Steps you can take today
Be aware of your risk posture and prepare to share with leaders
Helping an organization gauge its current risk level with regards to areas like DEI and nonprofit partnership is something CSR teams are well positioned to do — and leaders are looking for guidance. Consider responding to this moment as you might a crisis or disaster. Using a risk assessment matrix to determine the likelihood of each potential threat and the possible impact to your business’s bottom line will provide a structured framework for your organization. Running your position through a matrix also has the potential to quell the urge to overindex on caution and pull all the way back on programs.
Consider what your budget can do for you
Using the budget you have allocated is an important part of strategic planning, and now is a good time to leverage any unused matching budget if you have it available. Encouraging employees to talk about and support the nonprofits they love, and matching their contributions, will work towards your engagement goals, promote resilient company culture and allow you to continue your impact work business as usual. If your team has an emergency relief budget — if you’ve used a risk assessment matrix and the current conditions are being treated by your company as a crisis — consider your ability to repurpose that budget for nonprofits in need of urgent funds, too.
Tie it all back to your corporate values
For those being asked to make a case for CSR programs and budget, demonstrating alignment between impact work and your company’s corporate values makes a stronger case. While the environment around policy and governance is consistently changing, companies that stay close to their core values are better resourced to weather storms. Using data to connect CSR programs to corporate goals provides further proof. Benevity clients have said their own CSR programs have resulted in 52% less turnover among newer employees and 92% have said that Benevity has had a strong, positive impact on business efficiency.
Seek internal employee data to help set priorities
Goal setting in times of turbulence is like trying to hit a moving target, but anchoring your priorities on data helps create a structure you can continue to build on. Leaders care about employee engagement and retention, so collecting internal data from employees about what matters to them can provide the first steps of your next plan. Our own polarized giving study showed that the majority of giving goes to issues we all agree on — your data might similarly provide peace of mind to those fearing a values battleground. Being able to understand the value of CSR in your specific context will point you towards the data you need to help leadership understand that it’s critical to business goals. And then make sure you’re not the only voice bringing that data to the table — cultivate internal champions by sharing that data widely to remind people why CSR is important.
Engage your nonprofit partners
Pressing on in times of crisis is a nonprofit superpower, so information and skill sharing with your partners at this time can strengthen both your approaches. Having deep relationships with nonprofit partners ensures trust and security that programs are moving in the right direction. If there is concern at your company about compliance from your granting partners, refer back to your contracts to provide assurance there is a legal agreement to comply with relevant local legislation. And be open to shifting elements like granting KPIs that will enable nonprofits to make their programs better able to meet this moment — corporate giving programs have an opportunity to counter funding threats and support the nonprofit ecosystem during this critical time, so your company can make a real impact.
Evolve your internal communications strategy
As internal priorities shift, so too must the way those priorities are communicated. There is a lot of trepidation around speaking out, both from leaders and employees — intentional, authentic communication can provide a greater sense of security for all. Having a clear picture of how employees who use workplace giving programs feel about divisive issues can provide some context around risk tolerance for your internal communications. Consider creating an advisory panel of people from areas like legal, risk and compliance, communications and HR to help make determinations and craft messaging for more complex cases. You can also consider engaging relevant ERGs to input on sensitive issues.
Check in on your ERG leaders
Many ERGs are experiencing increased scrutiny, especially those related to areas considered DEI objectives. As a result, ERG leaders — who do this passion work off the sides of their desks — are at risk of fatigue and are expressing fear around speaking out at the risk of their jobs. Despite DEI sentiment in flux, ERGs are still seen as an important part of many companies’ employer value propositions, and are considered trusted sources of information for leadership. Ensuring your ERG leaders feel supported and resourced is a proactive step CSR leaders can take now to ensure these vital programs remain stable. CSR teams facing pressure from above about potential risk associated with ERGs can remind that, on top of their business and engagement value, the groups are employee- not company-led, which provides a more arm’s-length relationship to potential internal or external pushback.
