The long, quiet summers of the past are no more. Instead the summer months provide a very good opportunity to start planning the staff charity of the year or similar partnerships, as these often take significantly more time to develop than you might at first think.
To get the best out of the link to a charity you need really clear aims and goals. While a financial target is good, more holistic key performance indicators will help to make a lasting impact for both organisations, rather than just a cash boost for one year.
Targets or measures might focus on managing the exit strategy, as much as managing the launch. This can include ensuring the charity is supported in its search for additional corporate support – if you have had a good year then you should tell others.
A whole year’s plan needs to be agreed with the charity and a critical assessment of the amount of resources needed to deliver it. These days a traditional ‘give as you earn’ campaign also has to compete with more eye-catching, fund-raising activities such as treks to Kilimanjaro or windsurfing the English Channel – so why not build these into your strategy and capture people’s imagination in an innovative way.
At KPMG we have a responsible consumption programme that challenges people to use resources more prudently and to come up with ways of avoiding consumption – whether that is stationery, paper, IT equipment or whatever. Half of the savings made as a result of this prudence are donated to our staff charity. This appeals to people’s ingenuity and really captures their imagination and their creative skills.
Once you have your staff charity partnership rolling, then it is time to turn again to the task of recruiting volunteers from the new staff intake. Whether it’s school leavers or graduates joining the business, or simply the start of the new academic year, there will be a call for more volunteers.
There’s quite a turnover in volunteers and as much effort needs to be invested in retaining current volunteers as in attracting new ones.
Of course it’s given that a spot on the induction programme will be given over to CSR in all its guises but how are you going to make sure that they remember the CSR aspect of the day when there is so much else competing for their attention?
Again it is variety that works and investing in quality internal communications. We have used a video for the past 18 months and are now looking at how to evolve and develop this. The video covered more than 35 different aspects, projects and programmes and most times one aspect or more would resonate with individuals but it does need review.
More and more new entrants expect there to be a fully formed CSR programme and expect to participate. We need to target our communication to them to make it simple and compelling. If that isn’t a task for the summer months before the new entrants arrive then how better can you spend your time?
Of course, if you are going to procure new resources to attract new volunteers then you are going to be working with the procurement function. This profession can be a great force for the good in CSR terms and does help to mainstream CSR in another dimension of the business. The criteria for suppliers to be invited to tender is regularly reviewed and refreshed. This provides another opportunity to influence how the business operates. If you are short on suggestions on what should be included then don’t despair – if you keep a copy of all the tender submission forms you’ve been asked to contribute to, on behalf of your own business, you will have a reasonable spread from which to select what is right for your own business.
Finally while having those conversations with procurement it is worth reminding them gain about the regulations on IT waste which are expected to come into force in 2007. Although they have been delayed for over a year and you run the risk of crying wolf, it is going to be like the advent of renewable energy. The businesses most organised in term of management information and most clear in what they wanted, got the best deals – definite first mover advantage to be had. If you are London based you might also mention the Living Wage campaign (http://www.livingwage.org.uk) and likely pressure from that civil society group.
MIke Kelly is head of CSR at KPMG LLP (UK). He writes The Practitioner column every month, previewing key upcoming events.
COMMENTS