March 1, 2010

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View videos from the CSR Awards finalists.

As we begin to climb out of the economic chasm we’ve experienced since 2007, a fundamental change in thinking is sweeping through the business world: The concept that profits are not enough to keep organizations at the top of their industries has taken root.

With trust in business at a low ebb, many organizations have realized that goodwill toward stakeholders and their communities is a concept whose time has come—it’s crucial in rebuilding trust and lifting reputations. Indeed, corporate social responsibility is coming to the forefront, as witnessed by the millions of dollars in corporate donations for earthquake relief in Haiti.

As you’ll see in the winners profiles below, CSR initiatives cast a much wider net than disaster relief. From their own backyards to places in need across the globe, organizations and businesses are committing valuable time and money to help improve peoples’ lives and strengthen their bonds with communities. The programs you read about here—and the people behind them—are leading the way in CSR initiatives and communications.

We congratulate all the PR News CSR Award winners and honorable mentions, who were honored during a luncheon held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 24.

  • CSR Awards: Annual Report – McCain Foods Ltd
  • CSR Awards: Cause Branding Campaign – Nickelodeon
  • CSR Awards: Community Affairs – Tourism Toronto
  • CSR Awards: Corporate-Community Partnership – Puget Sound Energy
  • CSR Awards: CSR Leader/Company — Over 25K Employees – Cisco Systems Inc.
  • CSR Awards: Overall Leader in CSR Practices: PR Firm – Carmichael Lynch Spong
  • CSR Awards: CSR Leader/Company — Under 25K Employees – Amerigroup Corporation
  • CSR Awards: CSR on a Shoestring – Fleishman-Hillard/The Allstate Foundation
  • CSR Awards: Diversity Communications – Pepsi Bottling Group
  • CSR Awards: Employee Relations – BNY Mellon
  • CSR Awards: Employee Volunteer Program – Oracle Corporation
  • CSR Awards: Environmental Stewardship – Marketing Communications, Michigan State University
  • CSR Awards: Executive of the Year — CEO Level – Randy Millian, Managing Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Diageo
  • CSR Awards: Executive of the Year — Executive Level – Tracy Pleschourt, Director of Office Services, Carmichael Lynch Spong
  • CSR Awards: Executive of the Year — Public Relations – Frank Mantero, Director of Corporate Citizenship Programs, GE
  • CSR Awards: Green PR Campaign – Cisco Canada
  • CSR Awards: Human Rights Communications – The Body Shop
  • CSR Awards: Media Relations – Office Depot Foundation
  • CSR Awards: Nonprofit/Corporate Partnership – Jiffy Lube International and Cone
  • CSR Awards: Philanthropy Communications – Aflac
  • CSR Awards: Stakeholder Engagement – GE
  • CSR Awards: Sustainability/CSR Report – H.J. Heinz Company
  • CSR Awards: Workplace Innovation – Pioneer Services, a Division of MidCountry Bank