Cause Consulting News & Travels Related Content

Risa Sherman presented at a CSR-intensive seminar at the Simmons College School of Management. The course, “CSR: Managing People, Planet and Profits,” discusses the business challenges and benefits of CSR. Professor Shuili Du, explains “Risa delivered an exceptional talk and … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman was a panelist at a Boston Foundation’s Understanding Boston series event, an initiative focused on public health, educational events and research to provide information and insight into the Boston region’s issues.  The panel, “Rebranding Public Health: Building the … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman judged the 17th Annual Net Impact Competition for the Boston University Graduate Net Impact chapter. Based on a case study about Keurig, students had to identify key CSR initiatives on which the company should focus over the next … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman delivered the Distinguished Alumni Lecture at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.  The lecture “CSR: Creating New Value for Companies, Brands and Society,” focused on the evolution of CSR, the importance of embedding CSR in business … Continue reading →

For the second year, Nikki Korn facilitated the session Innovation in Corporate Citizenship at the International Corporate Citizenship Conference 2012 hosted by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. The session focused on how companies are offering innovative products and … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman facilitated the session Issue and Risk Management at the International Corporate Citizenship Conference 2012 hosted by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. The session focused on how companies asses risk in addressing the concerns of society, investors … Continue reading →

Corporate Responsibility Magazine ranks Cause Consulting #2 on its list of top firms specializing in corporate responsibility and communications.  This biennial ranking of consulting agencies is based on customer satisfaction surveys and marketplace research.  In 2012, Cause Consulting rates second … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman will join Boston Beer Company’s Michelle Sullivan and ACCIÓN’s Shaolee Sen in the breakout session, “Anatomy of a Campaign,” at the 2012 Cause Marketing Forum. All three will share insights behind the Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream program. For more information on this … Continue reading →

Tali Golan served as a judge for the 2011-2012 Social Impact Exchange Business Plan Competition. The competition identifies social sector initiatives with demonstrated impact and readiness to scale – and supports them with financial and consulting awards. Tali judged U.S.-based … Continue reading →

Deborah Leipziger provided an expert opinion on trends in CSR and examples of best practices in a CNBC article on the high profile of CSR at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Read the article on CNBC.

Mark Feldman and Nikki Korn taught a workshop on corporate citizenship communications as part of the week long BCCCC Corporate Citizenship Management Academy, a professional development and certificate program for corporate citizenship managers held at the Boston College Carroll School … Continue reading →

Cause Consulting has joined the Billion + Change campaign by pledging to provide hundreds of hours of pro-bono services to non-profits. The campaign aims to encourage companies across America to start or expand their skills-based volunteer programs in order to … Continue reading →

Cause Consulting was proud to be a Youth Design partner and the sponsor of the 2011 Youth Design Time to Design Competition. View the winning social issue campaigns designed by urban high school teens.
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Mark Feldman moderated a session on breakthrough cause programs at the Conference Board Community Involvement Conference. The conversation centered on innovative approaches to integrating philanthropy and business investments. Companies and organizations on the panel include the Acumen Fund, the Boston … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman facilitated the first annual AMD Changing the Game partner summit in New York City. Through AMD’s signature philanthropy initiative, the company works with more than 25 partner organizations around the globe to engage less advantaged middle and high … Continue reading →

I often say that one of my life’s purposes is to bear witness to the stories of human suffering and joy, to improve on and honor these circumstances, and to tell those stories.

And that theme could not have echoed more loudly than over the past twos days I spent at the 11^thAnnual Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago. For the past nine years companies, nonprofits, and those of us who work with them to create meaningful, high impact programs, have gathered to share tales of success, missteps and growth in our field.

The tales we tell are those of partnerships, programs, societal issues and needs, and, most importantly, narratives of the people and places whose state in our world is better as a consequence of our collective work. Continue reading →

Tali Golan served as a judge for the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) New England Regional Business Plan Competition held at Babson College.  The competition is the culmination of NFTE’s “mini-MBA” class for high school students that inspires young people … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman joined Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream partners, Boston Beer Company and ACCION USA, at the Microfinance USA 2011 Conference in New York. Over 850 people attended the second nationwide conference on U.S. microfinance. Jim Koch, founder of … Continue reading →

Nikki Korn facilitated a panel on Corporate Social Responsibility: A Rich Opportunity to Storytelling at the Filmmakers Collaborative’s annual conference called “Making Media Now” at Bentley University.  The audience of independent film-makers learned about CSR, the needs of the community … Continue reading →

Nikki Korn led the breakout session, “How Corporate Citizenship Fuels Business Innovation,” at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The panel included corporate citizenship professionals from eBay, Umpqua Bank, and Best Buy. Read about the session.

Mark Feldman led the breakout session, “Balancing Brand and Corporate Citizenship,” at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Annual Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The panel included corporate citizenship professionals from the Toyota USA Foundation, Adobe, and AstraZeneca Canada. Read about the … Continue reading →

Risa Sherman judged the Boston University Net Impact annual case competition where teams of MBA students from across Boston competed to solve a business challenge dealing with current issues in sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Teams of four students … Continue reading →

Nikki Korn and Mark Feldman taught a day-long training program for a select group of corporate practitioners on “Maximizing Signature Cause Programs” with the Association for Corporate Contributions Professionals (AACP). Highlights of the workshop include an assessment of key trends and best practices … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman led an interactive session on the “Power of Public/Private Collaboration” at Boston’s Institute for Social Innovation, the 5-day opening gathering of the StartingBloc Fellowship at Tufts’ Fletcher School of Business, where fellows learn about social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, cross … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman spoke at Babson College on a panel that brought together corporate practitioners and thought leaders who have helped define the field of corporate social responsibility. Moderated by Cheryl Kiser, Managing Director of the Lewis Institute and Executive Director of … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman led this session on best practices in developing effective partnerships between companies and non‐profit organizations at the Annual United Neighborhod Centers of America (UNCA) member summit.  Participants included executives from the nation’s largest place-based community centers and settelement … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman taught a three day CSR communications strategy class as part of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship professional development curriculum in Phoenix, AZ October 20-22.  This course covers: defining business objectives; profiling target audiences; understanding traditional and … Continue reading →

Nikki Korn provided counsel to companies on creating meaningful, sustainable corporate volunteer programs in this Inc. Magazine article. Nikki provided advice on selecting the right project, engaging internal team in decision making, and creating a two-way dialogue between companies and … Continue reading →

The Cause Consulting team led a workshop on maximizing corporate volunteers and utilizing the skills of employees for attendees of the Annual Points of Light National Conference on Community Service and Volunteerism.

Mark Feldman outlines the pressures that are leading more and more business-to-business companies to enhance and communicate their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in The Corporate Citizen, a publication of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. Read the article.

Corporate Responsibility Magazine ranked Cause Consulting #3 on its Top Ten list of firms specializing in corporate responsibility and communications. Cause Consulting ranked third in overall client satisfaction and second in breadth of services. This first-ever listing of consulting agencies … Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

As I travel back from the Points of Light Institute’s Presidential Summit on Community Service, hosted by Former President Bush (41) and President Obama, I am inspired by the direction and fresh momentum of the national and community volunteerism movement. Discussions have moved well beyond volunteerism as a “nice to do” or “a civic responsibility,” toward a focus on using service as a tool to achieve targeted social outcomes. Continue reading →

Risa Sherman was a guest lecturer at the Simmons College School of Management where she spoke about “Signature Philanthropy Program Development” at a class entitled Corporate Social Responsibility taught by Dr. Shuili Du, Professor of Marketing. Read more information about … Continue reading →

We are having a busy Summer working and playing. We hope you are too. Here are some highlights from our world: Brewing the American Dream on CNN;ARAMARK released case study; FutureStage took over Broadway; and the Black Eyed Peas headlined Adobe Youth Voices Live. Continue reading →

When I hear about a theme or a trend that catches my attention, I tuck it away and know I will use it at some point. If I hear about it again in a different circle I know it is an idea that is “bubbling” and is something that will likely resurface, and so I start to think about its relevance to my world. The third time this theme crosses into my domain, I know it is an established conversation that many are having. And in the past 10 days or so, at varied intersections, I have been part of conversations about what it actually takes to work in the CSR field. Is it training? DNA? Professional experience? Formal education? I don’t know the definitive answer, but I do know there is more than one path.  Mostly, I am just thrilled the conversation is actually taking place in numerous circles. Continue reading →

Risa Sherman spoke on the panel, Educating the Next Generation of CSR Communicators, at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) annual conference in Boston.

Cause Consulting team members facilitated two conference workshops on strategic communications for CSR professionals attending Boston College’s annual corporate citizenship conference. The first session, “Maximizing One-to-One Communications,” was on the power of networking and social media; and the second session, … Continue reading →

Mark facilitated a panel discussion on the current CSR-related challenges and trends faced by business-to-business companies at the BC Center for Corporate Citizenship Annual Conference. Panelists included Rebecca Geier, Director or Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at National Instruments; Rick … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman provided insight in the Wall Street Journal on the power that smaller companies can have on social issues when they are focused and strategic with their philanthropy. Read the article.  

Nikki Korn ran a seminar on the “hottest” trends in CSR.  Nikki taught how to integrate cause initiatives into marketing plans at led a lively discussion at Tufts University.  

Mark Feldman provided an expert opinion on the RED Campaign in this article about the challenges it faces around transparency. Read the article in the Christian Science Monitor.

Mark Feldman moderated a panel discussion on best practices in developing signature cause programs at the BC Center for Corporate Citizenship in Boston: “The Corporate Citizenship Journey: Where Does it Begin?” Panelists included Rick Martella, Vice President of Corporate Affairs … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman hosted a webinar on key findings from the Cause Consulting survey: The Greatest Challenges Facing CSR Professionals. This survey, based on one-on-one interviews with CSR practictioners, found that they were consistently challenged by questions related to internal integration, … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman led a plenary session at the MSI Brand Architecture and Corporate Reputation Conference entitled Infusing Cause into Your Brand.  This session disussed the challenges of aligning and integrating cause with both master and product brands.  Read the summary … Continue reading →

Mark Feldman co-authored the best-practice guide to developing strategic Cause Branding initiatives in the Harvard Business Review.  This article emphasizes the importance of taking a strategic approach to developing Cause Brands and signature cause programs. It discusses how to gain … Continue reading →

I often say that one of my life’s purposes is to bear witness to the stories of human suffering and joy, to improve on and honor these circumstances, and to tell those stories.

And that theme could not have echoed more loudly than over the past twos days I spent at the 11^thAnnual Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago. For the past nine years companies, nonprofits, and those of us who work with them to create meaningful, high impact programs, have gathered to share tales of success, missteps and growth in our field.

The tales we tell are those of partnerships, programs, societal issues and needs, and, most importantly, narratives of the people and places whose state in our world is better as a consequence of our collective work. Continue reading →

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. Continue reading →

As I travel back from the Points of Light Institute’s Presidential Summit on Community Service, hosted by Former President Bush (41) and President Obama, I am inspired by the direction and fresh momentum of the national and community volunteerism movement. Discussions have moved well beyond volunteerism as a “nice to do” or “a civic responsibility,” toward a focus on using service as a tool to achieve targeted social outcomes. Continue reading →

When I hear about a theme or a trend that catches my attention, I tuck it away and know I will use it at some point. If I hear about it again in a different circle I know it is an idea that is “bubbling” and is something that will likely resurface, and so I start to think about its relevance to my world. The third time this theme crosses into my domain, I know it is an established conversation that many are having. And in the past 10 days or so, at varied intersections, I have been part of conversations about what it actually takes to work in the CSR field. Is it training? DNA? Professional experience? Formal education? I don’t know the definitive answer, but I do know there is more than one path.  Mostly, I am just thrilled the conversation is actually taking place in numerous circles. Continue reading →