Community engagement has long been popular with the corporate sector. Often relegated to market research, hometown grantmaking, and volunteerism, community engagement has historically been a means for companies to “give back” or improve external brand perception. And more often than not, the approach is reactive, reputation-focused, and transactional, grounded in a “savior” mindset, where companies hold the power, resources, and answers about how to effectively support their community.

However, as stakeholder capitalism gains adherents and more corporate leaders seek to unlock the value potential of centering on racial equity (described in the CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity), corporations should reconsider how they engage with a broader swath of community stakeholders. If our goal is to create business value and more equitable outcomes for our stakeholders, shouldn’t the path there also embody the values and principles of equity?

Here at FSG, we are encouraged by the number of companies now exploring how to live up to their commitments to address systemic racism. From national retailers to financial institutions to large local health care systems, clients and partners are designing a new approach to community engagement, one grounded in relational trust and co-creation with community.

Reflecting across recent conversations with partners and friends, we offer the following considerations for how corporations can build a more equitable approach to community engagement.

  1. Clarify your reason for community engagement
  2. Define your community
  3. Connect the dots internally
  4. Understand and reckon with history
  5. Be ready to shift existing power dynamics

Read the full article about equitable community engagement by Chris Carlson Christine Auwarter John Harper at FSG.