Listen to a podcast – within 20 minutes, you’ll hear an ad for a mattress brand that donates one mattress to a sleepless community for every mattress purchased. That’s hyperbolic, but companies are tapping corporate social responsibility to endear consumers to their brands, and they’re increasingly including efforts in their PR and marketing material. Donating socks to shelters put Bombas on the map. Toms was shipping shoes to in-need communities with every purchase before Instagram even launched. Those two examples are of companies whose founding mission was to create quality products that give back, and not all businesses have that luxury. Still, your company can build a CSR structure that aligns with your mission and connects with consumers IF you do it intentionally and thoughtfully. Here are a few things you need to do to get CSR right. 

1. Choose a partner or initiative that aligns with your expertise or experience. 

If you pursue a CSR campaign or partnership that doesn’t align with your business or you as a business owner, that will come across as disingenuous to your consumers. You want your efforts to connect directly to your line of business, industry or service. For example, if you’re a lawn care company, maybe you partner with a nonprofit that serves seniors so you can provide service to older adults living independently who can’t otherwise tend to their lawns. That is a direct connection to your work that makes sense, meets a need and impacts the community. You could also seek a connection to your personal life as a business owner. For example, maybe your parents took in foster children throughout childhood, and foster-focused causes are your passion. If you’re willing to share your personal story, you can draw the connection between your lived experience and your business’s social outreach. 

I saw a great example recently from Salesforce. The television commercial opened with an employee sharing her story of being diagnosed with ALS. She thought telling her diagnosis to her management team would lead to her slow (maybe abrupt) termination. Instead, they asked questions and uncovered through her that this condition was incurable and terminal. The entire company stepped up to raise money and awareness for ALS research, bringing her on stage at their massive annual conference and rallying around her treatment and care. Keep in mind that this was a primetime NFL commercial for CMS software. They never mentioned their products or services or even provided a call to action. They simply shared how their company created a CSR campaign to support a single employee. 

2. Ask how you can help, not the other way around.

If you’ve ever met with a nonprofit professional, and I have met with several, you will hear horror stories of donations gone wrong. There is a pervasive assumption that charitable organizations are grateful for any donations they can get, and gifts of all shapes and sizes should be accepted with open arms. The reality is this: Nonprofits have limited staffing and space to manage and store donations that are not immediately usable in pursuing their mission. Not all donations are helpful, and some burden their actual work. 

Before you launch a CSR initiative, connect with potential partners to discuss your ideas. If you’re doing a physical give-back item (like Toms or Bombas mentioned in the opening), ensure they want and need the item you’re preparing to give. If you’re donating services or time, work to fit their schedule and needs. If you’re donating money… well, there aren’t many ways for that to go wrong! But it’s still wise to ask if they might want the funds for a specific program or initiative. When you take the time to listen and create a true partnership, you’ll find the relationship to be a lot more fruitful.

3. Be reasonable with your promotional approach. 

If you have been on the internet recently, you’ve probably seen videos of people doing acts of kindness for strangers. While admirable on the surface, the comment section will reveal the cynicism that lurks in the back of our minds (even yours, admit it). “Why can’t you do something nice without filming it?” “I wish we could go back to the days of being nice and not patting ourselves on the back or seeking clout for it.” And honestly, the points are valid. No one likes a person or business that brags about its give-back efforts, especially when they’re inconsequential. 

I am not naive – businesses give back for many reasons, including the marketing capabilities that come with a philanthropic angle to their work. But be reasonable with your promotional tactics and outreach. For example, don’t request a full news release distribution from your nonprofit partner for a $500 donation. And don’t take to social media the moment you ink a partnership. Start small, sharing with your customers as it makes sense, and build over time. As you gather stories, deepen your partnership and create meaningful impact, the promotional opportunities will start to present themselves. 

Of course, if you want someone else to plan that promotional rollout and timeline, I would be happy to step in. OK, maybe not me exactly, but me or someone at Obsidian could help you create a stellar CSR strategy that aligns with your mission and builds rapport with audiences.