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Business Resource Groups (BRGs): Benefits and Examples

Business Resource Groups (BRGs) are voluntary, employee-led groups that serve as a resource for members and their employers by fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with organizational mission, values, goals, business practices and objectives. They play an integral role in creating a culture that promotes an environment of understanding, acceptance and inclusion among all employees. Research from

Great Place to Work

®

tells us that employees who trust that they will be treated fairly, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or age, are nearly

10 times more likely

to look forward to going to work, and over five times more likely to want to stay a long time at their company. Other benefits of BRGs include the development of future leaders, increased employee engagement and expanded marketplace reach.

About Business Resource Groups

Business Resource Groups may also be known as:

  • Employee Resource Groups
  • Diversity & Inclusion Councils
  • Affinity Groups
  • Employee Networks

Business Resource Groups are made up of employees who share common interests and lived experiences; membership in any group is typically open to any interested employee. These groups come together to foster professional growth and provide a collective voice to management and decision makers around social issues, community needs and company policies. Initiatives and events led by Business Resource Groups help support the company’s business goals, innovation, philanthropic efforts and commitment to workplace diversity and belonging. Business Resource Groups may sponsor a speaker series, career development seminars, volunteer activities, panel discussions and social networking events to which all employees are invited. Additionally, each BRG might make community outreach an integral part of its mission. Involvement in a Business Resource Group is a valuable opportunity to develop internal relationships and make connections across the company. BRGs will often set up chapters for each group throughout a company’s footprint to ensure there is participation across different geographies. Being a member of a BRG also provides employees with cross-cultural competence: the ability to discern and take into account one’s own and others’ world views to be able to seize opportunities, make decisions and resolve conflicts in ways that optimize cultural differences for better, longer lasting and more creative solutions. BRGs may lead awareness or community engagement activities that correspond to their common interest such as organizing a professional clothing drive for women transitioning into civilian careers during Women’s History Month. More often than not, BRGs are involved in supporting a company’s philanthropic activities and it is important to ensure they are integrated into goals, policies and procedures related to a company’s employee volunteer program and collaborate with the team leading corporate social impact efforts as needed.

Corporate Examples of BRGs

AT&T

and

Dow

annually bring together members of their employee resource groups and business leaders for an opportunity to learn together, build connections and create social impact. Each conference includes acts of service that provide lasting benefits to the host community and in-person and virtual participants. At

Bank of America

, one in four employees is a member of at least one Employee Network worldwide, which helps employees develop personally and professionally, build strong ties with communities and address issues that matter. One of these networks, IGEN, supports diversity by bridging gaps across generations within the workplace. During the pandemic, members of IGEN in the UK volunteered regularly to address community isolation in partnership with The Cares Family, a charity whose mission is to bring people together across generations, backgrounds and experiences to build community and connection. Employee Resource Groups support

Dell’s

global cultivating inclusion pillar. Through their ERGs and Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Champions, they create meaningful professional connections and employee engagement. ERGs partner with leadership on corporate observances including Black History Month and International Women’s Day. To celebrate the International Day of the Girl in 2021, members of Dell’s Women in Action ERG participated in a Girls Empowerment Pro Bono Consulting Workshop. This virtual workshop connected ERG members across the U.S. with seven nonprofit organizations facing capacity-building challenges. As part of

Intel’s

RISE (responsible, inclusive, sustainable and enabling) strategy, their nearly 40 ERGs are part of the engine that drives community and inclusion. Part of each group’s charter is to volunteer in local communities. In fact, in 2020, members of the Pacific Islanders of Intel ERG were made aware of a critical need for COVID-19 clinics to address a desperate situation for Oregon’s community of Pacific Islanders: their infection rates were 12 times higher than those of white Oregonians. The ERG reached out to county officials and local nonprofits to organize and lead clinics specific to this demographic which provided testing and vaccinations for thousands of Islanders, along with food and other services.

Mobilizing Employees to Do Good

Mobilizing employees to participate in your company-wide or global

CSR program

is no small feat. In fact, without the proper steps in place, you may find yourself struggling with employee engagement and stakeholder buy-in, hitting your benchmarks and putting an impactful and sustainable program into place.

tips for mobilizing employees

Partner With Experts

You could attempt to create, implement and refine your company’s corporate citizenship program, or you could team up with experts who know the landscape, the challenges and the solutions to get you to your goals faster and more effectively. The benefits of working with partners include – laying out a feasible, strategic CSR program and

sharing tools and templates

, while partnering with nonprofits will help you mobilize employees and evaluate the impact on communities.

Start With Strategy

Understanding the communities you seek to serve is a crucial part of this process, and key insights from a nonprofit partner can help ensure that you make the most with your impact. After all, if your CSR efforts are only serving the needs of your company or your program goals, you’re missing the “why” behind the work you’re doing. Create a

CSR strategy

that includes goals and smaller steps and benchmarks within those goals.

Measuring

these tangible elements of your CSR plan will help you make further strategic, data-driven decisions about your program in the future.

“More than C-Suite and senior leadership, a company’s middle managers are often best positioned to ensure that a company’s social impact work is felt by employees and is truly being experienced as a part of a company’s values and priorities. Spending time onboarding, updating and incentivizing your middle managers around the company’s social impact work is a critical strategy to take your purpose work to the next level.” — Christine Schoppe, Chief Strategy & Growth Officer

Get Internal Buy-in From Senior Leaders & Fellow Employees

Your

employee volunteer program

should meet the needs of your

internal team members

, whether they be many or few. You’ll want to ensure that you can get the buy-in and participation from your employees by encouraging them to contribute to causes they’re already passionate about, allowing for skill-building and leadership development, and supporting a reasonable work-life balance throughout.

Put Recognition Programs in Place

Without recognition, you may find that your employee engagement program suffers in participation or enthusiasm. A partner, experienced in building corporate citizenship programs, can help you with

employee recognition ideas

that work for your team and your organization. These don’t necessarily have to be grand gestures – although they can be. If you’re running a small business or managing a small team, there are still plenty of ways to ensure your employees feel seen and valued for their efforts.

“We all know that what is celebrated is replicated, which is exactly why recognizing and celebrating your volunteers is key to inspiring other employees to get involved. A volunteer recognition strategy is a path to communicating impact, boosting participation, shining a spotlight on causes, and reinforcing your company’s commitment to community.” — Katie Stearns, Chief Global Corporate Solutions Officer

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re looking for a knowledgeable and experienced partner to start or refine your corporate citizenship program, contact Points of Light’s

Corporate Services & Solutions

team. We’re here to provide you with best-in-class tools, frameworks and customized support to reach your goals and provide maximum impact to the communities you serve.

13 Employee Recognition Ideas for Your Volunteer Program

No matter the size of your budget or your volunteer corps,

employee recognition

ideas should align with your company’s culture and values. Successful employee volunteer recognition programs are thoroughly planned and designed, well-managed, clearly communicated and frequently evaluated.

 

Incentivizing employees can be as simple as writing thank you notes and as extensive as planning a large-scale award ceremony. Common elements of successful recognition programs include incorporating senior management support and participation, providing monetary funds to the nonprofit organization of the honoree’s choice and aligning with a special day of service or company event.

 

Employee Recognition Ideas for Your Volunteer Program 

Offer Simple Rewards for Incentivizing Employees 

1. If employees are going into the office regularly or occasionally, reserve a prime parking space for the Volunteer of the Month. Award this time-saving convenience to a volunteer or volunteer leader who has served the most hours during a specific time period or has gone above and beyond.

 

2. Produce certificates or a letter of appreciation signed by the CEO. Even better, ask for hand-written notes from senior leaders to thank volunteers or volunteer leaders for their contributions.

 

3. During volunteer projects, observe who is working hard and going the extra mile, and offer them an on-the-spot reward such as a gift card for a cup of coffee or a pin they can display proudly. Consider what might resonate most with the volunteers you’re working with.

 

4. Schedule a recurring virtual brown bag lunch with senior executives for your top volunteer leaders.

 

5. Create a point system based on number of hours volunteered or other inputs and have volunteers turn their points into rewards like company-branded merchandise.

 

Showcase Employees’ Efforts 

6. Share stories and photos of

great volunteers

internally and externally. Develop a regular cadence of these stories and use communication vehicles that will reach as many employees as possible (e.g., intranet, posters in break rooms, e-newsletters, or company magazine).

 

7. Create a digital badge to add to a recently recognized volunteer leader’s email signature.

 

8. Highlight top volunteers during leadership or all-staff meetings, or at special company events. Post a photo and volunteer profile in high-traffic areas for both employees and guests, such as your main lobby or in elevator banks

9. Recognize

an individual or team with the most volunteer hours during a certain time period. Use different communication vehicles to display an honor roll of volunteers by number of hours served, number of projects participated in, or number of projects led. The

President’s Volunteer Service Award

is a prestigious way to offer this type of recognition. Since 2003, it has been honoring individuals whose service positively impacts communities in every corner of the nation and inspires those around them to take action, too.

 

10. Integrate public-facing recognition mechanisms into your strategy, such as  the

Daily Point of Light Award

or the

Jefferson Awards

.

 

Go Big with Employee Recognition 

11.

Dollars for Doers

and team volunteer grant programs (contribution programs that donate grants to qualified nonprofits based on the level of employee/team involvement as volunteers or board members) offer individual or group financial incentives in the form of grants to the organization of his/her choice. Grants can vary from $100 to $25,000 per award. Create a formal application and judging process or crowdsource who should win the team volunteer grants from across your employee base. 

 

12. Another idea is to host an annual lunch, dinner or special event to highlight the work of top volunteers and volunteer leaders. Invite nonprofit partners to share their stories of volunteer impact to add moments of reflection to the event program.

 

13. If your company engages employees in an annual event such as a day, week or month of service, award your top volunteers or leaders with an all-expenses-paid trip to a different market for next year’s event. They’ll get a chance to volunteer alongside new colleagues and bring back fresh ideas to their market.

 

Need more employee recognition ideas? Don’t forget to check out our

Global Volunteer Month

toolkit for companies, which includes even more ideas for celebrating employees. Plus, Points of Light’s

Corporate Services Solutions

team is the go-to resource for community-minded companies looking to build and expand effective employee volunteer programs. We believe that companies, their employees, partners, vendors and customers can be drivers of transformative social change in communities around the world. 

 

5 Steps to CSR Employee Activation, Even with a Small Team

You might have a small team, but your company has a global footprint, or hundreds within a region. While your teammates can’t be everywhere at once, you want your

employee activation program

to grow and touch as many employees as are interested. How can you ensure they all know about your programs and how to get involved — especially in this hybrid and remote working world?

Here are five ways to make your employee activation program successful

Create a Communications Plan

A solid communications plan will help you regularly reach as many employees as possible. Partner with your internal communications department, if your company has one, and find the right communication vehicles with the best reach. Create a steady drumbeat of information. Don’t rely on emails alone. Host informational webinars to

educate

, especially if you have a large remote workforce. Talk to your HR department about mailing information home (alone or with other HR-related info) and weave messaging into company-wide or departmental meetings.

Utilize Employee Leadership Opportunities

Look for opportunities to let your employees lead in order to scale your programs throughout your company’s footprint. This includes individual volunteer leaders or volunteer committees. The benefits of this approach are helping you scale, managing your program from afar, utilizing knowledge from specific departments or markets where employees are closer and have a better understanding of the local customs and community needs. Of course, these roles are also great leadership opportunities and allow those selected to hone skills and competencies. And this doesn’t just apply to

volunteering

. You can use this model for workplace giving campaigns, encouraging voter registration/education/participation and more. Provide these selected employees and councils with education and training, as well as resources and

recognition

for their efforts.

Integrate CSR within the Business

Merge the company’s social impact work throughout other functions of the business, for optimal employee activation. Doing so drives awareness and potentially garners more advocates.

The Civic 50 report

from 2022 tells us that 100% of honorees are integrating with Diversity & Inclusion, 96% with Employee Engagement, and tied at 80% are Health & Wellness, Marketing/PR and Purchasing. How can you integrate with these groups, as well as your employee resource groups (ERGs)? These existing structures may be valuable resources that you as a CSR leader can tap into.

Use Technology

Find an online platform that best suits your needs and ensure employees are familiar with what’s on the platform, how to use it and whether they are able to post partner information or projects that are close to their hearts. There are great surveys of these technology platforms, like “

The Corporate Volunteering, Giving and Grants Technology Review

,” produced by the

RW Institute

and sponsored by the

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

,

Foundation For The Carolinas

and

E4E Relief

. This review is designed to provide critical insights to program managers and decision makers investing in volunteering, giving and grants technology. The review is unique for the industry and offers CSR professionals with a comprehensive overview of 60+ platforms from around the world.

Partner with Experts

“The best social impact partnerships go beyond a single event or initiative. They evolve over time as progress is made and new collaborative vision forms. Whenever possible, form partnerships that are intended to go the distance – a year or more – to allow space and time for thoughtful design and deep impact.” — Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

Whether it be for certain events, during certain times of the year or year-round, working with a knowledgeable and experienced partner can help you to more effectively strategize, lead your team, execute events with success and realize the outcomes you desire for your employee engagement program. Outsourcing to an external partner like Points of Light’s

Corporate Services Solutions

can also help you employ loaned executives to increase the size and reach of your small team.

How to Encourage Employees to Volunteer: 6 Expert Strategies

However your company decides to measure success, it certainly starts with employee involvement. This ideal applies both in your corporate structure and day-to-day business, as well as in your employee volunteer program. After all, an important part of success is not just your profitability, but how you use your power as a corporation to contribute to the communities in which you do business. One of the tried-and-true questions that Points of Light’s

Corporate Services Solutions

team often gets is how to encourage employees to volunteer. Average participation rates have declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to CECP’s annual

Giving in Numbers

report. The report, which covers 2021 data, tells us that the current participation rate is 17%, which is far lower than it was in 2019, at 29%. Pre-pandemic, some companies were even hitting 40% and above.

Here’s a few tips for how to encourage employees to volunteer.

1. Set and Communicate Goals

There’s no need to keep your

employee volunteer program

’s goals vague or hidden. In fact, internal communication about the goals you hope your program will reach is vital to employee participation. Even better, include your employees in setting goals – they’ll be more likely to hold themselves and their teammates accountable and push toward achieving those benchmarks.

2. Balance Company Priorities and Employee Passions

Your company’s strategic priorities don’t have to be at odds with your employees’ personal passions. Find how you can merge the two. Maybe this happens in the goal-setting or planning stages, when employees can speak up about

causes that are important to them

. Or, in the additional outlets you provide to employees like Volunteer Time Off (VTO), Matching Gifts and Dollars for Doers. Share which causes are also important to the business and find common ground.

3. Make Participation Easier

One of the reasons employees often don’t participate in their employee volunteer program is that it’s not convenient for them to do so. If employees have to put in too much effort outside of their regular work, or they miss out on pay, participation will be harder to maintain and grow. So,

make opportunities easy

for employees to participate in. Bring projects to the office or plant, allowing employees to participate during breaks. Send materials home to employees (if your budget allows). Keep in mind that some hourly employees may need

flexible opportunities

like those that occur onsite, or even on-the-clock if you don’t offer VTO.

4. Create Leadership Opportunities

Some of your employees might be looking to get even more engaged but feel a lack of upward mobility within your employee volunteer program. Carve out leadership roles for those who want “stretch” assignments or are very passionate about the cause or community partner. Let these employees amplify your message. The easiest invite is a personal ask.

Engaged employees

often feel honored to be selected for such roles and responsibilities.

5. Ensure Leadership Understands Benefits

Your employee volunteer program’s leadership team should have comprehensive knowledge of your entire CSR program’s benefits. This is especially important for middle managers, who are often the ones driving employees’ schedules and participation. Communicate frequently about the benefits (the “What’s in it for Me” or WIFM) to the company, the employees and your managers. Provide them with the tools they might need to encourage participation, like policies, speaking points, answers to frequently asked questions, etc.

6. Give Space for Feedback

Finally, and most importantly, talk to employees! Ask for feedback on your employee volunteer program by hosting focus groups, putting out a survey and doing sample interviews. Find out what your teams are interested in, what their obstacles are and what motivates them to participate. Then report out on these findings and act on them. Make the necessary changes to your program to encourage more participation.

How to Use Your Volunteer Toolkit this Global Volunteer Month

April is right around the corner which means Global Volunteer Month is rapidly approaching. Points of Light wants to equip you with the tools you need to make it a success. Global Volunteer Month is an opportunity to recognize volunteers for the amazing work they do to support your organization as well as make the community aware of your needs and recruit more volunteers or connect individuals to causes they care about. Head over to our

Global Volunteer Month

page to

download your free volunteer toolkit

, tailored to four unique audiences.

Plus, read all about how to make the most of your toolkit right here.

 

Volunteer Toolkit for Companies 

The Global Volunteer Month

toolkit for companies

is full of ideas to support your company’s employee volunteerism campaign tactics and plan your Global Volunteer Month activities. We show you how you can best

engage your employees

, share their stories and promote the month internally and externally. It also includes logos and graphics you can use in your communication materials.

 

Toolkit for Nonprofits 

The

toolkit for nonprofits

also includes logos and graphics to share on social media, as well as a host of ideas as you map out your organization’s plan to participate in Global Volunteer Month. In addition to help with messaging and promoting engagement, we offer recognition ideas that you can carry with you throughout the month and all year long.

 

Toolkit for Individuals 

You don’t have to be part of an organization to participate in Global Volunteer Month. Passionate individuals can shine their light by

volunteering in-person or virtually

or completing a DIY project. The

toolkit for individuals

has links to these DIY projects, as well as plenty of helpful visuals and hashtags you can use as you participate.

 

Toolkit for Government Officials 

The

toolkit for government officials

includes many of the same elements as the toolkits for companies and nonprofits – a sample communications plan, graphics and logos, and ideas for promotion. It also features ideas for giving a floor speech to honor and recognize the constituents and organizations making a difference in your community.

 

No matter who you are and how you’re getting involved this year, start now to map out a plan for your Global Volunteer Month and make an impact in your own community and beyond.

6 Tips for Working With Nonprofit Partners on Employee Activation

Companies know business, inside and out. But delving into employee activation can be tricky territory. Having a

CSR Partner

 can take your success to the next level. One of the major factors of success for your company’s employee volunteer program is identifying and working with knowledgeable and experienced community partners. This includes those with

local, national or global reach

, the ability to scale as needed, and the ones that best know the community’s needs and are already working to solve society’s greatest challenges. 

 

Here are some tips to ensure success when it comes to employee activation.  

1. Prioritize Social Change Above All Else

It’s important to anchor volunteer programs in the needs of nonprofit organizations and community stakeholders. As important as company priorities are, start with knowing that you are doing this work to drive positive social change

first

. Do not decide for the nonprofit what their needs are. Instead, listen to them and decide how to best support those needs together. In this way, you can create shared value.

 

2. Work With Nonprofits That Have Ample Experience in Corporate Civic Engagement

Select a nonprofit partner that has experience working with organizations of your size and structure. This is also an opportune time for current employee volunteer leaders to step up, or for you to select one or more of your internal leaders to help with project planning, working with the partner and recruiting volunteers. 

 

3. Pick a Partner and Build a Strong Relationship

As you vet nonprofit partners you might like to work with, look for organizations that you can have a transformational, rather than transactional, relationship with. While one-time or episodic volunteer projects have their time and place, focusing on long-term or recurring opportunities and deep engagement can result in feeling a sense of belonging and ownership of the shared work.

 

4. Communication is Key 

As you work with your nonprofit partner, keep each other informed after you agree on the project specifics. Have regular check-ins (or ensure that your volunteer leaders are taking this step) so that you all know if the plan goes off course and can right the ship. This measure also prevents any surprises. Make sure you agree upon timing, tasks and policies to uphold, like taking photos or having any beneficiaries present to sign a waiver, enforcing safety precautions, determining who is purchasing supplies or what will be donated, scheduling supply arrival, and even simple things like keeping track of who will be there to open the door on the day of the project.

 

5. Evaluate and Reevaluate the Success of the Partnership

Don’t forget to stop and evaluate the partnership from time to time. Just like any relationship, you will want to know what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. With regular reviews of performance and overall success of the relationship, you can be clear on whether the relationship is working for both parties or whether it’s time to break up.

 

6. Invest in Your Program and Partnership Wisely

Keep in mind the time and effort it takes to plan a volunteer project. Think about your budget, not just for supplies and refreshments for volunteers, but also the work that goes into planning and leading a project if you’re leaning on the partner for that work. Think also about using budget dollars to invest in your partner’s readiness, especially as it relates to future skills-based or pro bono collaborations and measuring impact. 

Need a nonprofit partner that knows its way around employee activation? Points of Light offers a suite of

Corporate Services Solutions

for strong community impact and a strong employee volunteer program.

4 Company Benefits of CSR Programs

A well-built

corporate social responsibility program

includes developing a strategy that reaches your entire organization, engaging employees in volunteerism, tracking hours, developing a volunteer time off policy, reporting on outcomes and impact, and creating connections to employees and community. And the benefits of CSR that stem from these efforts are good for your company, your employees and your community. 

 

Companies are constantly striving for ways to set themselves apart and employees are consistently looking for ways to

become civically engaged

through their work. Did you know that

55% of employees

choose socially-conscious companies over profit-focused brands? When these two ideas come together, along with finding innovative ways recruit new talent and retain employees, you have the perfect rationale for launching a CSR at your company.

 

When making the case for the importance of starting a formal CSR program, here are a few ways it can add value. Share this reasoning and data points in your presentation to senior leadership about the positive outcomes of doing well by doing good.

 

1. CSR Programs Save Money and Grow Employee Engagement 

Creating a thoughtful and structured CSR program can actually offer cost savings. Companies can improve revenue by more than $2 million and reduce costs by almost $400,000 for every 1,000 employees because happy staffers are more productive staffers.

 

Plus, when companies drive social impact, they see an increase in the number of

employees who go above and beyond at work

. Sixty percent of employees reported improved engagement among peers after companies implemented an enterprise-wide social impact strategy. And employees who participate in employer-sponsored volunteering are

five times more engaged

at work.

 

2. CSR Programs Boost Retention 

Companies with

highly engaged workforces

have 24% less staff turnover, 17% higher productivity rates and 21% higher profitability. Obviously, companies have a fiscal responsibility to operate in the black, but there’s more to that practice than meets the eye. Employees want to see that companies are having a

positive social impact

. Building a team solely focused on social impact through a formalized CSR program creates an environment that supports employee engagement, which is good for the bottom line. Plus, companies that take a stand on social issues retain employees when they drive social impact.

 

“Know your company’s philanthropic priorities, the causes around which you hope to make the biggest impact, and the types of resources — human, financial, product, expertise, networks, visibility — you can bring to the table.” — Katie Stearns, Chief Global Corporate Solutions Officer 

3. CSR Programs Drive Recruitment 

Having a clear and demonstrated impact sets you up to attract top talent. A company’s social impact track record can not only influence a candidate’s decision to choose to work there, it can also influence future candidates’ perception of that company. 

 

Research

shows that Gen Z employees overwhelmingly want to work for a company that takes a stand on social impact. Mentioning CSR activities in job postings

increases the number of applicants

by 25 percent. And

64% won’t take a job

if a company doesn’t have strong corporate social responsibility values.

 

“Gen Z and millennial workers are looking for more than just a paycheck – they want to work for an employer that provides ways for them to use their voice and strengthen communities.” — Katy Elder, Vice President, Business Innovation 

4. CSR Programs Create Favorable Brand Awareness 

It’s common to see a company doing positive things in their community on social media. These posts typically highlight the work done through a CSR program. Setting your company apart with a well-organized CSR program can offer positive brand awareness your company will benefit from. Take

Lowe’s 100 Hometowns

, for example, a major initiative to complete 100 community impact projects across the United States each year, or

Raytheon Technologies

and their work to inspire and prepare high school students for careers in tech and engineering. Seeing employees volunteering within their community demonstrates a more organic way of promoting your company versus paying for ad space on social.

 

 

Consider using these points as you think about how best to reach your senior leadership audience and speak to what’s important to them. If you are approaching the Human Resource Vice President, for example, do your research on specific ways the CSR program can influence and even reduce costs for recruitment and retention. If you are speaking to the Chief of External Affairs, consider explaining all the built-in story opportunities their team will have with the addition of employees giving back—anywhere from organic campaigns, to the increase use of employee-generated content, to plentiful heartfelt stories to use for the annual report. If you’re speaking to the Chief Financial Officer, it’s great to connect the performance metrics of engaged employees to the bottom line. It’s a wise investment. No matter your audience, the benefits of CSR are clear: they save money, grow employee engagement, boost retention, drive recruitment and reflect well on your brand.

 

5 Tips for Selecting a CSR Consulting Partner

A successful

employee engagement program

can reach the next level by building a meaningful, sustainable partnership with the right nonprofit organization. Choosing a partner

to work with

may require some research and shopping around to find the best fit. Outcomes can vary from organization to organization.

Finding the right CSR consulting partner can make all the difference.

Here are five things to look for when selecting CSR and nonprofit partners to help you build a thoughtful social impact strategy and strong employee volunteer program.

1. One-stop Shopping for Engagement

Some

CSR consulting

partners, including

Points of Light

, bring a well-rounded set of offerings to the table. Through one partnership, you can access tailored

employee engagement programs

built specifically for your culture, from

thought leadership convenings

with your peers to consumer engagement campaigns to storytelling moments, meaningful employee recognition opportunities and more. Instead of having to identify a partner for each need and ensure cohesive strategies, developing a partnership with an organization that can deliver on multiple goals with excellence will ensure a smooth and effective experience.

2. Strong Track Record With Employee Engagement Programs 

Has your potential

CSR consulting

partner worked with companies like yours on projects or programs like the one you envision? Understanding the partnership approach and results from previous partnerships with other companies can give you a sense of what’s possible and how familiar a potential nonprofit partner might be with a particular need. Consider their experience with the type of initiative, such as a

Global Volunteer Month

, a

day of service

or a refreshed volunteer time off policy. Also take a look at their experience with companies of your size, in your sector, and in the same phase of program maturity. If the prospective partner’s website or social media doesn’t readily offer up

examples of previous partnerships

, ask – a good partner will be eager to share what they’ve accomplished.

“Know your company’s philanthropic priorities, the causes around which you hope to make the biggest impact, and the types of resources — human, financial, product, expertise, networks, visibility — you can bring to the table. Have a sense of your ideal “what” but don’t go so far as to define the full “how” – the best social impact partners define the how together.”  – Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

3. Find a CSR Consulting Partner with Expertise Match

Start simple. Look for a social impact partner with the expertise you need. For example, if you’re looking to build a dollars-for-doers program, you’d choose an organization that deeply understands employee

volunteer

programs and policies. But you may get even stronger results from a partner that understands that work and also has deep fluency in the funding needs of the nonprofit organizations that might receive those dollars and can bring that additional context to the work.

4. Alignment With Your Values

Geographic location matters less and less in this virtual world while values and mission alignment increasingly matter more. As you select a social impact partner, it’s easy to do the online research about their structure. For example, are they a for-profit or nonprofit organization, and what might that mean for a potential partnership? Consider their leadership, both staff and board, and mission. Do the prospective nonprofit partner’s values align with your company’s position? Is the change your company hopes to create in communities similar to the change the potential partner is driving?

5. Insight & Adaptability

Sometimes you need end-to-end support, from strategy all the way through ongoing implementation. Other times, you need fresh strategic insight or expert implementation for a particular initiative or moment in time. The most effective

CSRconsulting

partners have defined models built on best practices, and they can adapt those models to support your work no matter the phase you’re in. This approach gives you the flexibility to engage in the development of a new internal strategy, policy or program but not be forever dependent on the social impact partner to implement it.

“The best partnerships are built on an aligned vision and values. You’ll want to be confident a prospective social impact partner shares your company’s values on racial and social justice and civic engagement and that their programs reflect that. And you should expect them to dig into the same, wanting to see policies, activity, and funding that aligns with the public statements your company might be making on issues like equity, climate, workers’ rights, and more.” – Katie Stearns, chief global corporate solutions officer, Points of Light

When considering strategic partners to leverage your employee engagement efforts, do your homework to determine the best fit.

Points of Light

has decades of knowledge and expertise, a strong portfolio of corporate partners and successful projects, and a variety of resources to support your vision and make it a reality. Contact our team today.