Contributors
Tara Grecosenior vice president Tara has experience on both sides of the equation, having worked in corporate CR and nonprofit communications & marketing. She focuses on trends and innovations in community engagement, strategic philanthropy, volunteerism, cause marketing, and CR/nonprofit communications.
Andrea ShatzmanA senior associate in APCO’s Washington, D.C. office, Andrea works on a broad range of CR issues. She’s particularly interested in the evolution of CR over time and how businesses can capitalize on their strengths to make unique contributions to society.
Leela StakeLeela is a senior associate who helps businesses innovate, collaborate and communicate to be more successful. She’s based in San Francisco, has worked in six Asian countries and is interested in the relationship between long-term business success and community prosperity.
Robin DelisoRobin is a senior associate who works in APCO’s corporate responsibility practice and is interested in the blurring lines between consumer and influencer expectations of companies. She looks at how companies use CR to engage audiences in innovative ways, especially re: social media, and started her career in nonprofit communications strategy.
Julie JackA vice president in APCO's New York office, Julie works on corporate responsibility with a focus on business strategy and emerging issues and trends. Her currents interests and work focus on sustainable agriculture and supply chain management, the integration of CR and financial communications, and CR in the consumer goods space.
Rachel ThompsonRachel is the global corporate responsibility practice manager for APCO. She has worked on global trade and CR in government and business. Her interests include the role (and limits) of CR in making globalization more sustainable; evidence and measurement issues; and the relationship between CR and preventing trade protectionism.
James RobinsonJames is a vice president who brings ten years of experience working on CR strategy and communications in New York, Beijing, and Jakarta. He looks at how CR is employed as part of broader business strategy and has a particular interest in the evolving role of technology and innovation in managing social and environmental issues.
Kitty PotterKitty is an associate director and leads APCO's CR practice in the Asia-Pacific region. Her current work and interests include the development of multi-stakeholder initiatives addressing corruption in supply chains, sustainability performance ratings, and engagement with private sector in climate change adaption.
Ellen MignoniEllen is a senior vice president and helped build APCO’s global corporate responsibility practice. She works primarily with APCO’s corporate clients on business alignment and corporate responsibility, stakeholder engagement and partnership development, and communication and outreach.
Category Archives: Philanthropy
Marketing Your Company’s Commitment to Shared Value
Did you see this piece in October’s Ethical Corporation?
In it, author Peter Knight takes Tom’s Shoes and other companies to task for tying their marketing strategy to a higher social purpose—positing that society and companies were better off in the days of checkbook philanthropy focused on the CEO’s pet charities.
Well, I couldn’t disagree with him more.
Posted on Thursday, October 27th, 2011
Also posted in Communicating CR Tagged Cause marketing, CMOs, corporate philanthropy, social issues, Tom's Shoes Leave a comment
Also posted in Communicating CR Tagged Cause marketing, CMOs, corporate philanthropy, social issues, Tom's Shoes Leave a comment
Adding Value in Urbanization
Every so often, I’m reminded that we’re living in the future.
One such “wow” moment was last week, when I attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center’s Global Corporate Citizenship Conference. The conference kicked off with a panel on “Issues and Opportunities in Urban Development,” discussing the future of our planet’s cities in the face of a new wave of urbanization.
The 20th century saw a global shift toward urbanization – a trend which has only increased in the new century. My colleague Kitty Potter wrote recently that the global population has doubled in just 50 years – and more and more are leaving rural and suburban regions in favor of cities.
Posted on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
Also posted in Environment, What's Next for CR Tagged BCLC, Global Corporate Citizenship Conference, philanthropy, smart cities, technology, UN Habitat, urbanization, World Population Day Leave a comment
Also posted in Environment, What's Next for CR Tagged BCLC, Global Corporate Citizenship Conference, philanthropy, smart cities, technology, UN Habitat, urbanization, World Population Day Leave a comment
Cause Brands in Practice: Introducing United Nations Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign
Many of us in cause branding believe in the power of partnerships. We have often sat between a corporation and an NGO and had the delightful task of having to translate two very distinct dialects.
I am here to say we are at an exciting time in the evolution of cause brands, be it for-profit, non-profit or even some-profit! There are symbiotic relationships bursting on the scene everywhere, often driven by a common effort to build a truly new and vibrant American brand.
Posted on Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
Also posted in Cause Marketing, Communicating CR, Nonprofit Operations and Communications Tagged cause branding, Cause marketing, Shot@Life, United Nations Foundation, vaccines Leave a comment
Also posted in Cause Marketing, Communicating CR, Nonprofit Operations and Communications Tagged cause branding, Cause marketing, Shot@Life, United Nations Foundation, vaccines Leave a comment
Corporate Philanthropy = R&D
I was just in NYC and it was a quick-turnaround trip, so unfortunately, I didn’t have time to shop.
When I head back to the Big Apple in a few weeks, I’m going to carve out some time for a side trip to SoHo to check out this new concept from Nordstrom: Treasure&Bond.
Why am I sharing this tidbit with Shared Purpose readers?
Posted on Friday, September 2nd, 2011
Also posted in Cause Marketing, What's Next for CR Tagged corporate phlantrhopy, nordstrom, retail, Treasure&Bond 1 Comment
Also posted in Cause Marketing, What's Next for CR Tagged corporate phlantrhopy, nordstrom, retail, Treasure&Bond 1 Comment
Universities Include Philanthropy 101
You know, you have to be proud of the B-school students today. I say this as a totally unbiased proud member of the “hands-on” Millennial generation. But things really seem to be changing out there. The trend’s been coming on for awhile. Back in 2007, Stanford did a study that found MBA students from the top 11 ranked business schools in the United States were willing to sacrifice as much as $8,000 in pay in order to work for an ethical company. Awesome. And my undergrad alma mater, Tufts University, has been preaching “active citizenship” for years.
Posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Also posted in What's Next for CR Tagged Business school, Campus Compact, Millennial, philanthropy Leave a comment
Also posted in What's Next for CR Tagged Business school, Campus Compact, Millennial, philanthropy Leave a comment
Skills Based Volunteerism on a Whole New Level
Did you see this Chronicle of Philanthropy article a few weeks ago?
Food engineers and food scientists at General Mills began a volunteer project in 2009 to package and donate meals for kids in Malawi schools. The response was overwhelming, which inspired them to think bigger.
Posted on Thursday, August 18th, 2011
Also posted in Volunteerism & Service Tagged Chronicle of Philanthropy, General Mills, techincal philanthropists Leave a comment
Also posted in Volunteerism & Service Tagged Chronicle of Philanthropy, General Mills, techincal philanthropists Leave a comment
What Gives!? Talks to Tara Greco
Last month at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, What Gives!? spoke with Shared Purpose blogger Tara Greco on her take on nonprofit-corporate partnership and employee volunteer program best practices. Check out the interview below!
Posted on Friday, July 29th, 2011
Also posted in Business Alignment/Integration, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service, What's Next for CR Tagged employee volunteerism, EVPs, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, NCVS, nonprofit partnerships, What Gives Leave a comment
Also posted in Business Alignment/Integration, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service, What's Next for CR Tagged employee volunteerism, EVPs, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, NCVS, nonprofit partnerships, What Gives Leave a comment
Some Things Change, Some Things Don’t
The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Annual Survey of Giving by America’s Largest Corporations is out this week. It’s got lots of great data and tidbits on what companies have been up to over the past year.
One of the biggest questions the report answers each year is how MUCH companies are giving. And there’s good news: cash giving rose by 13 percent in 2010 over 2009.
Posted on Tuesday, July 26th, 2011
Also posted in Business Alignment/Integration, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service, What's Next for CR Tagged Annual Survey of Giving by America’s Largest Corporations, Chronicle of Philanthropy, corporate giving, Evan Hochberg, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, pro bono, skills-based volunteering Leave a comment
Also posted in Business Alignment/Integration, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service, What's Next for CR Tagged Annual Survey of Giving by America’s Largest Corporations, Chronicle of Philanthropy, corporate giving, Evan Hochberg, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, pro bono, skills-based volunteering Leave a comment
Volunteers Heading South
Starting tomorrow, thousands of volunteerism professionals and enthusiasts will assemble in New Orleans, La., for the annual National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Convened by the Points of Light Institute* and the Corporation for National and Community Service, the gathering is the world’s largest conference devoted to volunteerism.
Posted on Friday, June 3rd, 2011
Also posted in Communicating CR, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service Tagged Corporation for National and Community Service, Employee Volunteer Programs, EVPs, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, NCVS, Points of Light Institute, Volunteerism Leave a comment
Also posted in Communicating CR, Community Engagement, Volunteerism & Service Tagged Corporation for National and Community Service, Employee Volunteer Programs, EVPs, National Conference on Volunteering and Service, NCVS, Points of Light Institute, Volunteerism Leave a comment
Two Years Later: Haiti Earthquake Relief Signals New Age in Charitable Giving
Also posted in Community Engagement | Tagged donations, earthquake, fundraising, giving, Haiti, mobile, Pew, texting | Leave a comment