Corporate social investment (CSI) is an approach that measures social, environmental, and financial returns from business efforts to address societal problems. Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility, CSI is designed and planned as an investment that provides demonstrable returns to investors. CSI improves not just inputs but also outputs and outcomes across areas like employee engagement, media profile, customer trust, and market share gains. Studies show that businesses following stakeholder theory to balance needs of employees, communities, and the environment have significantly outperformed market indexes over 15 years. CSI aims to create a virtuous cycle where business investment in social improvements grows social and environmental benefits for all while also boosting financial performance.

2. Could business help to solve
society’s most pressing problems
AND measurably increase financial
performance as a direct result?

3. The global recession triggered a dangerous downward spiral:
government and civil society have found it hard to keep up…
…but could this be the private sector’s opportunity to shine?
A vicious circle

4. What ARE society’s most pressing problems?
• Global financial instability
• Epidemic loss of trust in leaders
• Growing social unrest and inequality
• Critical environmental tipping points

5. a) Business in opposition to society
OR
b) Business in partnership with society
…now we get to choose.
Essentially, there are two alternatives:

6. Working with world-class research academics,
Groundswell has developed a new way of
delivering Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR).
We call it Corporate Social Investment (CSI)
Groundswell Corporate Social Investment (CSI)

7. Q: What is the fundamental difference
between Corporate Social Responsibility
and Corporate Social Investment?
A: A well-planned investment is designed
to pay a demonstrable return to its
investors.
CSR vs. CSI

8. CSI does this by improving and measuring not only
inputs but also outputs and outcomes, tangible and
intangible, in all areas, social, environmental and
economic.
CSI pays back financially in areas such as employee
engagement, positive media profile, investor
confidence, customer trust, market share gains,
supplier loyalty, public affairs resilience and others.
The combined ROI of these mutually multiplying
factors can be very powerful indeed. They are assessed
and reported by Groundswell, in both qualitative and
quantitative terms.
What’s the secret?

9. Businesses that follow stakeholder theory,
harmonising the needs of employees,
communities, customers, suppliers, investors,
regulators and the environment, have returned
over TEN TIMES the investor returns of the S&P
500 over the last 15 years.
Source: Firms of Endearment, Prof Raj Sisodia
Stakeholder Theory – a no brainer?

10. If business can improve its financial performance
through developing and supporting successful social
improvements, everybody gains.
The more this happens, the more the investment in
social and environmental improvement grows.
Reduced poverty, inequality, costs and environmental
harm; improved health and wellbeing, education and
achievement; increased innovation, employee
engagement, reputational capital, community
investment, prosperity, investor confidence, customer
loyalty, public trust…
What’s not to like?
WHY DO IT?

11. • Pop-Up Farms in Burnley Schools
• The Thoughtful Coffee Company, Uganda
• National Grid Young Offenders
• Carillion CSI Programme
• UK Farmers Markets Network
Case Studies:

12. Thank you for your time!
www.groundswell.co.uk