Corporate Volunteer Retreat and the Evolution of Corporate Philanthropy

Greetings – My name is Matt Campana and I am thrilled to be contributing my first blog post with Grand Dynamics!  I have been working with Grand Dynamics for quite some time – 1999 in fact was my first introduction to Tim and the gang.  3 years ago I set out to create a “give back” corporate and group retreat program.  What we came up with was our Corporate Volunteer Retreat™ program. (CVR) Through the CVR program we have provided businesses with a platform to give back to the community where participants live, work and play while also improving performance in the workplace.  We do this my associating the lessons learned through volunteering and applying those lessons to current business initiatives.  This is done with facilitated meetings, leadership development, adventure base team building, guest speakers and a myriad of other options.  Additionally we were fortunate enough to have been selected by Denver University to study the merits of our CVR program.  After 18 months of research it was determined that this program is indeed viable and sustainable.

We have compiled lots of data showing that this program has a lasting positive impact on the participants, company and communities involved.  Please contact us to learn more!!

 Yours in Adventure,

Matt

 Matt Campana

President

Corporate Motivation, Inc

Grand Dynamics Midwest Sales Manager

330.524.3047

Business’s Social Contract:

Capturing the Corporate

Philanthropy Opportunity

• The Shifting Social Contract. 84% of corporate executives believe that society expects businesses to take a more active role in environmental, social, and political issues than it did five years ago. Corporate philanthropy is one effective way to meet these new expectations.
• The Evolution of Corporate Philanthropy. Companies are developing more sophisticated initiatives to address the three levels of their contract with society (laws and regulations, implicit nonlegal expectations, and frontier issues such as obesity or human rights) and employing broader resources for community impact, including volunteerism, product donations, and capacity building.
• The Complexity of Getting It Right. Fewer than 20% of companies surveyed said their philanthropic efforts were very or extremely effective in meeting social or business goals. To help optimize these efforts, companies must define the focus of philanthropic efforts, gain public recognition for their programs, and allocate appropriate CEO time to philanthropy.
• Capturing the Corporate Philanthropy Opportunity. Examining the behavior of leading corporate philanthropists uncovered three keys to philanthropic success: deep involvement from the CEO and board of directors, alignment between philanthropic and business strategy, and management of philanthropy as a business investment.

Demonstrating that corporate philanthropy is a business priority even in a strained economic climate, 55 CEOs from many of the world’s largest companies convened on International Corporate Philanthropy Day, February 23, 2009, for CECP’s fourth annual Board of Boards conference to discuss the theme: “Global Leaders: Confronting a Crucial Decision.” Panelists Jeffrey Immelt of GE and Carlos Ghosn of Nissan engaged attendees in a dialogue, moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw, on the importance of corporate-community investment today. Key findings include:

2009 Board of Boards Report

• Elevate and Prioritize the Social Contract. Corporate leaders recognize the interdependency between business and society, and the pressing need to regain public trust. 82% of attendees indicated that philanthropy can help restore trust in the business sector, signaling their belief that corporate giving can support a regenerative cycle in distressed communities.
• Refocus on Core Strategies. Attending CEOs stated that in the current economic climate, aligning philanthropy with company values, practices and goals is imperative. Conversely, philanthropy conducted in isolation from the rest of the business will fail to deliver optimal social and business benefits.
• Initiate an Inclusive Dialogue. 80% of participating CEOs consider their employees and customers to be the most important constituencies when crafting giving strategy. However, factors such as government support of threatened industries, stimulus packages, and intensifying public scrutiny are swiftly expanding the number and size of stakeholder groups.
• Leverage Resources Creatively. The duration and severity of the economic downturn have eclipsed even the worst commonly-held predictions of a year ago. While this will likely have a downward effect on cash contributions, CEOs expressed their will to fill funding gaps to the greatest extent possible.