Category: CSR

You Don’t Have to Donate to Contribute

Posted on by Jon Umstead

Helping out those in need doesn’t always have to take the classic approach of donating directly to a particular cause. Sometimes a business’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program includes giving a portion of proceeds from sales to a named cause or charity.

Some businesses, such as TOMS Shoes, have a policy wherein for every purchase of a good or product sold, one of equal value is donated to people in need.

When specific disasters or tragedies occur, many businesses establish short-term programs to raise funds, goods or services specifically for relief efforts.

Texas Tough

T-shirt company Johnny Cupcakes set up one such program to raise relief funds for victims of this summer’s flooding in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey by designing and selling a special “Texas Tough” version of their collector t-shirts, then donating all proceeds to the Houston Food Bank, The Port Aransas Community Relief Fund, and the Salvation Army.

In all, they raised almost $23,000 – a drop in the bucket, but not bad for t-shirt company. Just think if 100’s of businesses did something similar.

2-for-1

The Drew and Cole Deddens Foundation’s primary sponsor, iStorm Group, recently got in on the action, creating a 2-for-1 situation by purchasing several of the Texas Tough t-shirts from Johnny Cupcakes, then handing them out as gifts to iStorm Group partners and suppliers located in Texas.

In other word, iStorm Group got to contribute to a worthy cause while simultaneously saying, “thank you and we care” to business partners. A win-win-win

If you are looking for a CSR program, you might consider doing something similar. Of course, your tax deductible donations to The Drew and Cole Deddens Foundation is always welcome and an effective means for you to give something back as well.

In either case, you don’t always have to directly donate money to a cause to ultimately make a contribution.

What does Your Corporate Social Responsibility Program Look Like?

Posted on by Jon Umstead

Let’s make it happen

Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, is a way for a company, business or freelancer to give something back to the local community, charitable or environmental causes, to society or to the world at large.

According to Investopedia, “Social responsibility is important to a business because it demonstrates to both consumers and the media that the company takes an interest in wider social issues that have no direct impact on profit margins.”

Yet, studies have found that businesses with CSR programs tend to do better financially over the long haul than those without.

Perhaps karma is a factor. Through the CSR program you are saying to the universe, “I freely give this to you,” and the universe responds in kind.

But there are hard truths behind the findings

Doublethedonation.com lists several of them in their post entitled “Why Corporate Social Responsibility is Important.” 2 key takeaways include that CSR improves the public image of the company and boosts employee engagement – critical given we live in a time in which employees and customers are attracted to the “experience” as much as if not more-so than the product or service.

Forbes’ article “Six Reasons Companies Should Embrace CSR,” adds a couple more important factors: brand differentiation and long-term thinking.

Relative to long-term thinking, the article states that, “CSR is an effort to look at the company’s long-term interest and ensuring that the company’s future is… well… sustainable. Hence, that’s why I prefer the term sustainability to CSR. It is a shift from worrying about the next fiscal quarter’s financial results to the impact business decisions today have on financial (and social) results ten years from now.”

Do you need a CSR program?

Why not make the Drew and Cole Deddens Foundation a part of it? We were created by iStorm Group as a part of its CSR program, so the heavy lifting is done. Now, we invite you to join us.

Our mission is to give the gift of hope to millions of children who receive lifesaving care every year, and families with young children who just need a little help. Primary benefactors include St. Jude and Nationwide Childrens, but we also help families send kids to camp, support community family/children centered activities and a host of other things.

Contact us or donate today.