Giving Compass' Take:

• There are four primary elements that are paramount to guiding corporate citizenship structure: CEO engagement, senior leader engagement, the corporate citizenship department, and critical staffing functions of the CSR department.

• How is one element informed by another? What factors are sustaining corporate citizen structure?

• Read about how to make CSR an empowering part of  a company.

As companies face increasing pressure from stakeholders to address complex societal issues, many are developing programs and initiatives with ambitious social impact goals, but often, without the requisite structure to ensure the programs are effective.

Based on interviews with seven companies exhibiting best practices, client experiences, knowledge of the sector, and TCC’s corporate citizenship framework, we’ve identified four key structural elements that can effectively guide a company in the development of their corporate citizenship structure.

  • The Engagement of the CEO. The CEO treats corporate citizenship as an important part of the business and is capable of  communicating the company’s approach to corporate citizenship to internal and external stakeholders. The corporate citizenship leader has access to the CEO on a regular basis and is a member of the senior  leadership team.
  • The Process for Engaging Senior Leaders. The corporate citizenship department has access to and engagement with senior leaders. Senior leadership treats corporate citizenship as an important part of the business.
  • The Role of the Corporate Citizenship Department. The corporate citizenship department is integrated with the company structure and is not siloed within a department. The corporate citizenship department has influence over the development of business-driven initiatives  and does not only oversee community-focused programs.
  • The Staffing of the Corporate Citizenship Department and Functions. There is clear accountability with the corporate citizenship staff around program goals. The functional roles are integrated to help support the achievement of clearly defined goals.

Read the full article about best practices in corporate citizenship structures by Tom Knowlton at TCC Group.