CECP Insights Blog

December 2, 2015–Minnesota is home to dynamic industries and many of the top 100 companies in the Fortune 500 such as UnitedHealth Group, Target, Best Buy, and 3M, making it a model for economic development. Public and private-sector initiatives like Grow Minnesota!, Best in Business Awards, Drive Emerging Leaders, and Executive Women’s Council, engage private […]

November 30, 2015–Earlier this year the UN launched 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which define global priorities and seek to mobilize global efforts around a common set of goals and targets to address shared societal challenges by 2030 in the areas of environmental, social, and governance actions. The SDG’s collective success is predicated on companies […]

November 4, 2015–Congratulations! You’ve earned a senior role in your company’s societal engagement function. You’ve been tapped for your leadership and your ability to collaborate, influence, inspire, and creatively and resiliently navigate the unique complexities of your organization to drive business and social impact. Well done. Now, bolster up! Grab that espresso and protect your […]

October 30, 2015–This week marks 2015 Pro Bono Week (#PWB15), a global campaign to celebrate Pro Bono Services and programs. As business professionals and corporations around the globe draw in the inspiration to strengthen their pro bono programs, earlier this week, CECP released our newly updated Pro Bono Valuation Guide (our two page document to […]

October 26, 2015–It’s Pro bono week!  A growing way companies go deeper in what they deliver through employee engagement programs is Pro Bono Service, which CECP has been tracking since 2008. More companies across different industries are recognizing the value of Pro Bono Services provided by their employees to support nonprofit organizations. It is becoming […]

André Solórzano Manager, Data Insights, CECP August 21, 2015–At the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, CECP looks back at how disaster relief response has changed among companies. We found that overall, the data show that aggregate giving from corporations for disaster relief has declined over the last five years. A deeper look into the data […]

July 15, 2015–Frank Bruni (The Sunny Side of Greed, 7/1/15) has identified an essential truth of modern commerce. As we move from the industrial age to the information age, the instant, transparent dynamics of commercial life have spawned a different generation of businesses, a sea change if you will. They are growing cultures infused with […]

May 14, 2015–In response to “Philanthropy Starts After Profits Are Tallied”(New York Times, May 12, 2015), the notion that companies must choose between philanthropy and the welfare of their stakeholders presents a false dichotomy. Leading CEOs have realized that they can align mission and market. Coca Cola and PepsiCo have campaigned against their own (short-term, […]

February 24, 2015– I have just read the second annual Giving Around the Globe report from CECP (I am a board member), a coalition of 150 global CEOs who are a force for good, on giving patterns of companies based in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. Here are some of the most interesting […]

November 10, 2014–One of the keys to successful corporate social responsibility should be a strong connection to an organization’s mission or purpose. Purpose coupled with strong alignment to business priorities can deliver an impactful platform that supports both long-term growth and social change. At CVS Health, our programs and initiatives are deeply rooted in our […]

November 4, 2014–The October 26, 2013 article, Goldman Sachs, Buying Redemption, was a reminder that corporate societal engagement is changing quickly, yet public perception has not yet caught up. Current, and effective, incarnations of corporate-community investment include projects to solve some of society’s toughest challenges that are benefiting communities and the companies investing in them. […]

October 28, 2014–Our country would benefit tremendously if all young people served their country – not just in the military, but in all kinds of service. The challenges faced by our nation, and the obvious deterioration of many of the institutions and opportunities that have historically helped buttress citizenship, make this idea more important than […]

October 27, 2014–According to CECP’s recent research report, Giving in Numbers: 2014 Edition, companies had to give a minimum of about 2% of Pre-Tax Profits to be in the top quartile of corporate givers. Is that a lot? Depends who you ask! One potential comparison is to American individuals—a Chronicle of Philanthropy study found that […]

October 15, 2014–Allstate’s recent “Purple Purse” event, held at the Glass Houses in New York City, provides a glimpse into how one company uses its influence as a “Force for Good” to multiply its business and societal impact. Allstate CEO Tom Wilson, who will speak at CECP’s upcoming Board of Boards CEO event about his […]

July 29, 2014–We were pleased to see the New York Timespiece, “Motivating Corporations to Do Good’ (7/15/2014). At CECP, founded in 1999 by Paul Newman and leading CEOs to do exactly that, we work with a coalition of 150 CEOs who are leading businesses in an increasingly transparent climate. But what truly motivates companies to […]