Taking Corporate Social Responsibility to the next level would make it a sustainable, built in strategy that delivers tangible business benefits – but is this really possible? IN THESE TIMES? Tiffany Kelly explains how moving beyond philanthropy is the obvious next step.

Blessing in Disguise

They say that we are living in "unprecedented" times! Short hand for “it’s never happened before and no one really knows what to do". However, the turmoil that has hit the banking world and has caused huge falls in global share prices is bound to have a knock on effect on corporate and individual philanthropy.

Now more than ever the sustainability of businesses in the changing world is a major concern for key stakeholders and often corporate giving is a tick in the box and the signing of a cheque. Bigger issues like attracting and retaining talented individuals, consumer loyalty and keeping ahead of the ever-emerging local and international competition has business consumed. We are spending our time constantly reacting to issues rather than seeing them as opportunities for positive, sustainable change.

The Times editorial (London, Tuesday October 14th 2008) states that the '...financial crisis has exposed capitalism's darkest imperfections. But it is still the best hope we have of creating wealth and opportunity for the many.'

To go beyond philanthropy we have to move away from a boom and bust society that is only chasing each quarter's sales target and toward creating a new kind of organisation that recognizes its place in a wider society in terms of its responsibilities, its integrity and ability to sustain itself through positive, profitable activity.

New Business Model: Doing well by doing good

It is time for organizations to look at a new business model around the concept of ‘doing well by doing good’. In Impact International, over the last 12 months we have completely reengineered our business model around this concept. We have called this new proposition ‘Creating and Leading Sustainable Enterprise’ and have been developing key leaders from global organizations with significant business results.

Take for example the leadership development programme that we ran for Senior Sony Marketing Managers in Europe – ‘Mission Critical Marketing’ that met Sony’s objectives while addressing the marketing needs of a major charity, Sight Savers International. We brought together the two organizations in Geneva and tasked the Sony team with delivering a new marketing strategy for the charity in an approach to development that held enormous significance for all involved.

Senior Managers at Sony Europe were delighted with the programme. When asked about the impact on the business, Louise Tunbridge, Senior Manager – People and Organizational Development at Sony Europe said “Using the parallel challenges within the NGO’s brief, this event enabled us to address the challenges of strategic marketing in our organization. Plus the team found extra motivation from the fact that their marketing expertise was able to really help Sight Savers.”

There is strong support for philanthropy and it definitely has a place in the Corporate Social Responsibility world but for organizations looking to make a sustainable difference in the world at the same time as delivering against the bottom line, long-term win-win relationships have to be the way forward.

Impact believes that there is now a new opportunity to create a more caring and responsible form of capitalism. Capitalism that is still governed by market forces, where making a profit is a key requirement for success but where a real long term engagement with social and environmental issues, creating solutions that benefit people and the planet, will better ensure the sustainability of the enterprise.

We believe that the financial crisis has created an opportunity for organizations to reengineer their business models and become sustainable enterprises that 'do well by doing good'.
Taking Corporate Social Responsibility to the next level would make it a sustainable, built in strategy that delivers tangible business benefits – but is this really possible? IN THESE TIMES? Tiffany Kelly explains how moving beyond philanthropy is the obvious next step.

Blessing in Disguise

They say that we are living in "unprecedented" times! Short hand for “it’s never happened before and no one really knows what to do". However, the turmoil that has hit the banking world and has caused huge falls in global share prices is bound to have a knock on effect on corporate and individual philanthropy.

Now more than ever the sustainability of businesses in the changing world is a major concern for key stakeholders and often corporate giving is a tick in the box and the signing of a cheque. Bigger issues like attracting and retaining talented individuals, consumer loyalty and keeping ahead of the ever-emerging local and international competition has business consumed. We are spending our time constantly reacting to issues rather than seeing them as opportunities for positive, sustainable change.

The Times editorial (London, Tuesday October 14th 2008) states that the '...financial crisis has exposed capitalism's darkest imperfections. But it is still the best hope we have of creating wealth and opportunity for the many.'

To go beyond philanthropy we have to move away from a boom and bust society that is only chasing each quarter's sales target and toward creating a new kind of organisation that recognizes its place in a wider society in terms of its responsibilities, its integrity and ability to sustain itself through positive, profitable activity.

New Business Model: Doing well by doing good

It is time for organizations to look at a new business model around the concept of ‘doing well by doing good’. In Impact International, over the last 12 months we have completely reengineered our business model around this concept. We have called this new proposition ‘Creating and Leading Sustainable Enterprise’ and have been developing key leaders from global organizations with significant business results.

Take for example the leadership development programme that we ran for Senior Sony Marketing Managers in Europe – ‘Mission Critical Marketing’ that met Sony’s objectives while addressing the marketing needs of a major charity, Sight Savers International. We brought together the two organizations in Geneva and tasked the Sony team with delivering a new marketing strategy for the charity in an approach to development that held enormous significance for all involved.

Senior Managers at Sony Europe were delighted with the programme. When asked about the impact on the business, Louise Tunbridge, Senior Manager – People and Organizational Development at Sony Europe said “Using the parallel challenges within the NGO’s brief, this event enabled us to address the challenges of strategic marketing in our organization. Plus the team found extra motivation from the fact that their marketing expertise was able to really help Sight Savers.”

There is strong support for philanthropy and it definitely has a place in the Corporate Social Responsibility world but for organizations looking to make a sustainable difference in the world at the same time as delivering against the bottom line, long-term win-win relationships have to be the way forward.

Impact believes that there is now a new opportunity to create a more caring and responsible form of capitalism. Capitalism that is still governed by market forces, where making a profit is a key requirement for success but where a real long term engagement with social and environmental issues, creating solutions that benefit people and the planet, will better ensure the sustainability of the enterprise.

We believe that the financial crisis has created an opportunity for organizations to reengineer their business models and become sustainable enterprises that 'do well by doing good'.