The triple bottom line business model emerged as a way for companies to measure impact beyond the financial bottom line. It’s a measurement of people, profit and the planet. An impact investor seeks to create social good and/or improve the health of the environment, alongside financial returns. In the past, we looked to pure philanthropy…
Measuring Corporate Social Responsibility Success Can you imagine your quarterly company meeting where you report on your social impact before you report on your financial results? What if you gave awards to employees who were standout corporate citizens, who managed to excel in their job while excelling at volunteerism or raising money for their cause…
Every day I am struck by how many articles I read on corporate citizens making a social impact. Starbucks is selling bracelets to raise money for local communities in this down economy. Disney provides school supplies in backpacks to children in impoverished neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Most grocery stores ask if you want to round…
Over 13,000 books are listed on Amazon associated with key words Corporate Social Responsibility. Two-hundred-and-twenty-eight of them were listed in 2012 alone! At the heart of the books I endorse are those that show you can actually make a difference and make money . . . at the same time. One book in particular called…
Academies for Social Entrepreneurship (ASE) defines a social enterprise as a venture that combines the best features of mission-oriented nonprofit organizations and sustainably-driven for-profit businesses to solve complex social problems. From the non-profit sector, these features include a clear and well-defined mission, programs that improve the quality of human life and the environment, an engaged…
Due Diligence is a critical function of grantmaking organizations, yet too often funders seek to know everything. With appropriate due diligence, a grantmaker ensures their funding choices align with their mission. Without it, grantmakers overburden charities and selection committees during the proposal process. While due diligence doesn’t prevent failure, it will improve confidence that the…