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In 2007 Booz Allen Hamilton set out to help small nonprofits in the Washington, D.C. area gain access to expert advice and guidance on management and fundraising that was otherwise unattainable for them due to cost. In the four years since, the Booz Allen Hamilton Nonprofit Development Conference Series has grown exponentially and now successfully serves more than 400 unique nonprofit organizations with top tier guest speakers from around the metropolitan area who provide the sorely needed advice and guidance.
2009 State of Corporate Citizenship in the U.S.: The recession as curse or opportunity?
By Vesela Veleva, Research Manager, Boston College Center
The economic downturn of 2008-2009 has taken a toll on some corporate citizenship programs, but has it also served as a wake-up call for companies to re-evaluate the way they do business and identify new opportunities from corporate citizenship? As the results of the biennial State of the Corporate Citizenship Survey conducted this June come in, we are examining whether business aspirations and behavior have changed over the six years since the survey began, and particularly during the recent economic turmoil. Results will be released during a Center webinar on September 16.
Co-sponsored by the Hitachi Foundation and the Boston College Center, this year’s biennial State of the Corporate Citizenship Survey included more than 750 CEOs and senior executives from small, medium and large companies across the United States. Some of the key question asked included:
- What do companies see as the the way out of the current economic crisis and what do they think it will take to create a more stable American economy going forward?
- Should business be involved more or less in addressing public policy issues such as climate change, health care and public education?
- What are the key drivers for business to engage in corporate citizenship practices?
- Do companies align corporate citizenship with their business strategy?
- Are companies becoming “greener” or planning to “green” their products and operations in the future?
- Do companies support skill development for low-wage employees? Why? Or why not?
- How has business’ support for economically distressed communities changed over the past two years?
- Who do companies choose to partner with to address social and environmental issues and why?
The 2007 survey found high aspirations among senior executives: 73 percent said that corporate citizenship needs to be a priority for business, 81 percent said it’s important to value and treat employees well, and 61 percent believed corporate citizenship makes a tangible contribution to their company bottom line. But not surprisingly, actions were behind aspirations: just 54 percent of companies offered health insurance to all employees, only 39 percent reported including corporate citizenship in their business planning process and just 21 percent reported to the public on corporate citizenship issues.
There is no doubt the downturn has taken a toll on many corporate citizenship practices but which ones do American companies see as strategic to business so that they maintained their support in these tough economic times? Did companies find new opportunities to differentiate, reduce costs or improve their reputation from corporate citizenship strategies?
The 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship Survey will have answers to many of these questions. Stay tuned.
