Corporate Sponsorship: Marathons

John Hancock Insurance, Adidas, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute sponsor the Boston Marathon; Bank of America sponsors the Chicago Marathon; and Amica Insurance sponsors the Seattle Marathon.  Each of these companies have found it beneficial to sponsor marathons.  Marathon participants fit into a niche market: they lead active lifestyles and are also generally driven.  Companies who see this group of people as their target market will benefit from sponsoring the run.

Upcoming CSR Conference: BSR Conference 2012

On October 23-26, BSR (New York) will host the BSR Conference 2012.  BSR develops sustainable business strategies and solutions through consulting, research, and cross-sector collaboration.  According to the conference website, “The BSR Conference 2012 will

Upcoming CSR Conference: 2012 Social Enterprise Conference

 

Friday, October 5th, The Social Enterprise Program of the Columbia Business School (Columbia University – New York) will host the 2012 Social Enterprise Conference.  According to the conference website, the conference ” brings together thought leaders from across private, nonprofit, public, and academic sectors to share best practices, debate critical issues, and collaborate on innovative concepts to inspire change. Through interactive sessions, keynote speakers, workshops, a pitch competition, and networking opportunities, the conference presents guests with the opportunity to partake in the most important business and societal conversation of this new era.”

Upcoming CSR Conference: 5th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility – The Future of CSR

October 4-6 Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin will host the 5th International Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility – The Future of CSR.  The conference website describes the conference as

CSR Learning Opportunities Part 3

Centre for Sustainability Excellence

As a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Certified Training Provider, the Centre for Sustainability Excellence (CSE) hosts training seminars for organizations and institutions including sessions such as certified corporate social responsibility practitioner, carbon footprint analysis, life cycle analysis and climate change leadership.

CSR Learning Opportunities Part 2

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management offers a Certificate in Strategic Corporate Social  Responsibility within their Executive Education program.  The program is designed for business executives and managers and is taught at a graduate level. The course does not have pre-requisites.  The certificate program takes place over two full days at the Graziadio Villa Executive Center in Malibu, CA.

CSR Learning Opportunities Part 1

This week we will highlight three different learning opportunities pertaining to corporate social responsibility.

Harvard Business School

Through their Executive Education programs, Harvard Business School (HBS) is offering a course called Corporate Social Responsibility: Strategies to Create Business and Social Value this coming October.  The HBS Executive Education programs prepare “executives from all over the world for new levels of leadership in their careers and within their organizations.”  The programs are taught worldwide by full-time Harvard Business professors.  Although the programs are non-degree, certificates are awarded for completion.  Each program generally runs for about 3-4 days.

The Debate Over Social Enterprise

Not too long ago I was unfamiliar with the term social enterprise.  I had been out for coffee with a friend who mentioned it in passing; apparently she had recently had a stimulating conversation with an old acquaintance about about the subject.  I had no clue what she was talking about, but I nodded my head, acting as though I fully understood to what she was referring.  As soon as I got home, I started googling and venturing through Wikipedia.  The Social Enterprise Alliance defines social enterprises as, “businesses whose primary purpose is the common good. They use the methods and disciplines of business and the power of the marketplace to advance their social, environmental and human justice agendas.”

Building Community

Much of today’s corporate social responsibility efforts can, and most likely intentionally, be spun as an advertising campaign.  After all, business is business, and profit is the bottom line. But beyond the external benefits of acknowledging and nurturing the community, corporations can also use their CSR programs to build community within their workforce.

Kia motors give Green Light to CSR in Tanzania

Another good example of global CSR efforts. We’re always on the look out to pass along information regarding current CSR initiatives.

Marketing NGOs

Hats off to Kia Motors who earlier this week unveiled its five-year Corporate Social Responsibility Project that is worth as estimated $12 million (but to put that in contect the company earned $2.02 billion in 2010 alone).

In Tanzania they’re already seeing the benefits of the project with the opening of a new educational facility, the Maendeleo Secondary School at Wazo ward in Kinondoni municipality which jointly constructed by a Korean not-for-profit organization, Good Neighbours  and Kia Motors which also donated four Kia pick-up trucks for the school.

Kia Motors Chairman, Mr Cho Kwi Hyun, said the school’s construction is part of a five year project dubbed Green Light which is carried out by his company in different regions in the country. “As part of its corporate social responsibility, Kia Motors is giving something back to the society with a view to enlighten and support the less privileged in many…

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