Doing Well by Doing Good – An Ode to Corporate Philanthropy

(A re-post of an article written for the Idaho Business Review’s 2011 Heroes in Philanthropy publication)

Now more than ever, the need for good corporate citizenship is paramount. When the economy is sound, the needs of the community are often less, or less visible. When times are tough, and those tough times last for years, the community leans on its assets, its thought-leaders and influencers, to provide that leg up and inspire similar behavior.

It is a time when companies of every size and industry need to live their core values out loud and consider the interconnected nature of our communities. Isolated and insulated we falter. Collaboratively we survive and thrive.

As Charles Moore, executive director of the International Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy noted, “Over the past year, every sector of society has experienced challenges of nearly unprecedented dimensions, causing us all to rethink the ways we engage with the world and its problems. We have entered an age of solution-oriented collaboration, in which each party coming to the table must leverage its unique resources for maximum effect.”

The essence of corporate philanthropy is quite simple. You contribute to a community because you are part of it. The lifecycles of both business and community are inherently intertwined.

Red Sky PR has embraced involvement since its inception in 2008.  Philanthropic-minded founders set a culture of giving back early on – through contributions of dollars, time and support to causes in the areas of health and wellness, arts and culture and community development. Community involvement enabled a young company to establish its name, build a reputable brand and enhance ties in the community that enabled it to grow, thrive and provide for its dozen employees.

As the company evolved and instituted structure and a refined vision, culture became an integral part of the agency identity. By crowd-sourcing the development of agency values among the team, Red Sky identified the ‘Community Involvement’ as core to what the company is about, stating, “We are renaissance people. Our work is better and our minds are sharper because of the experiences we have, connections we make and community opportunities we embrace outside the office.”

Philanthropic efforts can, and should, go beyond the checkbook. Red Sky has sought sponsorship opportunities that enable active involvement from our staff  – from embracing wellness challenges with Activate Treasure Valley and Go Red for Women, to rolling up our sleeves at the local Humane Society or with Food Bank drives. Staff retreats and holiday giving decisions are collaboratively decided on by the entire team, and often incorporate activities to drive home the community need and contribution.

Doing well by doing good means getting out of the office for the ‘doing’.

For those that argue philanthropic efforts cannot be tied to bottom lines, consider the impact that an engaged, empowered and enthusiastic workforce has on your internal culture and the dividends culture provides to promote satisfaction, loyalty and productivity from customers and employees alike.

Solution-oriented collaboration through corporate philanthropy across the spectrum of business will ensure our community thrives.

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

- Jess Flynn & Tracy Bresina

P.S.: A fantastic example of local small businesses putting solution-oriented collaboration into action is the Care2Share program. It’s the 2nd year for this initiative that meets community needs through social media driven crowdsourcing campaigns. Find out how you can be involved via the Care2Share blog, Facebook or Twitter!