| p>Business guru Charles Handy, writing in Harvard | | | | reflects well on your company. |
| Business Review, summarized the value of | | | | Edgewater Technology, for example, partners with |
| philanthropic businesses by saying, "A good business | | | | Angel Flight New England, a nonprofit organization |
| is a community with a purpose." Here are six steps | | | | providing air transportation services to medical |
| to setting up a corporate philanthropy program. | | | | patients unable to pay for commercial flights. |
| Step One: Values audit. | | | | Edgewater loaned six employees for a four-month |
| Start from your values base. Most corporations begin | | | | job to get Angel Flight's scheduling system integrated |
| with an audit or evaluation of their values, bringing | | | | and on-line to improve their services. |
| together leadership and a representation of the staff | | | | Step Five: Institute polices and practices. |
| to identify and articulate the company's ethos and | | | | The most effect corporate philanthropy programs |
| how it relates to the company's mission and values. | | | | are well thought-through and formalized, with written |
| What does your company care about: kids, shelter, | | | | guidelines to keep them focused; objectives to |
| health, education, environment, affordable housing, | | | | quantify the desired results; and specific policies and |
| and domestic violence? For example, Polaroid had | | | | practices to keep them objective and transparent. Of |
| created a foundation, managed by a committee of | | | | these, the most effective philanthropy programs tie |
| employees, to increase self-sufficiency among the | | | | this package together with corporate business goals |
| disadvantaged by building their business skills with | | | | and decision-making. |
| computers, literacy, and business comportment. | | | | Kellogg's has a values statement, which includes |
| Pitney Bowes focused its commitment on local | | | | becoming "an asset in each community, region, and |
| economic development in Stamford, CT, by keeping | | | | country in which we operate", and details how in a |
| its corporate headquarters in downtown Stamford to | | | | 4-point statement including quality control of its |
| provide an anchor, and works with grassroots | | | | products through investment in the community; |
| organizations to improve the community. | | | | practice good citizenship; and protect the |
| Step Two: Engage directly. | | | | environment. |
| Increasingly, company employees look for ways to | | | | Starbucks Coffee has formalized a statement of its |
| have an intense, short-term impact rather than a | | | | beliefs in human rights, diversity and the environment |
| sustained, lower-effort commitment. For example, | | | | and its mission and principles of social responsibility, as |
| Volunteers of America found that corporations often | | | | well as short- and long-term goals for industry |
| prefer an all-day or weekend-long group project, such | | | | leadership on these issues; and specific objectives for |
| as painting a women's shelter, serving at a soup | | | | annual review. |
| kitchen or repairing a playground at a low-income | | | | Step Six: Track and review outcomes. |
| housing development to the longer-term individual | | | | Measures of effectiveness are an important part of |
| commitments such as being a big sister, volunteering | | | | your corporate philanthropy program, to know |
| to coach at the Y, or being a literacy tutor. | | | | whether and how it has made a difference and met |
| Step Three: Explore partnerships. | | | | its goals. Measures are of two kinds: corporate |
| Partner with a foundation or social cause already | | | | impact and community impact. |
| established and visible in the community, such as a | | | | Corporate impact measures may include, depending |
| human services organization, symphony, senior center | | | | on your program, the number of employees involved |
| or a science or arts museum. Look for an | | | | in community service; changes in employee |
| organization that aligns with your interests, and | | | | recruitment or retention results; positive feedback |
| consider how broad its reach is, whom it serves, and | | | | from employees and shareholders; benchmarked |
| its reputation. For example, if your employees value | | | | changes in the community's perception and opinions |
| community service, look for an organization that will | | | | of the company; more inquiries from media or analyst |
| find a role for them teaching, building, or improving | | | | community about the company; or awards received |
| something in the community rather than just giving | | | | by an organization in recognition of your program. |
| donations. | | | | Community impact measures might include, for |
| For example, Cisco Systems has been a partner with | | | | example, how a partner program has grown because |
| City Year; a youth service corps, since its inception, | | | | of your actions; numbers of people helped by the |
| as a founding partner providing both funding and | | | | direct giving or giving through a nonprofit; cleaner |
| technical support. Cisco has helped harness the | | | | parks and watersheds; benchmarked changes such |
| Internet to build a model of capacity building, which | | | | as improved literacy, higher math scores, lower |
| can be replicated in other communities, allowing City | | | | incidence of low-birth-weight babies; cleaner, safer |
| Year to grow from one to 19 communities. | | | | city streets; changes in the capacity of an |
| Step Four: Get beyond fund-raising events. | | | | organization to serve more people by what they |
| Many corporations participate in events that benefit a | | | | have learned from your company. |
| specific charity, such as a walk for breast cancer, a | | | | There are a variety of ways that corporations can |
| bicycle ride for brain tumor research, or a ballgame to | | | | create philanthropy programs that benefit their |
| benefit children with cancer. While these are all good | | | | employees, their brand and business, and make a |
| causes, your company might get more strategic | | | | difference in the community. The most effective |
| value from something locally based that engages | | | | programs start from a values base and move out to |
| employees. Employees are the best ambassadors a | | | | the community for a positive impact on issues and |
| company has, and their heightened participation and | | | | people that make up the social fabric and the |
| visibility in the community speaks well about and | | | | marketplace in which businesses operate. |