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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.
Tomorrow’s business leaders share corporate citizenship visions
By Chris Pinney, Director of Research and Policy, Boston College Center
One only had to sit in on our Verizon CSR case competition at the Boston College Carroll School of Management to realize we are at the cusp of a fundamental transformation of the corporate citizenship field that will be driven by a new generation of business leaders.
These young leaders in business schools around the country understand CSR not simply as a way to manage risk or philanthropy but as a powerful strategy to drive business results. The proof of this potential was well illustrated in ideas put forward by teams in the Carroll School of Management MBA program’s recent CSR case competition. Sponsored this year by Verizon, the CSR case competition is part of a for-credit required course on management processes for all first-year MBA students. The competition is the highlight of the program developed and taught by Center faculty.
Senior Verizon managers visited the classroom to explain Verizon’s current CSR strategy and key areas of CSR risk and opportunity. With that as a background, students were challenged to use a CSR perspective to create a win-win idea that would create a new business opportunity for Verizon by using broadband and wireless technology to address a social challenge in a new way.
Twenty teams of five students competed and the result was a slew of bright, innovative ideas. The concepts ranged from retaining customers through a special packaged program of services and educational support for those recently unemployed, to opening new markets in Latin America with the development of online learning, to creating a customized phone and wireless program for people with autism and their care givers. All of the proposals demonstrated the potential for Verizon to increase market share through innovative business initiatives directed toward critical social issues.
The wining submission was the Green with Envy Program. This CSR initiative would create a “green plan” option for Verizon wireless customers that includes a “green” recyclable phone, a Green Alerts program providing news and tips on environmental conservation and an electronic billing system to eliminate paper waste. As part of the proposal, Verizon would use a portion of revenues from the program to purchase carbon offsets to offset the manufacture and use of the phone. Based on conservative estimates on the market share of the rapidly growing “green” consumer market, the student team maintained the initiative could potentially translate into additional revenue of $10 million, generate $1.7 million worth of carbon offsets and create significant environmental benefits through recyclable phones and paperless billing.
With Verizon’s support the wining team will be awarded two internships this summer with the Center for Corporate Citizenship to build out their idea and work with the Center on related research regarding business innovation and CSR.
