The missing key to your corporate impact initiative
As someone who has written extensively about NGOs and their work, today, I want to shift the focus to companies and their impact initiatives.
I am coming at you with a lot of energy to share this because last month I was at a New Ventures event here in Mexico City, on Corporate Sustainability. We were over 100 organizations– from companies like Ikea and Oxxo (the Mexican 7-11) to foundation likes Fundacion Coppel and Nacional Monte de Piedad to social entrepreneurs who are on the ground driving change.
Throughout the day, in sessions and side chatter, people shared inspiring models and the biggest hurdles with corporate citizenship and corporate impact initiatives. Because everyone there was committed to impact initiatives, one of the thorniest topics was how to truly impact vulnerable communities in a way that contributes to the businesses´ bottom line.
Across my work with companies, it’s really encouraging to see employees in various departments, from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to Human Resources (HR) and sourcing, recognize the vulnerable communities within their supply chains or customer bases. These teams often feel inspired to make a difference through their business efforts, whether by ensuring fair pay and decent working conditions for vulnerable suppliers or by adding an educational component to their products.
However, there’s often a crucial element missing in these well-intentioned initiatives. Can you guess what it is?
The missing key: Truly engaging with vulnerable communities
It's the vulnerable suppliers and customers themselves! These are the people and communities we aim to support. It’s common to think, “I work with them every day; I know their needs,” or, “With our extensive market research, I understand what our customers need. Plus, this is just an extra effort to be helpful.” However, unless you’ve truly walked in the shoes of the communities you wish to help—or at least asked them what they want—you can’t truly know their needs. You may think you do, but without direct engagement, your understanding will always be limited.
This is a lesson the non-profit sector has learned through experience, and it’s a critical one for companies striving to be responsible corporate citizens.
How to engage: Practical examples
If you're unsure how to engage with these communities, here are two examples from my work with Social Impact Compass to guide your efforts:
Diverse Franchise Ownership: Imagine you’ve noticed that your franchise owners are predominantly white men, and you want to ensure your high-performing women and non-white employees have the opportunity to become franchise owners too. Instead of assuming you know what these employees need, why not gather a few of them for a conversation? Spend an hour discussing their aspirations and challenges. Your marketing team is likely skilled in conducting focus groups like these—put those skills to use!
Supporting Farmers: Perhaps you’ve observed that the farmers supplying your company are struggling to meet your quality and quantity standards. Before deciding you can’t continue working with them, take the time to visit their farms. Spend a few days meeting with them in their barns or at the farmer association’s collection center. By doing so, you gain invaluable insights into their challenges and potential solutions. (I coordinated a similar initiative for Danone, spending time with farmers to better understand their needs.)
My top 4 questions to ask
Not sure what to ask during these conversations? Here are my top four questions to get you started:
What’s going well for you? (Keep this open to both professional and personal aspects.)
What are your biggest challenges? (Again, keep this open to both professional and personal aspects.)
Tell me more about that. Why is it important for you, your team, or your family?
What will achieving this do for you, your team, or your family?
These questions will help you build on the community's strengths and assets while also understanding the core of their challenges. This is the key to designing effective solutions. For instance, speaking with your BIPOC employees might reveal the importance of owning something tangible with their name on it—something they can pass down to their children. Talking with farmers might uncover that they lack the financing to invest in better equipment, but a purchase contract from your company could serve as the guarantee they need to secure funding.
The path to impactful corporate citizenship
Whether you're developing a one-time impact initiative or a comprehensive inclusive business model, understanding your target audience is essential. With this deep understanding, you can ensure the solutions you design are tailored for success, without any unnecessary features.
Final tips
Pro Tip: Always thank your interviewees for their time and insights. Avoid making promises beyond letting them know the outcomes of the conversation. At this stage, you’re not sure what, if any, initiative will result, so only promise to follow up—and be sure to do so. This will strengthen your relationship and lay the groundwork for any future endeavors you undertake together. Remember, the most impactful initiatives start with listening and understanding.
Resource Tip 1: If you are in Mexico and don’t know New Ventures, check them out! This event in particular was for corporate sustainability leaders, designed to drive the sharing of innovative ideas, inspiration, and new collaborations between professionals committed to building a sustainable future for Mexico and LatAm. It was particularly special because of who was there: since I have been quite nomadic since the pandemic, the event turned out to be a really powerful space to run into dear peers who I hadn´t seen in something like 6 years, and partners and clients who I had only ever met through the computer screen.
Resource Tip 2: For those near New York City, there are a number of great spaces like this coming up this month. I will be in New York City all next week for the slew of conferences and side events happening around the UN General Assembly. The following, in particular, are incredible spaces for corporate citizenship, sustainability, and impact learning, inspiration and connection: “Business Fights Poverty” Global Goals Summit (free), Concordia Annual Summit that this year will focus on how businesses can build partnerships that are fit for the future, and - if you have the budget or can secure a scholarship- the intimate Leaders on Purpose CEO summit.
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