CECP Insights Blog

Throughout 2024, CECP will be celebrating 25 years of purpose–this is a significant milestone, not only for CECP, but also for the entire corporate purpose movement. Over the past 25 years, CECP has continued to evolve as corporate purpose, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability ecosystems have transformed to meet the demands of a dynamically shifting […]

Investors are looking for executives to strategically manage for the long term  According to last year’s Edelman Trust Barometer, 65 percent of people believe companies are not doing well at living up to their climate change commitments, driven by the focus on short-term profits. With close to 30 percent of company holdings owned by index […]

Super Bowl advertisements are often a zeitgeist of the current sociocultural climate. With companies paying $7 million for a 30 second ad to run last week, it’s not surprising that marketers and advertisers want to be thoughtful about how they spend their budget. And this year, many of them played it safe by focusing on […]

As we begin 2024, our natural inclination is to be optimistic about what’s ahead. Soon after the confetti settles, though, the dread floods in as we remember all the challenges that followed us from 2023. At its heart, it is difficult for businesses to deliver in a world that is so divisive. It is in […]

With COVID-19 concerns and the fear of US recession waning, many of us thought we would all be better off leading into 2024, but geopolitical risks are stacking up to keep danger lurking around every corner. A poll of 50 CEOs from CECP’s recent Board of Boards event asking how they felt about the current […]

Anchor institutions are those that are well established and deeply ingrained in their communities, both socially and economically; the institution and the community are interdependent. Initially, anchor institutions referred to colleges, universities, medical centers, and public utilities. Then arts and cultural institutions and sports venues were added to the list, as were religious institutions. Considering […]

As we approach Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to generosity since 2012, let’s delve into some key insights about corporate philanthropy from the Giving in Numbers™: 2023 Edition, specifically focusing on Total Community Investments and Matching Gifts.  Total Community Investments: A Slow, Steady Climb  The report reveals a nuanced picture of corporate community investments in […]

Companies that have a long-term sustainable value creation strategy thrive even in times of crisis. In fact, companies focused on the long term have demonstrated 47% higher average revenue and 36% higher earnings growth than their peers. Companies that focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are more likely to adopt sustainable practices, reducing their negative impact […]

This August, CECP hosted its fourth ESG and Sustainable Business Peer Connect– a quarterly opportunity for senior leaders to connect with peers and experts on trending ESG topics. The event discussed how the scope of responsibilities for Chief Sustainability Officers (CSO) have dramatically shifted over recent years, growing to become integral cross-organizational partners in strategy […]

It was recently climate week in NYC where there was a lot of conversation about ESG. Despite the pushback, particularly in the U.S., ESG is alive and well, even if companies are talking about it less and in different ways. The idea that large companies should pay more attention to the impact of their actions […]

Despite having already made a substantial impact on Discovery Education and its community investment work, you are still relatively new to the CEO seat. What advice would you share with incoming or newly appointed CEOs to make the transition of leadership as smooth and effective as possible?   I think the first thing any new CEO […]

Artwork created by generative AI via Canva The war in Israel and Gaza is a tragedy by any measure. This is a fact. But there are many “facts” being circulated on the internet that are, in fact, not true. Inaccurate, unreliable information is going viral daily, across social media platforms — manipulated images, photos and […]

  Daryl Brewster discusses the benefits and challenges of integrated long-term planning with former Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb. You were recently part of a CECP CEO Roundtable with Vincent Forlenza, chair of Moody’s and former chair and CEO of BD, about the process and value of developing and presenting an integrated long-term plan from the […]

December 16, 2014–This year CECP engaged in more than 1,000 individual conversations with the world’s leading CEOs and companies, analyzed nearly 300 corporate giving surveys, and published key reports on corporate societal engagement. These insightful connections have uniquely positioned CECP to capture and share some of the most exciting trends of 2014: Purpose Leads to Performance: […]

We recently finished another successful Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose© (CECP) Summit event this past May. Together with 200+ senior social impact and corporate responsibility professionals from the world’s leading global companies, we all joined in Boston for The Age of Agility: A Defining Moment for Business. The event focused on powerful insights on trends, […]