Causenation
A blog by Cause Consulting
A Pep Talk: Calling on Social Impact Professionals to Be Bold
Leadership, or lack of leadership, is a hot topic right now on many fronts, including within the business world. With so many urgent challenges across the globe, deeply troubling local tragedies, and ongoing community concerns, it’s a critical moment for professionals at all levels to step up, get engaged, and lead. Check out three tips for social impact leaders to navigate increased scrutiny, trust themselves, and lead with courage.
5 Ways to Advance Your Corporate Community Investment Efforts
Today more than ever, corporate community investment work demands flexible and adaptive approaches. Social impact professionals need to regularly assess strategies, aligning them with the shifting community needs and expectations of stakeholders, as well as emerging trends. Explore these 5 ways to advance your corporate community investment efforts.
Preparing Companies to Respond to Pressing Societal Issues
We entered this year’s Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals Annual Conference with many varied emotions as we watched the news about the terrorist attacks in Israel and the humanitarian crisis. Mark Feldman and I felt sadness, anger, and empathy, in...
When + How to Take a Stand: Emerging Issue Action Model
When and how should companies take a stand on societal issues? Cause Consulting’s Emerging Issue Action Model provides a three-step approach to diagnose situations and determine appropriate action.
Advancing the “Social” in ESG; 5 Essential Actions
“How should we address the ‘S’ in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practice?” In 2021, I shared my five keys, the “S-Five,” to maximizing corporate social impact as part of overall ESG strategy. More than two years later, this question continues to be...
6 Tips to Evaluate + Strengthen Your Signature Social Impact Program
How to align with business strategy, engage employees, and identify a unique social impact opportunity.
3 Ways Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) Can Amplify Your Social Impact
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have become vital to corporate DEI efforts. Discover how ERGs can drive social impact, enhance engagement in volunteer giving and service, and connect with local communities to create meaningful change. Explore these three strategies to harness your ERG community’s potential and align DEI with corporate responsibility goals.
Navigating Pressing Social Issues: Expert Tips for Purposeful Action
Business leaders must constantly grapple with addressing the wide range of pressing social issues, crises, and controversies that continuously come across their desks. From the horrors of natural disasters, mass shootings, and war, to debates around abortion, LGBTQiA+...
Prioritizing Mental Health for Employees and Communities
Mental health has become a topic that companies can no longer shy away from, especially in a post-pandemic future; it's something that affects consumers, employees, and the rest of their stakeholders. In 2009 while working on the front lines as a member of Bellevue...
Recognizing the Role of Volunteerism in Social Sustainability
Every company wants to achieve sustainability in their operations, performance, and the value they deliver to stakeholders. When most people hear the term sustainability in relation to environmental, social, and governance (ESG), they think of environmental...
Harness the Power of Social Impact Modeling
Embracing an impact model will set you up for success, and allow you to test and continuously learn as you refine your social impact program.
6 Tips for Writing Your First ESG Report
Companies of all sizes and stages of development are feeling new pressures to write Environmental Social Governance (ESG) and Corporate Responsibility (CR) reports for the first time. Check out these six report writing strategies to set you up for success.
5 Keys to Prioritizing the “Social” in ESG
“How should we address the ‘S’ in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practice?” With increasing frequency, corporate executives are asking me this question as they try to better understand renewed public reporting and business practice expectations from...
Corporate Social Impact Advice: Setting Strategy
View Cause Consulting’s Mark Feldman feature in Forbes, where he provides advice around the importance of crafting a robust social impact point of view and narrative.
A New Mindset for Social Impact: The Community Without Walls
Learn how companies can create social impact programs and apply social impact strategies that embrace the mindset of a community without walls.
How to Align Social Impact and Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Strategies
The infusion of fresh and significant resources by companies to create new community-focused diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives is one of the silver linings during this unsettling time. However, architecting initiatives that help advance DEI goals and...
Leadership Tips for Social Impact Professionals During COVID-19
Covid-19 has many of us in the corporate responsibility arena pondering “what’s next” for corporate social impact. The tips in this piece respond to an array of questions I’ve been discussing every day. “How can I guide my company in re-imagining its social impact and...
How Companies Can Re-imagine Social Impact in a COVID-19 World
During this time of COVID-19 and increased racial unrest, corporate leaders are recognizing the need and opportunity to carefully re-consider their community investment and corporate social impact strategies. Seeing their company’s future success as even more closely...
What’s Now and Next: Putting The Power of Corporate Voice Into Play
It’s time for leaders to be “real and raw,” giving voice to a collective message that we are in this COVID-19 fight together. Clarity, facts, global storytelling, themes of humanity, togetherness, and hope are what inspire me, and what I look for in evaluating...
What’s Next: Corporate Social Impact Strategy in a COVID-19 World
So, what does a company’s social impact portfolio of strategic efforts look like in the future? Many have had programs for decades which respond to social and environmental concerns and natural disasters, but what about a world after a global public health pandemic? ...
Serving More Than Food
My love for the restaurant business runs deep. Having spent most of my career working cross-functionally in the industry, I can’t get enough of the different concepts, innovation, partnerships but especially the people. It’s because of the people that the toll of...
Companies Activate What They Do Best to Address COVID-19
I believe the strongest social impact strategies leverage a company’s core expertise and reach. I like to think about this as a company activating its “special sauce” – the unique skill sets, research & development processes, creative approaches, communications...
Making Small Business Our Business During COVID-19
From the local coffee shop that knows my preferred beverage to the barber shop that has been cutting my family’s hair for four generations to the childcare center that we trust, these businesses create neighborhood culture, foster community vibrancy and make me feel...
Steps to Remain Positive, Connected and Focused During Social Distancing
Working in the social impact and CSR arenas has become more challenging, inspiring and rewarding during the new COVID—19 normal. As we immerse ourselves in ever changing realities and determine how to best respond with smart strategies and continuous planning, I...
COVID-19 Reaching Our Most Vulnerable
We are learning each day from national and local nonprofit and government leaders about the wide-range of upcoming needs and how companies and individuals can focus their energy or support. As you know, our most vulnerable populations are already in need of...
Mark Feldman Gets Personal with Chicago Business Leaders
“I am driven by the power of purpose; thus it is not surprising that purpose has become a core part of Cause Consulting’s work building corporate cultures,” shared Mark Feldman as the guest speaker for Chicago’s business leaders at the Executives Breakfast Club. “It...
Play is NOT Just for Kids – Newsletter #11
Unleashing the Power of Play as We Live and Age Together Many believe play is just for kids - not us! We are proud to be a part of the Ageless Innovation team in creating a movement to address social isolation and loneliness among older adults. At TEDx Providence,...
How to Approach Social Impact Work – Lessons Learned from Athletes
Four lessons on how to approach your social impact work gleaned from watching competitive athletes – A blog by Nikki Korn of Cause Consulting.
How CEOs Can Invest Corporate Tax Cut for Social Impact – Cause Consulting
Advice to help corporate leaders craft effective strategies to drive greater business and social impact impact, inspired by Blackrock CEO Larry Fink’s letter.
Applying Design Thinking for Social Impact – Keynote Address at B:CIVIC
Are you challenged to generate fresh solutions to complex corporate responsibility, business and social problems? Learn how to apply design thinking to unleash new ideas.