Define your messaging.

Don’t strike blindly at different goals, such as preserving rainforests one quarter
and then investing in a community project the next. Come up with causes that resonate with your
business culture, research the kind of support they need, then pick one and stick with it. One is enough
for a small business – and don’t feel pressured to donate more funding or assistance than you can
afford.

Involve your customers. If you haven’t picked a cause yet, come up with a list of alternatives and ask
your web site visitors and Facebook fans to vote on which one they would like to see you support. Or
actively seek their assistance, such as bringing old but usable technology into your store so that you can
donate them to students in underfunded schools. Make sure you offer a potential reward, such as
holding a raffle for all participants.

Create a scorecard. Make sure it features achievable and measurable goals and keep it visible on your
site, tracking your progress. Be honest about any setbacks – you want the tone to be authentic, not
promotional.

Use social media. Don’t just tell your customers what you’re doing; solicit their ideas, experiences, and
concerns to get them invested in your projects. Make sure you use multiple digital platforms – such as
blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and a YouTube channel – to reach people with different media preferences.

Partner with a third party. Forming an alliance with a non-profit will not only lend credibility to your
efforts, but let you benefit from the non-profit’s greater experience in fundraising and philanthropy. The
alliance will also offer an opportunity to blend customers and networks.

Seek publicity. If you’ve never sought media coverage for your business before, this might be the time to
start. Send out a press release about any contests, events or fundraising drives – and reach out to media
outlets that present on green topics as they’ll be apt to give you positive coverage.

Repurpose your CSR reports. Using charts, stories, and photos in your annual reports and newsletters
will appeal to stakeholders and shareholders alike.

1. Develop a vision

Socially responsible behavior in business starts with an awareness of who you are and what you believe
as an organization. Ask yourself questions about your core beliefs, your business strategies, and your
model of success. Once you can answer these questions you can begin searching for programs and
initiatives that fit well with your organization's mission statement. Remember: whatever CSR initiatives
you adopt have to match up with your company's culture and core values. If they don't, there will be a
disconnect, and your customers and employees will notice.

2. Don't just talk a good game

Once you have decided to evaluate socially responsible initiatives and programs for your organization,
take a moment to consider how well the programs fit with your current products and processes. When
looking for socially responsible programs, strive to promote your business as well as your business
practices. If, for example, your business wants to promote a concern for the environment, create a
highly visible connection between what you say and how you act. In this ever-more-transparent age, any
hypocrisy, or even a perception of hypocrisy, can seriously damage your CSR efforts. Companies that
launch a plant-a-tree program one week to great fanfare, only to make the news the following week in a
toxic-waste scandal, clearly don't get what CSR is all about.

3. Launch strong and monitor intensely

Once you have designed your CSR program you'll want to create awareness and implement your
initiatives effectively, but don't forget to create ongoing procedures for monitoring how well these
initiatives work. Big banners, clever advertising, and slogans that create a stir can get your message out,
but monitoring the program's success, and how well it meshes with your established business practices,
are what really count. In fact, assessing how well you can monitor the program long-term may help you
decide whether it's right for you at this time.

4. Consider your customers' needs and preferences

Evaluate CSR programs in the context of meeting your customers' needs, because you need them to be
on board. The good news is that most people support ethical business practices. Customers want to buy
from and support businesses that are doing good in the world. However, keep your customers' needs in
mind when promoting or adopting costly programs, or programs that don't fit your with customers'
needs, values, and philosophies.

5. Use CSR to enhance talent recruitment

By practicing or implementing programs that promote corporate social responsibility, your organization
will attract enthusiastic, educated, and talented employees who value your initiatives and philosophies.
When your organization is populated with people who embrace and involve themselves with your CSR
program, and who truly believe in its values, it is easier to seamlessly integrate, maintain, and promote
such programs into day-to-day operations. This can create a virtuous circle, as success begets success,
powered by people who are committed to and aligned behind your vision.

1. Innovation: Johnson & Johnson

An excellent example of CSR is global giant Johnson & Johnson. They have focused on reducing their
impact on the planet for three decades. Their initiatives range from leveraging the power of the wind to
providing safe water to communities around the world. Its purchase of a privately-owned energy
supplier in the Texas Panhandle allowed the company to reduce pollution while providing a renewable,
economical alternative to electricity. The company continues to seek out renewable energy options with
the goal to procure 35% of their energy needs from renewable sources.

2. Google

Google is trusted not only for its environmentally friendly initiatives but also due to their outspoken CEO
Sundar Pichai. He stands up against social issues including President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim
comments. Google also earned RI’s highest CSR score much in part due to their data center using 50%
less energy than others in the world. They also have committed over $1 billion to renewable energy
projects and enable other businesses to reduce their environmental impact through services such as
Gmail

3. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s massive fleet of delivery trucks contributed 3.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to
the world. They have made major changes to their supply chain practices including investing in new
alternatively fueled trucks. Their initiatives are intended to create a 25% reduction in their carbon
footprint by 2020

4. Ford Motor CompanyFord plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions using their EcoBoost
engine to increase fuel efficiency. It also plans to introduce 40 electrified vehicles (electric and hybrid) by
2022, in an investment of $11 billion. According to Ford: “We’re all in on this and we’re taking our
mainstream vehicles, our most iconic vehicles, and we’re electrifying them. If we want to be successful
with electrification, we have to do it with vehicles that are already popular.”

In addition, American Ford dealerships rely on wind sail and solar PV systems to power their locations
greatly reducing their use of electricity.

5 & 6. Netflix & Spotify

From a social perspective, companies such as Netflix and Spotify offer benefits to support their
employees and families. Netflix offers 52 weeks of paid parental leave, which can be taken at any time
whether it is the first year of the child's life or another time that suits their needs. This compares to 18
weeks at other tech companies.

Spotify offers a similar program, although for a shorter duration of 24 weeks of paid leave.

7. Pfizer

Pfizer uses the term corporate citizenship to coin their CSR initiatives and believes it is a core part of
their company and 'simply how they do business'. Across the globe, the company drives initiatives that
raise awareness for non-infectious diseases as well as providing healthcare for women and children who
otherwise would not have the care they need. One example of this is the reduction in the price of their
Pevenar 13 vaccines (for pneumonia, ear and blood infections) for those in need and in situations such
as refugees and emergency settings.

8. Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo donates up to 1.5% of its revenue to charitable causes each year. which has raised $286.5
million in 2017 alone to more than 14,500 nonprofits through philanthropy such as food banks and
incubators to hasten the speed to market for start-ups. They also provide employees two paid days off
per year to volunteer and give back to the charity of their choice.

9. TOMSTOMS mission is to donate a pair of shoes for every pair they sell and has resulted in the
donation of over 60 million pairs of shoes to children in need. Profits are used to assist the visually-
impaired by providing prescription glasses and medical treatments, provide'safe' drinking water and
build businesses in developing countries to create jobs. They are also strong anti-bullying advocates and
work with several non-governmental organizations and nonprofits to set examples of ethical behavior.

10. Bosch

Half of Bosch’s research and development budget is invested in creating environmental protection
technology. By 2021 the company will have invested €50 million to support universities and research
programs that are focused on the environment, energy and mobility in Germany, India, the U.S and
China through Bosch Energy Research Network, otherwise known as BERN.
11. GE

It's been more than a decade since General Electric launched Ecomagination, its renewable business
strategy with a mission to double down on clean technology and generate $20 billion in revenue from
green products. In those ten years, it has manufactured its Evolution Series Tier 4 Locomotive, which will
reduce emissions by more than 70% and launched the Digital Wind Farm which can boost a wind farm’s
energy production by 20%.

12. Starbucks

With an eye to hiring, Starbucks is looking to diversify their workforce and provide opportunities for
certain cohorts. By 2025 it has pledged to hire 25,000 veterans by 2025 as part of their socially
responsible efforts. This hiring initiative will also look to hire more younger people with the aim of
"helping jump-start careers by giving them their first job'. While globally the company has joined with
the UN Refugee Agency to scale up the company’s support and efforts to reach refugee candidates to
hire 10,000 refugees by 2022.

13. New Belgium Brewing Company

This brewing company owned entirely by its employees through a stock ownership plan is focused on
sustainability. Its Fort Collins brewery produces 18% of its own electricity through solar panels and
wastewater. It also contributes to bicycle and eco-focused organizations. According to their Director of
CSR, Katie Wallace: “We consider social and environmental well-being to be intricately intertwined.”

14. The Walt Disney Company

Disney is committed to reducing their carbon footprint with goals for zero net greenhouse gas
emissions, zero-waste, and a commitment to conserve water. They are actively ensuring that they set
strict international labor policies to protect the safety and rights of their employees.

They are also active in the community and encourage employees to do the same. They also have healthy
living initiatives to promote healthy eating habits amongst employees.
15. Lego

Lego will invest $150 million over the next 15 years with a focus on addressing climate change and
reducing waste. It has reduced their packaging as well as investing in an alternative energy source and
plans to source 100% renewable energy by 2020. To accomplish this the company will hire a team to
support its commitment to using sustainable materials and plans to reach a 90% recycling rate.

This list is just a small illustration of how companies are using corporate social responsibility to protect
the planet and make a commitment to improving the quality of life for the communities they impact
every day.

For brands of all sizes it's key to pay attention to the issues that your customers are interested in and the
impacts your company can make at a community and global level.

Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility:

1) BMW

BMW holds its pride in being one of the most socially responsible companies in its industry. BMW has
set the bar high with a goal of helping over one million people by 2020. They plan to do this by creating
programs such as “The Schools Environmental Education Development Project” to help raise awareness
of social and environmental issues. BMW’s key to CSR success has always been alignment. They’re a
great example of corporate social responsibility because of their balance between a good business
model and helping social causes.

2) LEVI STRAUSS & CO.

Levi’s is another company that focuses its efforts on CSR. Levi’s approach is to reduce their
environmental footprint by acting in human rights and environmental causes. Just like BMW’s program,
Levi’s has a “Worker Well-Being Initiative” that is aimed to help improve the life of their employees.
Levi’s has also trademarked their “Water<Less” campaign by using less water when manufacturing their
products. They have saved over one billion liters of water and hope to better improve their
manufacturing process by 2020.

3) SurveyMonkey
SurveyMonkey, best known for their survey creation software, has created a giving back program to
better improve their social responsibilities. They have done this by engaging in an innovative way to give
back. Instead of giving out prizes to survey takers, SurveyMonkey donates 50 cents for every survey
completed. This donation goes to the survey takers charity of choice. The company has donated over
one million dollars to organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of America and the Humane Society.
SurveyMonkey’s example of corporate social responsibility stretches far beyond just engagement. They
focus on bettering society as a whole, thus giving the company a good reputation.

4) Starbucks Coffee

Since the beginning of its existence in 1971, Starbucks Coffee has always focused on ethical and social
responsibilities. Starbucks aims at creating a product that is not only beneficial to its customers, but also
to the environment. With the start of the C.A.F.E. program, Starbucks has set guidelines to increase
product quality, social and economic responsibility, and environmental management. Partnering with
Ethos Water, Starbucks is helping bring clean water to over one billion people who don’t have access to
it. What separates Starbucks from its competitors is that they focus on society before themselves. Giving
back to the community is a great factor to why the brand is so well known. It goes to show that
companies with great giving programs are valued more than ones that don’t.

5) Ben & Jerry’s

Founders of Ben & Jerry’s, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, have always been focused on giving back in
any way possible. At the same time they have kept true to themselves the value of connecting the
company with its employees. To accomplish various CSR goals, Ben & Jerry’s created the “Ben & Jerry’s
Foundation.” The company has set the bar high by giving 7.5% of its pretax profits to charitable
organizations around the world. Ben and Jerry’s strives “to show a deep respect for human beings”
whether they work for the company or not. They have donated over two million dollars to multiple
organization it the hopes to have a positive impact on society.

Recap: Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility

There are many different ways to go about creating the best CSR program for your company. In the
examples above we have seen how different companies take different approaches. Some give back to
the community, some give back to their employees, and some do both. Overall, having a solid giving
program is key to not only helping the reputation of your company, but to also make employees love
where they work.
Interested in discovering how to create a great CSR program through Alignment? Request more info
from InvolveSoft and start accomplishing your CSR goals today.