Many organizations treat sustainability as a compliance issue instead of an opportunity for transformation. To truly capitalize on the benefits of sustainability, companies must start with enterprise-wide financial and risk workflows.
Monthly views on the future of responsible business
MARCH/APRIL 2024
Hi there,
Why is it so challenging to integrate our plans for greater social and environmental impact into core business operations?
While the majority of our organizations have been trying to make a positive difference since their founding, in many cases it can be difficult to return to those first principles and institute bedrock reforms that will help us meet the urgent demands of climate change and social progress.
For Natalie Runyon, a recognized thought leader in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) and strategist at Thomson Reuters, there are three ways that purpose-oriented leaders can find alignment. In a recent LinkedIn post, Runyon suggests that every organization: 1) Require sustainability factors in capital project requests, 2) Identify the financial channels of product inputs with sustainability attributes, and 3) Integrate ESG considerations into their enterprise risk management workflows.
What do you think? Is that possible at your organization? Are there other ways to bridge the perceived gap between impact and core operations?
We want to hear your ideas. Write to vantage@joindeed.com to let us know what you think. And if you haven’t already, remember to subscribe to this monthly newsletter on the future of responsible business from Deed, and share with your colleagues.
Social impact leaders are being asked to do more with less in 2024. What does that look like with your organization? How has your technology usage changed? Have your workplace giving and volunteering programs needed to be revised?
Take the 2024 Social Impact Pulse Survey to share your thoughts on these questions and more. As a token of appreciation for spending 15 minutes on this, you'll be the first to receive the report.
SEC pauses climate rule while states fight in court
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has temporarily halted the enforcement of its new climate disclosure regulations, which would include reporting on emissions throughout the supply chain. The prudent move follows court challenges by states and industry groups, to which an 8th Circuit Court of Appeals recently gave a bloc of state attorneys general the ability to challenge together. ESG professionals are watching closely as the legal battle will likely determine the future of reporting requirements. Read more in Reuters.
New OMB requirements for diversity reporting
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released new rules for companies to report on the diversity of their workforces. The new guidance will streamline the questions employees have to answer in onboarding, add a new mandatory identity category for the Middle East and North Africa, and ask for more details. According to the OMB, the new requirements come as part of the federal government’s effort to ensure broad parity and comparability across the economy. See the press release for more information.
What data best captures corporate social impact?
A new study published in the Harvard Business Review found that for 81 corporate social responsibility (CSR) leaders at multinational companies working in several industries, it is hard to prioritize new ideas and innovation over the basic needs of the company. But as the authors, a diverse group of academics, note, “In a CSR context, experimentation means that companies produced knowledge about the local effects of their CSR practices and used this knowledge to adapt their CSR practices on an ongoing basis. By establishing a close link between the production of CSR knowledge and the adaptation of CSR practices, these companies were able to achieve their intended CSR goals.” Read a summary of the study.
Study: Multinational companies balance “needs” against “experimentation”
Dashboards help data-driven social impact leaders make faster, smarter decisions. But how do you make sure your dashboard includes the right information to help you answer your unique business questions? In the latest from our "Data For Good" series, Christine Tringale explores best practices for crafting a year-end impact dashboard your team will love. Read it here.
How can we shake up CSR?
Chad Haertling has had hundreds of conversations with social impact leaders, which have shown him five must-do’s for any successful workplace giving and volunteering program. So what are the practical takeaways here? Haertling lays out the five must-do’s for giving and volunteering in his latest blog. Check it out.
Donation matching
Did you know: 84 percent* of people are more likely to donate to their favorite nonprofits if their employers match their gifts.
At Deed, donation matching is transparent, trustworthy, and effective. We want you and your employees have a clear working understanding of your internal policies, all of which are reflected on our platform.
To that end, we’ve recently made significant improvements to every aspect of donation matching on our workplace giving and volunteering platform, from match caps to added incentives for giving to nonprofits close to the workplace.
Ready to incentivize your team to support the world’s most pressing causes?
Every year, o9 solutions hosts a global challenge, open to their partners and friends, to reward exercise by planting trees. This year, they will “plant a tree for every 50,000 steps collected and ten trees for every post using the hashtag #o9Walks.” Deed is proud to walk alongside o9 solutions. Anyone can join! Learn more and sign up here.
UNICEF USA
Alongside its ongoing life-saving work in the Middle East, UNICEF USA recently shared inspiring updates on its long fights to eradicate infectious disease. Deed is humbled to facilitate ongoing support to UNICEF USA. Read the news on polio and malaria.
Kyndryl
The new Kyndryl Foundation has selected 11 outstanding nonprofits from seven countries to receive its first-ever grants. Deed is thrilled to support Kyndryl’s innovative approach to CSR. Read more here.
Saved you a seat
This Thursday May 2 @2PM EST, Deed and Kyndryl are teaming up at Good Tech Fest 2024 to discuss “Technology for Global Good: Four CSR Outcomes Enterprise Companies can Expect After Implementing Social Impact Software?” RSVP now.
Deed’s AAPI Heritage Monthemployee engagement toolkitincludes hand-crafted nonprofit recommendations, volunteer opportunities, ERG event ideas, and more. Our goal is to help you make it fun, easy, and rewarding for your employees to share their time, money, and skills with causes that matter to them.
Thank you for reading Vantage. We want this monthly newsletter to be of real value to everyone working to make a real social impact. If there’s a topic you’d like to learn more about, or if there’s someone pushing the conversation forward whose work deserves more attention, we’d love to hear about it. Drop us a note: vantage [@] joindeed [dot] com.
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