Towards a Sustainability Mindset: How Boards Organise Oversight and Governance of Corporate Responsibility
Although this report’s title focuses on the oversight and governance of corporate responsibility within the boardroom, the sub-plot throughout is really about leadership. At a time when confidence in business and the markets is at a low which matches only the 1920’s, and which is exacerbated by a prolonged recession, the market needs business leaders […]
THE SOURCE AWARDS – REWARDING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN FASHION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The SOURCE Awards put the spotlight on the most innovative and inspirational businesses, individuals, and initiatives in the fashion industry, globally. The awards recognise excellence in 12 different categories, from design innovation to brand leadership across women’s, men’s, accessories, and children’s wear, sustainable supply / manufacture, retail, and individual contribution. SOURCE recognises that sustainable practices […]
Paul Polak – At Least a Million
For many years I have been a vocal advocate for what I call the “Don’t Bother Trilogy” in the practice of design, which states: 1. If you haven’t had good conversations with at least 25 customers before you start 2. If the product or service you design doesn’t pay for itself three times in the […]
How To Get Your Employees To Stop Job Hunting
Studies show that engaged employees generate an average of between a quarter to a third more profitsfor their companies. Fantastic, right? But here’s the question: do you think that most of your employees are engaged? If you answered yes, chances are you’re dead wrong. According to one eye-opening study, fewer than a third of all […]
Brainstorming Fundraising Ideas? Don't Overlook Corporate Philanthropy
For every non-profit, there’s no way around it. Your cause is relevant and worthy. You’ve identified the need and crafted a breakthrough solution that will ensure tangible impact. Your mission statement is both beautiful and inspiring. You’ve assembled an impassioned, dedicated staff ready to execute your vision. All’s in place. Time to get the ball […]
Brainstorming Fundraising Ideas? Don’t Overlook Corporate Philanthropy
For every non-profit, there’s no way around it. Your cause is relevant and worthy. You’ve identified the need and crafted a breakthrough solution that will ensure tangible impact. Your mission statement is both beautiful and inspiring. You’ve assembled an impassioned, dedicated staff ready to execute your vision. All’s in place. Time to get the ball […]
Kickstarting Youth Entrepreneurship: an answer to youth unemployment?
Youth unemployment is a global problem. A recent OECD report reveals that the average rate of youth unemployment in OECD countries is 16% while the troubled economies of Greece and Spain are struggling with youth jobless rates above 50 per cent. In Africa, an increasingly youthful population needs more opportunities to make a living, an […]
3 Ways For Non-Profits to Get the Most from Corporate Volunteer Programs
Sometimes they’re a true blessing. Other times, well, not so much. Hopefully your non-profit’s experience with corporate volunteer programs has been nothing but positive. The program was organized, the volunteer team was filled with eager and genuinely engaged employees, the team took their work seriously, stayed on task, accepted direction, and the day was a […]
Access to Food and Improved Nutrition at the BoP: Five business interventions to achieve social impact, financial sustainability and scale
Improving food and nutrition security through better availability, accessibility, and utilization of food and food products is a complex challenge. It involves a sector where key activities – such as the production, distribution and consumption of food and the identification of food markets – are largely in the hands of private enterprises. Interventions by the […]
Sharing Lessons on Inclusive Business – The Practitioner Hub
“Sharing knowledge is not about giving people something, or getting something from them. That is only valid for information sharing. Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes.” Peter Senge, Center for Organizational Learning, MIT Sloan School of Management Collaborating, […]
My Journey as a Woman Entrepreneur in India
As a woman who was married at a young age into a conservative family by arranged marriage, starting my own business felt like a miraculous life-time achievement. In my community, it is frowned upon in unwritten, bold lettering for a woman to do anything other than look after the home. After coming so far as […]
Announcing the winners of the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation
The 15 winners of the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation were announced on June 18, 2012 at the G20 Leaders Summit in Los Cabos Mexico. Ambassador Mr. Rogelio Granguillhome, Executive Secretary of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation and Chair of the G20 Development Working Group presented the awards. Business Fights Poverty first […]
10 Employee Engagement Ideas for Skills Based Volunteering
Charities rely on charity, and most nonprofits will take whatever volunteer help they can get. But what if you’re a busy professional with more useful skills than dumping this week’s lasagna on plastic plates? Time to start looking at your job as the best way to give back. These days, many companies offer corporate volunteer […]
Satisfied Employees Vs. Engaged Employees
The news about the employee mood in this country appears, at first glance, to be positive. According to the 2011 Job Satisfaction and Engagement Research Report released by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 83 percent of U.S. employees are satisfied employees, reporting overall satisfaction with their current jobs. “In general, people find ways […]
Employee Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility for Generation Twitter
At a time when attention spans are shrinking against the exponential growth of new technology applications and digital tools, maintaining employee engagement is a hard-won commodity, and the notion of uniting employees for a collective activity or cause can seem daunting. With so much information available at any given moment, reaching employees might be easier […]
Corporate Volunteerism for Incurable Cynics
There’s one in every crowd and at least one at every workplace; the cynic. She might be highly motivated and intensely career minded, but your garden variety cynic tends to be skeptical of corporate volunteer programs. And yet with a bit of attention, cynics can be transformed into your most passionate volunteers. Don’t try winning […]
4 Ways To Use Pinterest To Encourage Corporate Volunteerism
This blog originally apeared in Mashable. Lets face it; it’s hard to look away from Pinterest. The hottest new social media site has become a go-to source for the latest shopping tips, design advice and funny dog pictures. Who wouldn’t want to sit there all day and stare? As Pinterest fans are discovering through the […]
Mind the Inequality Gap: More Poor People in Fewer Poor States
The development picture for this early new century is one of a world with fewer poor countries, but many poor people. Indeed, as the gap between rich countries and poor countries narrows, inequality within societies is on the rise. This major shift in the global profile of poverty is raising fundamental questions about the future […]
Call for Support: Participate in a UNDP Survey on Support for Inclusive Businesses in Africa!
Photo: Kim Eun Yeul / World Bank Call for Support: Participate in a UNDP survey on support for Inclusive Businesses in Africa! Inclusive Business Models, which integrate the poor on the supply side as well as the demand side, have the best chance for success when they are implemented within a strong ecosystem of actors […]
Corporate Volunteerism Bubbles Up for P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water
Across the globe, businesses are recognizing the expanding importance of corporate volunteer programs as an effective way to support their communities while increasing employee retention and engagement. The workforce of tomorrow demands corporate social responsibility. Millennials number 60 million in the U.S. and an estimated 86% want their work to make a positive impact on […]