Ask a CSR Friend: Finding Steady Ground

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Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know collaboration is key to creating vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

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Dear CSR Friend,

I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately as a CSR leader. With so many external pressures — programs under scrutiny, nonprofit partners facing funding cuts, and employees concerned about rising costs and potential job loss — I’m struggling to find my footing. How can I stay focused on making a meaningful impact and supporting my team and partners through this uncertainty?

Signed,
Scattered in Scottsdale

Dear Scattered,

There have been moments in my social impact career when it seemed like every colleague wanted my job. They were passionate about causes and communities, but they didn’t always see the harder side: the tough decisions, the difficult conversations, and the times like these, when the ground feels unsteady beneath your feet. You might recognize this feeling from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it’s back – just with different external pressures.

Today’s CSR leaders are navigating real headwinds. Programs are being examined from every angle. Resources feel tighter, making the business case for investment feels difficult and more important than ever. Social and economic pressures weigh heavily on employees and nonprofit partners alike. It’s harder, and more necessary, to lead with courage, clarity and care.

In moments like this, it’s easy to feel pulled in every direction. One of the most powerful ways to stay grounded is to serve the person in front of you.

What does that look like? It means narrowing your focus to the people who are counting on you right now — your fellow employees and your nonprofit partners. It means asking yourself: How can I show up with consistency and care for those who need it most?

When employees feel connected and supported, and when nonprofit partners feel valued and seen, you create a steady foundation that can carry your company’s impact forward — even through change. You won’t be able to control every challenge ahead, but you can control how you lead through it.

Here are five moves you can make right now to steady the world around you:

1. Double Down on Listening: Create intentional spaces for employees and nonprofit partners to share what they’re experiencing. Listening tours, quick pulse surveys or open forums show you’re paying attention and give you real-time insights to respond with relevance and compassion.
2. Protect and Communicate Your Values: In a time when programs are under a microscope, clarity matters. Be direct about what your company stands for and why. Remind employees and partners that your commitments to community impact and equity are not passing trends, they’re a core part of your company’s identity and purpose, even if how you describe it evolves.
3. Focus on Small, Visible Wins: You don’t have to launch a major initiative to make a difference. Look for small actions that meet immediate needs like increasing matching gift ratios, spotlighting employee volunteer stories or celebrating program milestones. Small wins restore momentum and rebuild confidence.
4. Strengthen Nonprofit Relationships with Flexibility: Nonprofits are navigating their own uncertainty. Now is the time to ask what support would be most helpful even if it looks different than before. Flex grant restrictions when you can, offer skills-based support, or extend grace and deadlines when resources are stretched thin.
5. Equip Employees to Take Action: People want to feel useful during hard times. Make it easy for employees to engage through microvolunteering, donation drives or advocacy campaigns. Recognize, too, that employees may need support themselves. Remind them of available resources like employee assistance funds and normalize both giving and receiving help. Action builds agency and agency builds hope.

The world may feel unsteady right now, but your leadership can be a stabilizing force. Lead with courage and clarity. Serve the person in front of you. In times like these, every steady step you take matters and will shape the future we all need.

Until next time,
Your CSR Friend

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