Lessons Learned
• Creating strong internal partnerships is essential to building successful community partnerships. With the support of management and the board, your company will be able to focus its efforts on programs and organizations that can really make a difference in the communities where it does business.
• It is important for employees to understand that corporate philanthropy is valued and supported from the top down. Board support sends a message to employees, customers, investors and society at large that giving back to the community is a priority for the company from the topmost level. It helps rally employees around initiatives such as corporate volunteerism and employee giving campaigns. And it goes a long way toward building a company of which that employees can be proud.
• Having the support of the board gives your programs staying power during turbulent times. When board members personally buy-in to your corporate citizenship efforts and understand how they reinforce the business objectives of the company, they are more inclined to want to sustain giving, volunteerism and other corporate citizenship efforts over the long haul.
These tips were written by Anne Marie Agnelli, vice president of community and public affairs at Computer Associates and Janice Brown, a consultant with the TCC Group.