Changing the Charity Conversation

By Emily Rothberg

If the “charity” mindset is obsolete to explain how companies and nonprofits do good in the world, then what language do we use? What’s the new script for the kinds of conversations we should be having?

In a typical funder-beneficiary model, the conversation follows a “tell us what you need, and we will (try to) give it to you” scenario. A menu of funding options is offered forth like a hand of playing cards, with the corporate funder invited to pick one. Success is tallied in numbers of hours volunteered and amounts of cash donated.

But, what happens when the corporate philanthropy landscape shifts? What happens when all aspects of a company’s business practices can be dissected and shared? The answer is stakeholders up the ante on companies to demonstrate results. The 2013 Global CSR Study by Cone Communications found that nearly 2/3 of global consumers say they use social media to address, or engage with companies around corporate social responsibility. Those percentages jump into the 80% and 90% range for consumers in countries like China, India and Brazil.

What’s the new, big deal for business?

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