Business Volunteers Maryland

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How Corporate Social Responsibility Is an Important Element of Company Culture

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a vital element of your company culture and, in some ways, also a product of it. While CSR might seem like a straightforward concept, it has a broad range of interpretations that can make it look very different from business to business. For maximum results, you should understand the relationship between corporate social responsibility and your company culture.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Company Culture

What is culture? The culmination of shared goals, attitudes and beliefs. Culture is what makes your company so special. It can be influenced by a number of things at your business, including your management style, work environment, ethics, expectations and values. It makes sense that corporate social responsibility is tied directly to company culture, as CSR is a company’s commitment to being socially accountable to itself, employees, stakeholders and the world.

It Shows You Care

CSR shows your employees and the public that you care. Whether it’s painting a school or taking a hard look at how your business could be more environmentally friendly, your CSR initiatives show that you care.

Practice Corporate Social Responsibility

Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the community by creating strategic connections between businesses, nonprofits and individuals. We help companies like yours to establish and expand community impact efforts while achieving your business goals. To learn more about our services contact us by calling (410) 366-6030.

Join Us at the Business Impact Summit

Learn more about Corporate Social Responsibility and join Business Volunteers Maryland at the 2019 Business Impact Summit on October 3, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, MD. This annual event will explore how you can harness community engagement and accelerate impact on your business, your employees and your community. To get your tickets and learn more, click here.

All About Our 2019 Business Impact Summit

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We are excited to announce our Business Impact Summit approaching this fall. Business Volunteers Maryland will be hosting the 2019 Business Impact Summit on October 3, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, MD. This annual event will explore how you can harness the power of community engagement and accelerate impact on your business, your employees and your community.

Take Your Business to the Next Level

While more companies than ever before are prioritizing social causes and supporting their communities, there is also more opportunity than ever before for this impact to be multiplied externally and internally. Business Volunteers Maryland will again be uniting regional business leaders to build upon the concept of community engagement as a business imperative with proven tactics for success. By participating in the Summit, your business can learn ways to foster win-win situations in your community and business.

Our Speakers

Our keynote speaker for the Business Impact Summit is Seth Goldman, the Co-founder and TeaEO Emeritus of Honest Tea and Executive Chair of Beyond Meat. Seth grew a Maryland-based global brand that refused to budge from its core values of honesty, integrity and sustainability. Seth is an excellent example of how a mission-centered culture can be good for business.

Our closing speaker is Jenny Lawson, Chief Civic Innovation Officer and leader at Points of Light. Through her role, she leads forward-thinking initiatives and campaigns to advance the missions of Points of Light around the world. Jenny is committed to aiding businesses in achieving social change goals through the actions of their employees.

The Details

Our Business Impact Summit will take place from 7:30 AM-12:30 PM on October 3, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Baltimore, MD. The day will start with registration, light breakfast and time for networking. Networking will be followed by Seth Goldman and two separate workshops focused on how your company can leverage the efforts of community engagement and explore new ways to give back. Our closing session from Jenny Lawson is sure to inspire you and leave you with plenty of food for thought as you depart. Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Contact us to learn more!

Join Us at the Business Impact Summit

Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the community by creating strategic connections between businesses, nonprofits and individuals. We help companies like yours to establish and expand community engagement efforts while achieving your business goals. To learn more about our services and learn more about attending our summit, contact us by calling (410) 366-6030.

Why Every Business Needs a CSR Plan

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As the world and workplaces continue to evolve, more companies are prioritizing corporate social responsibility (CSR). Developing a CSR plan does not need to be overly intensive or complicated, and the right plan will help to create additional environmental and social value. Why should your company create a CSR plan?

What Can CSR Look Like?

Corporate social responsibility can take a wide variety of forms depending on your company, your community and the industry that you operate in. Some examples of CSR include:

  • Donating money, products or services to a nonprofit
  • Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint
  • Captaining a recycling initiative in your business park
  • Paying for employees to complete college and utilizing ethical labor practices
  • Volunteering for a local organization
  • Creating a corporate gift matching plan

Consumers Care

Did you know that 55% of customers are willing to pay a premium for products from socially responsible companies? Additionally, 78% of consumers want companies to address relevant social justice issues, and over 85% would purchase a product partially because that company advocated for an issue that they cared about. A lack of corporate social responsibility can also do real damage to your reputation. Over ¾ of consumers indicated in a study that they would refuse to purchase a company’s products or services after learning it supported an issue contrary to their beliefs or failed to take action.

It Improves Your Image

Even if you choose to do no in-house marketing related to your CSR plan, becoming a presence in your community will naturally lead to a boost in your reputation. Businesses that demonstrate their commitment to social causes will always be perceived as more philanthropic than those who do not. Just like you feel good patronizing your favorite businesses due to their initiatives to give back, your target audience will feel good giving you business knowing that you care about the community.

Increase Employee Engagement

Employees enjoy working for businesses that have a great reputation and are committed to making a better tomorrow. When you show that you care about what your employees care about through initiatives like matching gifts or volunteer grants for organizations your employees support, it improves engagement and retention.

Include Us in Your CSR Plan

Business Volunteers Maryland is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening the community by creating strategic connections between businesses, nonprofits and individuals. We help companies like yours to establish and expand community impact efforts while achieving your business goals. To learn more about our services and start working on your CSR plan today, contact us by calling (410) 366-6030.