Corporate Social Responsibility, or CSR, has received growing attention in the past decade. We’ll take a look at the roots of the concept, what it involves and some of the benefits which include lowered costs, improved employee satisfaction and a more positive impact on our world. We’ll also briefly discuss how many external vendors, from local energy auditors to FrontStream with our portfolio of tools, can help you accomplish CSR goals.

1. What is Corporate Social Responsibility
and Why is it Important
Presented by: Brandolon Barnett, MA Lond, FrontStream

2. About FrontStream
FrontStream offers payment processing, fundraising,
employee engagement and CRM solutions that enable
clients to increase revenue through mobile, in-person and
online acceptance of checks and credit/debit cards.
#FSWebinar

3. Corporate Social Responsibility:
A Primer

4. Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR)
• A corporation’s overall responsibility to the community and to
people, profits, and the planet.
• A relatively new and quickly growing field of thought and
endeavor that broadens the scope of a company’s commitment to
the world.
• A legacy for corporate immortality!
“To build and sustain brands people love and trust, one must
focus on […] growth that is good for our shareholders but
also good for our consumers, our employees, our business
partners, the communities where we live and work, and the
planet we inhabit”
Irene B. Rosenfeld, Current CEO Mondelēz International,
Former CEO of Kraft Foods

5. The Roots of Corporate Social
Responsibility
A synthesis of various movements
• Let’s help our local community
• Jeans Fridays
• Energy efficiency or environmental
monitoring activities
• Sponsoring workforce training
in the community
• Good PR!

6. The Foundation: Your Company’s
Values
Your company’s values statement detailing the impact you ideally want your
company, in all its activities, to have on your communities and the wider world
– Includes your products, services, and operations
– Flows from your industry
– Comparable to a corporate “mission statement”

7. Frameworks for CSR Action
Largely speaking, CSR is increasingly streamlined,
comprehensive, and metric-driven. Some popular
frameworks driving action include:
– Global Reporting Initiative
– ISO 26000
– UN Global Compact (largest international
CSR agreement)

8. UN Global Compact
– Strategic policy initiative for businesses
committed to aligning their operations
with ten universally accepted principles in
the areas of Human Rights, Labor,
Environment, and Anti-Corruption.
– Calls to action on various issues
– Tools and resources such as “A Guide to
Traceability: A Practical Approach to
Advance Sustainability in Global Supply
Chains”

9. The Core Facets of CSR
– Sustainability/Environment
– Legal compliance (Respecting Human
Rights, Labor Laws, product regulations,
etc.)
– Balanced, fair, and nimble HR processes
– Employee well-being
– Corporate/foundational giving
– Workplace giving and volunteering

10. Sustainability
– Energy efficiency
– Water use
– Building and land use practices
– Waste
– Transport
– Mitigating initiatives

11. Supply Chain Management
– Sourcing of materials/inputs
– Treatment of participants within the
supply chain

13. Legal Compliance
– Corruption
– Diversity issues
– Financial practices
– Labor laws
– Security practices

14. HR
– Employee benefits
– Pay levels
– Turnover rate

15. Employee Well-Being
– Employee satisfaction
– Career development opportunities

16. Corporate/Foundational Giving
– Community donations & sponsorships
– Partnerships with non-profits domestically
or abroad

17. Workplace Giving and
Volunteering
– Employee volunteer hours
– Employee board placements
– Employee giving
– Matching grant programs

18. Tieing Concepts Together with
Workplace Philanthropy as Example
 Workplace philanthropy largely falls under the “Indirect Economic
Impacts” category of popular strategic frameworks like the GRI.
 Successful programs are not one size fits all.
 A successful program has multiple interfaces for employee engagement
with the program.
 Traditional workplace giving
 Volunteer days/volunteer time
 Recycling events
 Peer to peer fundraising
 Disaster assistance and relief
 Company product donations

19. Case Study – Software Solutions Client B
Client C 2013: Global
Reach
10%
90%
International Domestic
Client C 2010 – 2013: Escalating
Global Commitment for
Employees
110 110
143
173
2010 2011 2012 2013
Client C 2013: FrontStream
Campaign NPO Breakdown
Houses of
Worship
Community
Fund
12%
2%
Public Benefit
Foundations &
Centers
58%
Health
8%
Human
Services
14%
Other
6%
 For Software Solutions Client B, 10% of the charities employees supported were
international in scope. The company’s global commitment has also escalated year to year.
 Client B, as a “UN Global Compact” signatory, has committed to meeting strong anti-corruption
and fraud standards. FrontStream vetting and Patriot Act compliance processes
helped them to meet and measure their commitment to this goal.

20. The Who, the How, and the Why of CSR

21. The Who
At small and medium sized businesses
CSR is more often an informal process
driven by employees working in a
segmented fashion:
– Owner/CEO decides to sponsor a
local run
– Facilities manager conducts an
energy audit
– HR director secures new benefits and
prepares anti-discrimination policies
– Employee organizes volunteer day at
local food bank
– Owner agrees to match funds
provided to a cause near and dear to
a current employee
At larger corporations a dedicated
staff with titles which could include:
– Community Affairs Director
– Community Relations Manager
– CSR Director/Specialist
– Supply Chain Manager
– Sustainability Manager
– Public Affairs Manager

22. The How
– A collection of expert vendors
– Set goals, budgets, and expectations
– Prepare and communicating new policies
and procedures
– Discover your potential to add value to
community efforts
– Measure your impact

23. The Why
– Efficiency reduces costs
– Ensuring the long-term future of practices,
products, and processes
– Attracting talent and investments in a
world that values sustainable practices
– Avoiding lawsuits and other costs
– Community goodwill which can be of use
in later ventures i.e. procuring land or
subsidies
– Socially beneficial and simple to
implement

24. Implementation

25. Asking the Right Questions
1. Is CSR relevant to my company?
2. If so what are our core values?
3. Where and how does it make sense for the company to make a
socially responsible investment?
4. What kinds of socially responsible investments is my company best
positioned to make?
5. What are CSR best practices and their impact on corporate goals
such as retention, employee satisfaction, and corporate reputation?
6. How might FrontStream or other partners help with all of the
above?

26. Conceive and Initiate
 Mobilize Your Triple Bottom Line
Conception: People, the Planet,
and Sustainable Profits
 Adopt a framework as a guide
for your initiatives.
 Incorporate cause marketing into
your program to associate your
efforts with your company,
products, and brand.

27. Who Has the First Question?