Philanthropy

I was in the airport on my way home from a day-long meeting facilitation, and the guy next to me said, “Are you a consultant?” We consultants are a dime a dozen in the airport, and we’re easy to spot (You know the look: suit, computer on lap, phone to ear, plugged into the wall). I nodded, and he said, “What are you telling your clients about the change in administration? How are you helping them prepare?” He had no idea what kind of consultant I was, but it didn’t matter. The question is pertinent to anyone who works for or with organizations in for-profit, government, and nonprofit sectors. Every time the administration changes, organizations of all types face the same question: What do I need to do in order to be prepared?

In part one, we covered 3 secrets to building employee engagement through your workplace giving program. We hope they helped you bump up your employee participation and strengthen your foundation for success.

Having had the privilege to work with hundreds of enterprise companies — many of which are part of the Fortune 1000 — we're often asked about what works best when it comes to workplace giving programs. Companies want to know how to get the greatest social and business outcomes out of their programs and we want to help. The first and last thing to remember? The goal of your giving programs must be employee engagement. This may seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning because many programs aren’t designed with this goal in mind.

The James M. Cox Foundation announced a $2 million contribution to help fund Centennial Olympic Park’s renovation and expansion. The park served as a focal point during the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Herndon, VA (December 19, 2016) – The Volkswagen Group of America Foundation, created by Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA), announced today that it has donated $50,000 to the Dollywood Foundation’s My People Fund, in support of relief and recovery assistance efforts following the devastating wildfires in Tennessee.

Duke Energy is giving $200,000 to seven nonprofit organizations in eastern North Carolina to help with rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricane Matthew last fall.

Edison makes every effort to be an engaged corporate citizen in the communities it serves. Employees take pride in being a part of the fabric that helps strengthen their neighborhoods and eagerly participate in opportunities to give back through their participation in the annual employee giving and volunteer campaigns; memberships in employee resource groups (ERGs); participation in the year-round Matching Gift Program; and employee-led fundraising/donation drives.

The Grand Prize Winners were announced today for Keep America Beautiful’s “How Will You … End Littering?” Video Contest, which was open to students from grades 9-12.

US sustainable, responsible and impact (SRI) investing continues to expand. The total US-domiciled assets under management using SRI strategies grew from $6.57 trillion at the start of 2014 to $8.72 trillion at the start of 2016, an increase of 33 percent.

Corporate responsibility consultant and writer Susan McPherson spoke with industry leaders across multiple business sectors in a January 19 article for Forbes about the trends in CSR they see for the year ahead. Liba Rubenstein, 21CF's newly appointed SVP of Social Impact, was among those interviewed, and she discussed the business world's unique capacity to bring about social change, as well as the importance of clear, captivating storytelling to a successful CSR strategy.