ACCP and IO Sustainability are launching a landmark initiative to help companies identify how corporate social responsibility (CSR) supports both the financial bottom line and social objectives. The Business ROI of Social Investments: A Pilot Program will engage 15 or more companies to develop tools that enable managers to structure social investments to deliver measurable benefits for the business and society; to determine which investments will deliver strategic value; and to measure results. Participating companies will work through a process to diagnose current performance and to develop a business case for their CSR programs.

Project ROI – Defining the Financial and Competitive Value of Corporate Responsibility (CR) and Sustainability^[1] finds that social investment can make vital contributions to a company’s financial and competitive success. Yet the common perception among executives is that their company’s social investments do not support business objectives. The launch of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will increase the demands on companies to do more, while conversely, increasing global competition will pressure companies to do less.

Mark Shamley, President and CEO of ACCP states, “Today, to ensure the sustainability of social investments, CSR leaders must adopt an approach that addresses societal issues while supporting and driving business results.”

ACCP and IO Sustainability will guide the pilot program members through a structured method to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities within their programs. The structure of the pilot will also allow participants to benchmark their programs against peers and leaders in the field. ACCP and IO Sustainability will provide guidance and the infrastructure needed to support peer learning throughout the program.

Steve Rochlin, Co-CEO of IO Sustainability and lead author of Project ROI states, “When participants complete the program, they will have built a business case for their programs that demonstrates the value of the work to the company and society. They will also have access to the diagnostic tool, metrics, and a strategy and management framework.” 

To learn more about the pilot program, please contact Maryann Fiala atmaryann@accprof.org or 407-930-5639 and Steve Rochlin at Srochlin@iosustainability.comor 703-969-9197. 

Founded in 2005, ACCP is the sole membership-based organization chartered to champion the corporate responsibility professional. To learn more about ACCP, visitwww.accprof.org.

IO Sustainability, LLC is a strategy, research, and public affairs firm specializing in issues at the intersection of business, government, and civil society. To learn more, visithttp://iosustainability.com/.

[1] Steve Rochlin, Stephen Jordan, et al. Project ROI: Defining the Competitive and Financial Advantages of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, 2015.

ACCP

ACCP

The Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) is the nation's leading independent organization providing services and support for corporate contributions, community relations, and employee volunteer managers.

ACCP is a nonprofit advocacy and continuing education organization that helps corporations identify and adopt best practices and provides training for contributions professionals in the contributions, community relations, and volunteerism fields.

 

 

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