Monthly views on the future of responsible business
APRIL 2023
“[P]oliticians angling for more air time and a presidential nomination will not have the best interests of the economy or your business at heart. You have no responsibility to humor them if they are threatening your profits, business model, or customers…Companies can’t sit on the sidelines anymore because, well, there are no sidelines. In a transparent world, your silence will speak volumes.”
Why does the next generation of corporate leaders care so deeply about environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts? Qualitative research suggests that, “Gen Zs and millennials are deeply worried about the state of the world and are fighting to reconcile their desire for change with the demands and constraints of everyday life.”
Make no mistake: Concern for the world around us and the search for deeper purpose is not new. However, millennials and Gen Z are more vocal and explicit about those concerns, and bring a heightened awareness of emerging social impact tech to the decision-making table.
And it’s clear that major organizations are listening. An encouraging new Harvard Law study shows that just three percent of the Fortune 500 do not yet disclose some form of ESG factors to investors and the wider public.
Part of that is thanks to regulatory leadership from the European Union and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); however, sensible policy does not explain the global appetite to make a difference. Nor can government claim responsibility for the electric, bottom-up employee engagement in ESG that global companies are now seeing en masse.
So as Earth Month 2023 comes to a close, let’s remember to keep organizing volunteer events, keep launching fundraisers, and keep engaging our employees to make sustainability a part of their everyday lives. Because ESG is more than a buzzword—it’s the only path forward.
By the way, you can now browse the full Vantage archive on our website. Read it here.
Why 2023 will reshape ESG management and disclosure
The SEC’s new reporting rules will likely take effect this year, and “while the expectations around ESG reporting continue to rapidly evolve, the overall trend toward defined structure, disclosure, and increasing involvement on the part of multiple committees and company functions is clear,” according to experts. That means nondisclosure will near extinction, new committees will be formed to oversee all efforts, and multi-committee/multi-board frameworks will become more popular. Head to the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance to learn more.
Calling all ESG data wonks
The burden of every volunteer hour, donation dollar, and good deed performed at a large organization cannot be overstated. But incorporating it all into a compelling social impact storytelling strategy that lasts all year? For insight into how to get the data piece right, hundreds of ESG leaders are reading “Social Impact Storytelling: By the Numbers,” the latest piece from Deed’s purpose-minded messaging expert Guillermo Murga.
Don’t let ChatGPT know more about ESG than you do
Social impact agency Public, Inc. asked OpenAI’s notorious chatbot for help crafting a marketing campaign around Black History Month and Women’s History Month. “Surprisingly came back with some good suggestions—including three insights we often use to start conversations with our own clients.” Read the do’s and don’ts of auto-generated social impact storytelling here.
On trial for climate change
In Switzerland, over 2,000 women are suing their government for policy decisions they claim will exacerbate climate change at the direct expense of their right to life and health. "Some people say, why are you complaining, you're going to die anyway. But we don't want to die just because our Swiss government has not been successful in coming up with a decent climate policy,” one activist said. For more on the popular fight to end carbon emissions, read the BBC’s report.
📺 Watch: The human cost of beauty
In a powerful video now seen by over 2.2 million people, beauty and hygiene company Dove (a Unilever brand) showed how “toxic beauty content” on social media is affecting an alarming number of young women and girls. Research shows that mental health struggles including eating disorders, depression, and anxiety, now impact three in five kids in the U.S., but this video gives some hope that, together, we can turn the tide. See it here.
Report: Deed is a "leader" and "high performer"
Social impact champions have just ranked Deed #1 in corporate social responsibility, employee engagement, and corporate volunteering tech. See where we rank #1 on our blog.
Product spotlight
2023 Q1 updates roundup
From relaunching our mobile app to a suite of brand-new features, the first quarter of 2023 was busy for our product team.
Stav Kashi, Deed’s VP of Product, knows that when you’re navigating the day-to-day challenges of product management, it’s hard to make the time to step back and look at all you’ve accomplished.
But Stav also sees that thoughtful reflection is just as crucial to growing as a leader for her team and our company as it is to shaping a platform that helps the millions of people and organizations of our users to do more good deeds everyday.
Read Stav’s roundup of what’s new and what’s next for the Deed platform here.
Want to see how Deed can help your organization make a wide, lasting social impact?👇
EFG says: “Whether you call it social impact, CSR, brand purpose, corporate development or something else—we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re new to the world of social impact, an expert in the field or anything in between there’s a spot for YOU at #EFG2023! And this year we have breakouts designed with your colleagues from Marketing, Program Design and even HR!”
SEE YOU THERE?
Meet us for coffee at #EFG2023! We would love to connect with you and/or your colleagues in Atlanta this year. Reach out to Chad or Kathryn—or reply directly to this email—to set a time.
Get involved
Earth Month
This Earth Month, we are reflecting on how we can transform into better stewards of our planet—to repair the damage done, to fight for a healthy climate, and create hope for a sustainable future.
In this toolkit, we share tactile ways to reflect on company environmental impact and to engage employees, ERGs, and the broader community toward both individual and collective action, including:
Volunteering and giving opportunities in the U.S. and around the world.
In-depth look at specific cause areas, including: climate change, indigenous movements, and disaster resilience
A calendar of awareness days in April.
Employee and employee resource group (ERG) engagement ideas, as well as a walkthrough of how to craft a social impact campaign around Earth Month.
Recommendations of worthwhile books, podcasts, and films on environmental issues
Click on the image below to preview the toolkit and learn how to get full access. 👇
Here are some nonprofits you can support right now on Deed:
New to the social impact space? We know how challenging it can be to get a grasp of the who, what, when, where, and how of doing good deeds (even though we all know the why). Here are a few explainers:
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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