As companies seek to better manage their corporate citizenship strategies and activities, they are taking a closer look at the operation of employee volunteering and giving programs. Like any other aspect of business, these programs turn to technology to improve efficiency and maximize effectiveness. But choosing a technology vendor with the appropriate applications and services to fit a program can be a shot in the dark. Read the rest of this entry »

Over the past month, The Center has been reaching out to our members to better understand how the current economic crisis has been affecting leading corporate citizenship companies. Throughout this recent outreach, we’ve been hearing the same two comments over and over again:

“I’m being asked to do more with less.”

“This time of crisis is a huge opportunity for corporate citizenship.” Read the rest of this entry »

In the spirit of sharing the voice of CEOs who are constructively engaging in the national debate about the economic crisis, two recent speeches stand out. Within the course of a week, Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer and Intel’s Paul Otellini shared, with two sets of key Washington policymakers, a reality check on the economic situation and a pathway to a more robust future. Read the rest of this entry »

Today marks a new chapter for business. Our government is willing to be a partner, not a patsy, in stimulating the economy. In return the financial sector needs to substitute old, often patronizing behavior for genuine partnership.

My advice to business:

1. get used to more public scrutiny;
2. listen to the sensible folks on Main Street;
3. show a little humility;
4. get to work rebuilding the trust of the public and the economy of the country. Read the rest of this entry »

A new administration means a new beginning – for voters and investors. David Wood, director of the Boston College Center’s Institute for Responsible Investment, discussed what ethical investors should look for with the Christian Science Monitor. Read the full article.

Leaders in the public and private sector are scrambling to put America’s disheveled financial house in order, but perhaps they should pay more attention to the cracks starting to show in the house’s capitalist foundation. Read the rest of this entry »

Finding opportunity in difficult economic conditions is the focus of the Boston College Center’s 2009 International Corporate Citizenship Conference to be held March 29-31 in San Francisco. The annual conference organized by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is expected to attract some 500 executives responsible for directing corporate citizenship activities in global companies. Read the rest of this entry »

Top 100 lists and ranking systems flourish in today’s culture. Open a magazine, turn on the TV or surf the web and you will quickly find where your alma mater’s sports team ranks, what the top TV shows were last month, who has the No. 1 song on the pop charts, and how long that great novel has been a best seller. Similarly, companies are given best, worst and everything in between status for all sorts of measures, including corporate citizenship. Read the rest of this entry »