Corporate Citizenship

“It’s abundantly clear that expectations of businesses have grown enormously over the past several years,” says Steve Rochlin, director, research and policy development, The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College. “Businesses are expected to contribute positively to society. They’re expected to leave behind a more sustainable environment than they found. They’re expected to take leadership in encouraging sectors of society to partner to solve major problems facing the world today.”

It’s not just about the bottom line anymore, as companies are expanding into new markets globally, investors, clients and even employees want to know what our business is doing to make a difference within our community. Alongside the earnings and dividends, annual reports are now listing what a company’s giving record was for the year. Websites now have quick links to direct viewers to their company’s corporate citizenship information. Through the Internet, monitoring a business’s giving record has never been easier; there is a transparency and disclosure element in revealing this information. Many businesses on the global market are unable to compete because business partners/investors do not feel the business is giving back socially.

This new “trend” if you will makes me review my own business practices. What has CH Consulting done for our community? Currently, the staff and myself are involved in several of the community boards: Chamber of Commerce Board, Hospital Auxiliary Foundation Board, Housing Issues Advisory Board, etc. Staff volunteers for community events such as Ice Box Days and the Bass Tournament. I have staff volunteer as advocates for the local Domestic Violence non-profit.

Yet, to be honest, we don’t list this currently on our website. Why you may ask? Well, before this current trend and after the next trend, my staff and I will still be involved in our community. Corporate citizenship is ingrained into our company’s culture. Volunteerism is always it’s own reward. Blessings from helping our community come not from posting it on our website, but from the act itself. Although, don’t get me wrong, I love this new trend and I hope that many companies jump on the bandwagon of being more socially responsible, there is the sense of would they be doing this if there wasn’t the internet microscope? I would like to think they would.