causenation

Scale is the “hot” word and theme that is permeating my work, research and interactions with my peers from the CSR and philanthropy arenas.  How do we scale proven nonprofit models?  How do we scale green business models and innovations?  How can companies take great philanthropic programs and scale them across the globe?  The list of questions goes on…
 
Recently, I joined 75 business leaders in Washington, DC as part of the Progressive Business Leaders Network to share our voice around key policy issues with select representatives from Congress and to hear from them about current “bills in the works.”  We tackled many issues, including sustainability, education, workforce issues, financial reform, among others in a jam packed schedule.  It turns out that no matter the conversation, we consistently returned to a discussion about the challenge of scale. (more…)

I just returned from judging the 2010 Cause Marketing Forum Halo Awards.  And the winners are…. 

Actually, I am sworn to secrecy.  Sorry!  Finalists will be announced June 3^rd at the Annual Cause Marketing Forum Conference.  There truly are some amazing programs to look out for.

One of the best things about being a part of the cause-related world is that our collective field is constantly innovating, evolving, pushing the limits of what might be possible and, ultimately, raising the bar for all of us who practice in this space. It is an amazing experience to be part of a discipline that is old enough to recognize some best practices, yet still young and agile enough to be the source of fertile ground open to exploration. (more…)

The continued research statistics about the continued momentum of the CSR movement and companies’ progress despite a down economy is encouraging.  But recently I saw first-hand that momentum in action – and that was more exciting than any statistic.

A few weeks ago,  I spoke at Simmons College School of Management  at a seminar in CSR theory taught by Dr. Shuili Du, a CSR researcher and professor of marketing.  I found the students smart and well informed and their questions and comments insightful. What has me all jazzed up, though is what happened after I left the class. (more…)

We are having a busy Summer working and playing.  We hope you are too. Here are some highlights from our world:

• Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream was profiled on CNN, highlighting the story of Lucy Valena, one of our first micro-loan recipients.  Watch the segment.  We are proud that over the past year over 250 jobs have been created or saved through the program.
• ARAMARK released a case study on how and why the company created its first-ever signature community program - ARAMARK Building Community.  Patricia Hurley provided the final edits just days ago.  Read the case at causeconsulting.com.
• Nikki Korn joined the Fidelity FutureStage team on Broadway to celebrate the power and importance of arts education at the year-end performance of five plays written and acted by NYC public school students. Watch what Queen Latifah and Elton John had to say at futurestage.com.           (more…)

At causenation, the corporate philanthropy programs we like best are the ones that get us up off the couch with a fist-pumping cheer for the people that cause initiatives help. So today we give a big “You Go Girl!” to Lucy Valena of Voltage Coffee who was featured yesterday on CNN’s American Morning.

I love hanging out with Lucy and drinking her lattes. Her story has inspired me, as I hope it will inspire you. Lucy is just one of the microentrepreneurs who have received a microloan and business coaching through the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program, in partnership with nonprofit microlender ACCION USA.

Lucy is an example of the amazing spirit of small business heroes who put it all on the line every day in dedication to their craft. She is representative of the many independent, small business owners who are the faces of Main Street America. Her business and her life are so inextricably intertwined – the success of one is synonymous with the stability of the other.

During a recent speech, Lucy described her business journey to other passionate entreprenuers. With her permission, I am happy to share it here with you….   “Voltage Coffee is an espresso catering service that strives to (more…)

I recently had the privilege of volunteering along with the employees of our client, Samuel Adams, at their “Speed Coaching” event. Speed Coaching is an integral part of Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, the company’s signature philanthropy program that helps lower-income food and beverage microentrepreneurs build and strengthen their small businesses, realize their dreams, and achieve economic independence. The program offers microloans, and other hard-to-come-by resources, through the Samuel Adams Microloan Fund with nonprofit partner ACCION USA.

Speed Coaching is cool! Building off the idea of Speed Dating (which I’ve only heard about, never experienced) Boston Beer staff, and other volunteers, meet with microentrepreneurs in short, spirited sessions offering their expertise in package design, branding, PR, finance, legal, sales and distribution, and marketing to entrepreneurs who often lack access to networks and mentors who can help them with these aspects of running a small business. Entrepreneurs spend the evening rotating through the discipline specific stations for 20 minutes each – getting practical tips, directional advice and ideas. Some entrepreneurs brought their food, others brought logos and package concepts, yet others came with a specific business problem they needed help solving. (more…)

Despite the economic downturn and tightening budgets, it seems the opportunities to speak, learn, and network in the CSR and Citizenship world are proliferating.  How can CSR professionals get the smartest bang for our conference buck?    

We sat down with veteran conference planners, turned executive speaker consultants, Lori Zetlin and Jeanne Tee, of S3 – Strategic Speaker Services, whose clients include IBM, Fed Ex, and NetApp, to get their take on the rapidly evolving world of CSR conferences.

causenation: It seems there are more CSR and Citizenship conferences than ever – even in this economy.  Why do you think this is happening?

S3:  We’ve been tracking CSR conferences since the early days of BSR and the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, and without a doubt there are more this year than ever before. (more…)

To be successful today as corporate citizenship / corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals, there are few excuses for not knowing your company’s activities and business cold.  

As hundreds of corporate executives gather for the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Annual Conference, it is time for a POP QUIZ – how well do you know your business?

How did you do?

If you scored 5/6, well  done!  Our guess is that if you are that connected to your business, then are you are probably also driving citizenship activities toward business results.  Most likely you are positioning CSR as a set of solutions and have already earned a seat at numerous strategy tables.  Please share your journey with causenation. 

If you scored 3/6, you get a (more…)

As President Obama and Congress go to work trying to breathe life into the economy, we thought it wise to take the pulse of causenation and see how it’s fairing in these strained times. We talked with dozens of folks from across the spectrum of professionals who have some skin in the Citizenship game.

What we’re hearing across the board – from foundation heads to corporate CSR teams, from corporate communications VPs to community relations and public affairs managers is this: Everyone is tightening their belts and trying to do more with the same or fewer resources. But the real challenge they are facing is how to meet the demands of the economy and continue to move the ball forward on their Citizenship efforts. Because no one we talked to is getting pushback that Citizenship is any less of a priority, in fact, just the opposite. The emphasis is great; the resources just aren’t the same.

So we’re asking, how can we continue to sow the seeds of Citizenship? How can we hold tight to the traction that corporate America has been gaining on critical business and social objectives at this time when the country needs stability and progress most? While few seem to be able to do anything new, we think it is precisely the right time to renew – commitments, assets, partnerships, and strategies.

(more…)

I can still see the proud faces of the Adobe Youth Voices teens as they watched their videos shown behind the Black Eyed Peas as they performed at the hottest new club in Los Angeles.

It was a night right out of the pages of People with music industry stars, paparazzi flashes, fabulous fashion, and the all-important colored carpet. Except this carpet was not red, but green, to signify the coming together of the Black Eyes Peas and the Adobe Foundation around their shared commitment to youth. (more…)