Why Charities Aren’t the Only Ones Being Charitable Corporate giving has been steadily increasing over the years, according to National Philanthropic Trust. Have Fortune 500 companies become more giving, or more worried about their image? With corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the rise, PR practitioners are pushing for companies to either be environmentally aware or give back in some way. Kohl’s has its own initiative, Kohl’s Cares, that highlights volunteering, environmental initiatives, hospital partners, and how purchases can help children. The slogan for the initiative is, “your community is our community.” With this focus on community relations through corporate social responsibility, Kohl’s not only wants to help others but its reputation as well. The big pull for CSR comes from the idea that if a company or firm is known for the good it is doing - such as being environmentally conscience or giving funds to sick children - when bad press arises, consumers will think about the positive rather than focus on the negative. CSR is not as simple as donating to a charity and being exempt of all bad press. The following are key aspects to a successful CSR campaign: 1. Diligently choose where you are giving If your company chooses the philanthropic route, it is vital that it matches your mission. It would not make sense to donate to a nonprofit whose focus is preservation of the oceans when your company is known for dumping waste. 2. Your actions matter Simply putting on your website that you donate thousands of dollars to a charity will not help in the long run. Actions speak louder than words. Give your employees paid time off to volunteer with whichever charity you also donate monetarily to. 3. Let your publics know The whole point of CSR in public relations is to retain investors, increase (positive) media coverage and your public image. None of this is possible if the public is unaware of your company’s philanthropic or environmentally conscience implementations. If donating money, a popular choice to get your public’s attention is to match gifts. According to Double the Donation, 65 percent of Fortune 500 companies utilize matching gift programs. For the companies that are more worried about profit than reputation, Double the Donation notes that 55 percent of consumers will pay more for products that come from socially responsible companies. Whether it be your company’s reputation or profits, everyone can benefit from a little giving. image courtesy of: https://makeitbetter.net/philanthropy/corporate-social-responsibility-honoring-businesses-that-do-this-well/
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