCSRminute, a daily video digest covering relevant CSR and Sustainability news, is a fantastic idea. The 3BL team scours the global media to cover some of the most important events and news in the world of CSR. I especially have appreciated the aggressive compilation of leading bloggers in CSR. You'll find them on twitter as theCSRfeed. They are very interactive and are collecting followers fast. APEsphere: The name has multiple meanings, but is an acronym meaning “Agents of Progressive Enterprise”. The site has a broad range of topics within CSR and sustainability. Good writing and helpful content. You can follow the Apebot on twitter or connect directly with the 2 founders Andrew Newton or Angela Peterson Newton Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship: We are big fans of BCCC. They offer good research and are leaders in the field of CSR and Community Engagement. But for some of the good stuff, you have to have a membership, and it’s not cheap. The lowest price is $2000 - yikes! They are on twitter, but are not too active at this point. Business Respect: This is Mallen Baker’s site, and he offers a collection of current news on CSR issues. Great resource section with reviews and rating system - very helpful. BusinessRespect is on twitter also. CSRwire: This site has a huge following and is considered the standard for CSR news. It is an attractive site and easy to use. You can even participate as a member of the community by sharing your articles, video, audio and commentaries. On twitter they are CSRwire but they maintain a modest presence there. Eldis: A massive site with a plethora of free resources. You can create a profile, interact with other members, view information by region, look for jobs, even receive the content free on CD-ROm. Follow Eldis on twitter. Ethical Corporation: This is the online version of the Ethical Corporation magazine published 10 times each year. While the quality of the podcasts is not always the best (background noise and other strange audio sounds) the resources on this site are numerous and of superior quality. They are on twitter as Ethical_Corp. Triple Pundit: You’ll find information and articles about sustainability and business. With over 35 writers and guest bloggers, the perspective and scope is wide and varied. Follow them on twitter. Business in the Community: Located in the UK, this business-led coalition has been around since 1982 and has over 800 members. Good research, publications and case studies. One of my favorite tools is the Jargon Buster. On twitter, they are bitc1. Sustainability Forum: News, discussions, blogs, job postings - this site has it all. It is managed by Fabian Pattberg who also utilizes twitter very well. You can follow him as FabianPattberg. 10 CSR Bloggers you should know about: David Coethica’s Blog: Based in the UK, David always offers insightful and meaningful blog entries for his readers. I’ve even cross-posted some of his articles I appreciate them so much! Follow David on twitter - http://twitter.com/davidcoethica Business Musings: Ramesh is from India, but lives and works in China. He is on a sabbatical after many years of corporate life. As part of the process, he has decided to discuss his thinking on business and corporate responsibility via his blog. I enjoy reading an informed perspective from the other side of the globe. Corporate and Responsible: Lucia Candu writes her blog from New York city, having recently relocated from the Eastern European country of Moldova. She has a wealth of experience in the business, nonprofit and government sectors which is evident as she writes about CSR, sustainability, corporate citizenship and ethical business. Crane and Matten blog: Andrew Crane and Dirk Matten are professors at the Schulich School of Business (York University located here in Toronto). They manage to offer a blog that’s both accessible and yet solidly academic. You can read this blog with confidence, knowing that the perspectives and insights are well informed. FabianPatterg.com: Fabian Pattberg’s blog is a companion to his Sustainability Forum site and his twitter activity. His blog rounds out the picture nicely. Follow Fabian on twitter - http://twitter.com/FabianPattberg Mallen Baker: This site is a staple for anyone doing anything with CSR. Mr Baker knows what he’s talking about - and he’s talking about pretty much everything CSR. Follow Mallen on twitter - http://twitter.com/MallenBaker CSR-Reporting: Want to know how to read a CSR report? Wondering what a CSR report is and what purpose it serves? Do you enjoy good writing about ice cream? Then you have to read Elaine Cohen’s blog (she writes a lot about ice cream - she just likes it a lot). Follow Elaine on twitter - http://twitter.com/elainecohen (and notice the icecream on her page!!) CSR International: Anyone interested in CSR will eventually come across Wayne Visser, a professor of CSR at Cambridge, and the founder of CSR International. He is very active in the field, and offers a unique and candid voice on the topic. Follow Wayne on twitter - http://twitter.com/waynevisser The Business Ethics Blog: Chris MacDonald teaches philosophy at Saint Mary’s University in my hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Recently we got together and hosted a tweetup here in Toronto. His is a well written and insightful blog, rounding out the issues of CSR by looking at things from the perspective of ethics. Follow Chris on twitter - http://twitter.com/ethicsblogger Evolving Choice: Aaron Fu and Katherine Liew write a very accessible blog on Sustainability and CSR. Having both been educated in Australia, and with Aaron now working in Prague, there is a certain eclectic quality in regional perspective (which I like). Follow Aaron on twitter http://twitter.com/AaronQFu - as well as Katherine - http://twitter.com/katherineliew 30 (plus 1) sites to complete your CSR favorites list: Accountability: A global Nonprofit pushing the CSR agenda forward. Accountability-Central: A fantastic site, easy to use with great information, resources and links. Business for Social Responsibility: A consulting company providing good information and perspective on events in the world of CSR. B Corporation: Limited resources and news information, but a 'must' site for any business serious about CSR. Caux Round Table: Decent resources and a global perspective. Chlorogy: A new site I’m just making my way around, Chlorogy offers a diverse and extensive perspective on CSR and Sustainability. Corporate Citizenship Briefing: Good news coverage and analysis. I’ve found some great free research on this site. Corporate Knights: A Canadian product, they may actually have the world’s largest circulation for a magazine with an explicit focus on corporate responsibility. CRO, Corporate Responsibility Officer: Decent information, but the site layout isn’t my favorite. Corporate Social Responsibility Europe: Basically CSR news from Europe. CSR-NEWS.net: An attractive site with good news coverage, but you have to pay $70 for the research and articles. Ethical Performance: An okay site, but for the good stuff you need an expensive subscription. Force for Good: I’ve just started using this site, and I’m enjoying the site’s layout and accessibility. Forum for Future: A focus on sustainability. Good resources. Good Magazine: This online version of the magazine is out to do some good. Period. Fun and informative, there’s not a stuffy attitude to be found here. Goodness: Want to see how businesses stack up in the ratings? This site offers an interesting transparency and scoring system. Global Reporting Initiative: This reporting focused site is a necessary part of anybody’s CSR resource list. International Business Leaders Forum: A UK site covering Sustainability and business. International Institute for Sustainable Development: A Canadian site with a focus on Sustainability. Institute of Business Ethics: Not entirely helpful, and you pretty much have to pay for all the publications. Actually not sure why I am including this one. Jantzi Research: If you’re in Canada, you’ll want to bookmark this link. If not, then probably not. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard (The CSR Initiative): A decent selection of working papers and other research. Hey, it’s Harvard. Project Label: I love this site. If you want to know how a company rates when it comes to CSR, then this site’s for you. You can even make contributions to the rating profile. I spend way too much time here. Social Innovations Conversations: Don’t want to read your CSR news? Then this site’s for you. Great topics, excellent guests and good quality. Small Business Journey: If you’re a small to medium size business interested in CSR, then this site will be a very helpful resource. Stanford Social Innovation Review: This is the online version of Stanford’s magazine (which is impossible to find in Canada by the way). A decent site with good information for the Nonprofit side of the discussion. Sustainability: This global consultancy/think-tank offers decent research for free. The Center for Corporate Sustainability: All about Sustainability and environmental issues. I like the link list, but I can’t figure why it’s not hyper-linked to the actual sites. Transparency International: These whistle blowers are all about putting the spotlight on corrupt corporations and business practices around the world. They’ll point you in the right direction for news and articles related to corporate transparency (or the lack of it). World Business Council for Sustainable Development: A bit boring layout, but good links and information. UN Global Compact: This site needs to be in your bookmark list. Why? It’s the United Nations for pete’s sake!


August 25, 2009 | 3:52 PM Comments  0 comments



Carrot v. Stick
Translations available in: English (original) | French | Spanish | Italian | German | Portuguese | Swedish | Russian | Dutch | Arabic

GUEST BLOG POST: Alyson Genovese is a freelance consultant on issues related to sustainability, corporate social responsibility, public affairs, and employee engagement. She has over 15 years of experience in the private, nonprofit and academic sectors. Alyson may be reached at alyson.genovese@gmail.com.




Many argue that corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a practice is derived from the fact that companies failed to create trust and relationships with its stakeholders. Enron, WorldCom, AIG… CSR was born into a world because of failure, lack of oversight and is a concept that we must compel companies to follow. This stance has never sat right with me, as it makes CSR a dirty word that ethical and progressive companies shouldn’t subscribe.

Our culture often focused on the negative and minimum standards. No Child Left Behind. Sarbanes-Oxley. Now, certainly those have their place and I don’t mean to imply otherwise. However, the need to treat reaching such standards as exemplary simply reinforces that going above and beyond is not necessary. And when companies are found to be grossly negligent or perpetrate wrongs (Royal Dutch/Shell a most recent example), consumers do have a responsibility to say “no” with our dollar. However, why is that the end of the story? By focusing only on boycotting the negative, consumers end up spending our dollars in middle of the road companies that simply are able to be better by being average.

So when I stumbled upon Carrot Mob's site for the first time the other day, it’s no surprise that I nearly fell in love. The simple concept is that, as consumers, we must reward those companies in our communities that are making positive, socially responsible changes to their businesses. We reward them by shopping in their stores, using their services and recommending their company to our friends and family. Carrot Mob represents an attitudinal change that is simple and poignant. The image of thousands of customers descending on businesses with their wallets rather than picket signs makes me smile. The celebration of innovation and mindfulness in building profitable companies is something that, as consumers, we should seek out.

The tough part is that it puts – once again – the responsibility onto consumers to be thoughtful in where we shop and do business. There are groups throughout the country that make it easier to find such gems – The Green Alliance is here in my local corner of the world. They help companies communicate their efforts and impact to consumers and other stakeholders, so we can make informed purchasing decisions. It’s also time for me to start telling my kids why we DO shop places rather than just why we DON’T shop in others.

Turning CSR into a carrot, rather than a stick.

July 24, 2009 | 6:10 PM Comments  0 comments



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