Monthly views on the future of responsible business
JULY/AUGUST 2024
Hi there,
Do you feel like you’re always repeating yourself?
While there are many different points of view on how to approach environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), when we’re talking big ideas it feels like we’re preaching to the choir. Counterintuitively, that can make it more difficult to move the conversation forward and find new, innovative ways to make a difference.
Consider this: What if we stopped talking about environmental disasters as “natural” disasters?
In his new book Disaster by Choice, disaster researcher Ilan Kelman argues that many of the world’s biggest problems are “created or exacerbated by human choices.” That may not be news to climate scientists, but more and more corporate leaders are also beginning to see how our workplace donation, volunteering, and community engagement activities can prepare our neighborhoods for crises and lend a helping hand in times of need. Talking with the experts from disaster, risk, and philanthropy leaders in a recent webinar hosted by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Kelman argued that it’s worth shifting the narrative.
What do you think? How do you make sure your social impact conversations will lead to real results?
Share your insights! 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?
This is the last call to take the 2024 Social Impact Pulse Survey. This is your chance to share your thoughts—fully anonymous—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.
Case study: 48 hours, 67 percent engagement, >$108,000 donated
Deed’s new partner spotlight shows how Zuora links workplace giving and volunteering to ESG. Highlights include: 70 percent engagement in the first two days, 67 percent around Giving Tuesday, and a totally new vision for ESG. Read it here.
Nonprofit staff are weighed down by fundraising
How can corporates do a better job helping our nonprofit partners focus on their core missions? According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, the simple answer is trust. But trust doesn’t just fall out of the sky, it rises out of a process of work within our organizations, communities, and shared projects. Check out this practical advice for how to build trusting, lasting relationships with your partners.
Report: Major shift in corporate ESG strategies
Deloitte surveyed 300 industry leaders in a variety of various sectors and found that “an overwhelming 99% are bracing for stricter disclosure demands” in the U.S. So what are they doing to prepare? The study shows that 88 percent of companies are having trouble accessing high-quality ESG data, and 74 percent are actively investing in new technological solutions. Head to FinTech Global for the full story. (And for a chance to share your own insight, take the 2024 Social Impact Pulse Survey.)
Time to move beyond “ESG”?
There is an ongoing debate in the social impact community about whether sticking with the “ESG” label for many of our efforts helps or hinders our work. In a new “playbook for responsible business,” thought leader Robert Eccles argues that we should ditch the ESG framework only if we can replace it with something better. Like what? For starters, “companies must articulate the ESG factors that represent material risks to shareholder value creation,” Eccles writes. Read the full article here.
Ninety-four percent of impact investments meet/exceed expectations
A new poll by the Global Impact Investing Network asked 118 companies how well a huge range of impact investments—some 305 different investment options—were performing. The results surprised even the biggest impact champions. Communications technology and affordable housing ranked highest among investment categories, but a stunning N 94 percent of investments meet or exceed their return targets. Read an overview in Alliance Magazine.
“Carewashing” is a problem—here’s how to avoid it
We know that engaging and retaining our employees is important, but we don’t always know how to foster a company culture that people want to be a part of. “A genuine culture of care is a powerful magnet for top talent, particularly for younger generations,” writes organizational psychologist Cynthia Mathieu and her co-authors. “But carewashing, whether it’s used to create a falsely positive brand for the employer or is simply the result of tone-deaf leaders, inevitably leads to erosion of trust in leadership as well as a reduction in employee engagement, job satisfaction, and well-being—and eventually, to employee turnover.” Read how to get it right in the Harvard Business Review.
Single-sign on for all your leaders
Do you have a large social impact operation and need to give multiple team leaders access to your giving and volunteering platform? With Deed’s single-sign on (SSO), all of your administrators, organizers, and ambassadors will have an easy, secure way to manage fundraisers, volunteering events, and more with their usual company-provided login credentials.
Social impact thought leader Afdhel Aziz wrote an incredible and thoughtful article about Deed and Kyndryl's partnership, including interviews with both our leadership teams. Aziz last wrote about us in 2022, and it's been so great to revisit all that we've accomplished together. Read it in Forbes.
Neiman Marcus Group
Deed is humbled and thrilled to welcome legacy retail icon Neiman Marcus Group into our community. On day one, >1k generous NMG associates raised over $100,000 for good causes, embodying their mission to “Be All Heart.” We can’t wait to see what Team NMG does next.
UserTesting
At their last offsite, the UserTesting team took some much-deserved time away from their desks to pack sunshine boxes for Nicholas House. This is the kind of everyday action that snowballs into real, lasting change. Bravo, Team UserTesting!
Saved you a seat
Heading to ACCP 2024? The annual conference of Advancing the field of Corporate Citizenship (ACCP) runs from September 8-10 in San Diego, California this year. It's a can’t-miss opportunity to learn from one another and find new ways to make a positive impact.
The Deed team will be there, and we would love to connect with you. If you will be at ACCP or in the San Diego area during those dates, reply directly to this email and we’ll reach out to set up a coffee.
Get involved
It's almost time to go back to school. That's why this August, Deed's "Cause of the Month" toolkit is all about education.
There is a gap in the level of achievement reached by privileged and underprivileged students around the world that has only been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, federal pandemic aid for K–12 schools expires this fall. It’s up to us to help close that gap and ensure positive future life outcomes for all.
Being a student in today’s world means adapting to a whole new approach to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), communication skills, and vocational training. With learning taking place in schools and at home, the challenge to give all students a comparable experience has never been more complex, or more important.
While there is no one way to educate students, as approaches to methodology, funding, and service delivery varying from nation to nation, nonprofits—and their corporate partners—have a unique role to play. In this toolkit, you will find nonprofits that advocate for equity in education, so that students of all ethnic, racial, and class backgrounds have a chance to live up to their true potential.
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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