Lois and Richard Nicotra, the philanthropists I proudly represent, donated $1.6 Million to open their COMMONS café, a quick service eatery where they give 100% of their profits away to our Staten Island community. They’ve gifted $800,000 so far – and they are just getting started. The Nicotras are opening a second social enterprise eatery … Continue reading Doing Good While Earning A Living
Episode 33: Steve Sanner of Jiffy Lube
Steve Sanner, the owner of 48 Jiffy Lube stores, focuses on the community through a variety of programs that support local art, local team members and local nonprofits. When Steve Sanner’s Jiffy Lube store was plagued with graffiti, he decided to use it as an opportunity to engage the community by creating the Every Part … Continue reading Episode 33: Steve Sanner of Jiffy Lube
Episode 32: Kent Kramer of Goodwill
Goodwill works to remove barriers to healthcare, education and employment that many people face around the country. Most people know Goodwill as a retail store but they do so much more than that. With over 20 years of experience with the company, Kent Kramer has witnessed first hand the benefits and opportunities that Goodwill provides … Continue reading Episode 32: Kent Kramer of Goodwill
What the World Needs Now: More “Conscious” Companies
The Financial Times defines Corporate Social Responsibility as “a business approach that contributes to sustainable development by delivering economic, environmental and social benefits for all stakeholders.” Yes, CSR ought to be a critical component to an organization's operating ethos, its values, and its purpose. Every organization should be 'doing' CSR. Many are doing it exquisitely well. But … Continue reading What the World Needs Now: More “Conscious” Companies
Communicating Your CSR Program: The Role of Marketing and PR
Once seen as a peripheral to a company’s main business strategy, corporate social responsibility is now becoming standard practice. But, unless CSR intentions and outcomes are communicated wisely, a company risks being accused of “spinning” or appearing to be self-promotional. There are many ways for a company to integrate a social impact program into their … Continue reading Communicating Your CSR Program: The Role of Marketing and PR
Corporate Social Responsibility: Expectations vs. Reality:
Like any other business endeavor, companies that set out to either establish or expand their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program have a number of common expectations. Having interviewed dozens of companies, though, it seems that the reality is often drastically different than these expectations. Here are some common misconceptions that we have learned from past … Continue reading Corporate Social Responsibility: Expectations vs. Reality:
Episode 17: Mandy Selke and Carly Swift of Just Pop In!
Mandy Selke & Carly Swift of Just Pop In! exude joy in all of their interactions. The sisters are passionate about their growing product line, one-of-a-kind packaging, and over-the-top customer service. However, their biggest passion is by far the happiness and compassion of people.
Episode 16: Kim Graham Lee of Conscious Capitalism
Conscious Capitalism believes that free enterprise capitalism is the most powerful economic system for social cooperation and human progress ever conceived – when practiced consciously.
Episode 14: Ellie Symes and Wes Hadley of The Bee Corp
Listen in as Ellie and Wes discuss the company that is creating quite a bit of “buzz”! Ellie was recently nominated as a 2018 Rising Star for the 19th Annual Mira Awards and The Bee Corp received a $225,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Episode 13: Maurelhena Walles of Fit 4 Life NYC
Today, Fit 4 Life NYC proudly partners with schools, community and nonprofit organizations throughout the city’s boroughs that work with under-served communities. They focus on improving the lives of youth and adults living within these communities.
How to find the social enterprises shaping your community
What exactly are social enterprises? A social enterprise forms when entrepreneurs look to solve social problems in addition to customers’ problems. You’ll be surprised to discover how many social enterprises are hiding in plain sight!
Doing good can make your business even better
While community participation is frequently regarded as a company’s social responsibility in its entirety, it isn’t. However, a company’s participation in its community is often the most recognizable and outward facing facet of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program.