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NOT JUST PR
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How corporate giving can offer opportunities for greater corporate social responsibility
Ocean Legacy Foundation partnered with Telus Inc. on an education program that raises awareness of ocean plastic pollution • SUBMITTED
ALBERT VAN SANTVOORT
Long gone are the days where a company is judged solely for the quality of its products and services. And any damage caused by a business’s operations can no longer be swept under the rug with a goodwill gesture, donation or apology.
Today, companies not only have to consider the social and environmental impacts of their procurement, production and distribution processes, but they have to actively work to find ways to minimize, eliminate or restore any damage caused.
“Cutting cheques is cheap,” says Melissa Orozco, founder, CEO and chief impact strategist of Yulu Public Relations. “What you want to do is: You want to help address the problems, you want to get to the root issues that are holding these communities back and you want to find ways to lift those communities up.”
Corporate giving has developed into corporate social responsibility, and it is much more than merely a marketing strategy.
Orozco’s firm is a certified B Corp that specializes in developing strategies to help companies operate in more environmentally and socially conscious ways.
Despite her company’s name, she says she cringes when people call it “just public relations.” After all, being a socially and environmentally responsible company is more than a marketing campaign: It’s something that has to be at the core of a company’s strategy and woven into each aspect of its business.
“Commitment needs to come from the top,” Orozco says.
“If we are meeting with an organization and there’s pushback, there’s not buy in from the very top, or the CEO won’t make time for it, we will actually tell them: ‘Call us back when you’re ready to properly commit to this because it needs the respect and attention of your upper leadership. We can’t do without [them].’”
If organizations want to commit to being responsible corporate citizens, they need to consider the social and environmental impact of their business, including their carbon footprint, foreign and domestic labour conditions and sustainability.
Beyond limiting negative externalities, companies can also leverage their business and industry expertise to become a part of the solution.
The online audiobook and podcast company Audible, Inc. is one example. Rather than donating to Indigenous causes, the company thought about how it could leverage its audio platform for a greater social benefit.
Audible started its Indigenous Writers’ Circle program to mentor emerging First Nations, Inuit and Métis writers, and provide them with a platform and resources to help them get a licensing deal.
Dedicated efforts like this go far beyond the pocket book. Raquel DiPerna, who heads up the initiative for Audible, says the program leverages the company’s service, brand power and resources to help create a level playing field for Indigenous writers by giving them equitable access
Ocean Legacy Foundation’s EPIC Academy is a free online platform that provides global education on plastic pollution • SUBMITTED
CUTTING CHEQUES IS CHEAP. WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IS: YOU WANT TO HELP ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS; YOU WANT TO GET TO THE ROOT ISSUES THAT ARE HOLDING THESE COMMUNITIES BACK; AND YOU WANT TO FIND WAYS TO LIFT THOSE COMMUNITIES UP Melissa Orozco Founder and CEO Yulu Public Relations
to writing opportunities.
Creating new, dedicated and socially conscious programs is one way corporations can give. Another is through corporate partnerships.
According to Kathryn Anderson, education coordinator of the non-profit Ocean Legacy Foundation, corporate giving has evolved into corporate partnerships, where businesses help charities expand by taking them in and giving them access not only to their cash, but their brand, reach and organizational expertise.
Telus Inc. did this by collaborating with Ocean Legacy Foundation to advance education on ocean plastic pollution.
The influx of money and resources was vital to the foundation and its work, allowing it to hire full-time staff and expand its program.
But Anderson says that was far from the only thing Telus brought to the table. The telecommunications giant’s broad reach has allowed Ocean Legacy Foundation to expand its education program and adapt it to different provincial and global jurisdictions.
Attaching the name of a multibillion-dollar, multinational company to the initiative helps elevate the foundation and its mission.
“[Telus is] able to help get the message out by putting their stamp on this curriculum,” says Anderson. “Telus is in 28 countries across the world. It’s nice to be able to partner with them and take advantage of their pull and their network.”
Corporate social responsibility – and what it means for philanthropy – has come a long way.
Now, Orozco says that people at least know the phrase “environmental, social, governance,” (ESG) as compared to five years ago. And she says companies have generally made the most progress on the environmental front.
Ocean Legacy’s program helps raise awareness of cleanup efforts, and provides solutions for creating plastic pollutionfree lands and waters • SUBMITTED
Ocean Legacy Foundation partnered with Telus Inc. on an education program that raises awareness of ocean plastic pollution • SUBMITTED
But there is still a ways to go, and businesses are still trying to figure out the social and governance pillars, according to Orozco.
There are many ways for companies to start down this path. The gold standard, according to Orozco, is the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include 17 objectives that range from zero hunger, to education, to sustainable cities.
No matter the industry or the operation, a business should be able to tie their philanthropy, community efforts or business model to one of those sustainable development goals.
But the desire has to be there. Integrating an ESG framework into the core of a business takes time, and is and should be about much more than philanthropy or positive public relations, Orozco says. “We explain to our clients, ‘Be ready to not talk about this for six to 12 months because we implement it and demonstrate it internally before we start talking about it,’” she says. “Otherwise, it’s just PR.”
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 2022 NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY
"As fundraisers, we hold a responsibility to be agents of change within the social impact sector. It is a special moment when we can come together to celebrate our collective achievements that benefit society. At the same time, it is important we use that moment to be self-reflective on how there is much more for us to achieve in unlearning our biases and decolonizing the structures within our workplaces."
Tracy London, President of AFP Greater Vancouver.
Join us for our 25th Anniversary!
AFP Greater Vancouver is hosting its 25th Annual National Philanthropy Day Luncheon Presented by RBC, on November 25th, at the JW Marriott Hotel Vancouver. We are excited to celebrate the 2022 Giving Hearts Awards on the ancestral and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples.
Join us as we recognize the Giving Heart Awards nominees, recipients, and an incredible community that supports our work everyday, so that we can continue to create healthy communities, together. Don't miss this opportunity to get back together with fellow fundraisers as we take this day to celebrate our collective achievements!
We are pleased to be joined by Global News Reporter and Anchor, Sarah Macdonald, and AFP Greater Vancouver Chapter President, Tracy London, who will be hosting the event and presenting the Giving Hearts Awards.
Celebrate with us and purchase your tickets today at afpgreatervancouver.org
With special thanks to our generous sponsors and incredible committee for making this possible:
Presenting Sponsor: RBC Keynote Sponsor: KCI Giving Hearts Awards Sponsors: CAGP, CanadaHelps, Gerard Search, Global Philanthropic Canada, Mail-O-Matic Services Ltd., North American Direct Marketing, University of the Fraser Valley Podcast Sponsor: The Discovery Group Spirit of Philanthropy Sponsors: DonorPerfect, Givergy, HeartPress, Stratcom In-kind Sponsors: Charity Village, Hemlock Harling Media Sponsors: Global BC, BIV, Miss604
Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon keeps families close when it matters most
WHAT WE DO
When the unthinkable happens and a family is uprooted for their child’s critical medical treatment, there are many barriers they must overcome to stay together. Hotel stays are expensive, siblings need to be cared for, and staying in the hospital longterm is unsustainable. That’s where Ronald McDonald House BC and Yukon (RMH BC) comes in—providing accommodation, meals, and laundry facilities along with comfort, compassion, and a sense of community to these families in need.
Families who depend on RMH BC often arrive in Vancouver on short notice, not knowing how long they will need to stay: weeks, months, or even years. At the House, families can stay together under the same roof with their seriously ill children. They can enjoy everyday family moments like a home-cooked meal, playing catch outside, and snuggling up for superhero movie night. Most importantly, they can focus on helping their child to heal.
Staying at RMH BC also affects families long after their stay. A study by RBC found that families with seriously ill children experience a catastrophic financial burden that takes an estimated 10 – 12 years to recover from. By staying at RMH BC, they can save between $3000 – $6000 per month, making them stronger once they return home.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
RMH BC depends on generous community supporters like you to provide a home away from home for families when it matters most, 365 days a year.
With the Holiday Season approaching us, there are many ways that you or your organization can help Light The House by making a difference to the families who are currently staying at RMH BC. From Making a Generous Donation or joining our HouseWarmers Monthly Giving Club to Sponsoring a Christmas Tree in the House, your heartfelt gifts will help make RMH BC a home-away-from-home for families who are uprooted from their communities.
We also offer many corporate engagement opportunities and invite you to rally your team in support of BC and Yukon families with seriously ill children. Host a fundraiser at your workplace, collect gifts for our Wish List, and more! Find out more at: www.rmhbc.ca/light-the-house/
Learn more about what we do at the House: 604-736-2957 or info@rmhbc.ca
HELP KEEP FAMILIES CLOSE WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
RMH BC serves up to 2,000 families each year in our 73-bedroom House.
10,500 meals helped families to cope last year. Staying at RMH BC can save families $3,000 to $6,000 per month.
Donate Today or Get Involved at www.rmhbc.ca/donate
Surrey Hospitals Foundation – transforming health care for 30 years, and more to come
WHAT WE DO
It is an exciting year for Surrey Hospitals Foundation as they celebrate their 30th Anniversary; 30 years of supporting innovative medicine; 30 years of supporting life-changing health care; 30 years of caring for the health of now over 1.9 million residents in the Fraser Health region. Since 1992, the Foundation has raised over $200 million and continues to be the largest non-government funder of health care for families in Surrey and surrounding communities.
Thanks to the generosity of community donors, Surrey Hospitals Foundation continues to support every one of the region’s major health facilities including Surrey Memorial Hospital and Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre. The Foundation also funds the Czorny Alzheimer Centre, along with many specialized community programs for newborns, children, adults, and seniors.
In the past 30 years, Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s donors have supported important projects such as: opening of the Jim Pattison Outpatient Centre in 2011. Department in 2013, one of only two in the province, at Surrey Memorial Hospital. improved space for patient care in the 8-story Surrey Memorial Hospital Critical Care Tower built in 2013. patients at Czorny Alzheimer Centre, a specialized home for 72 dementia patients. Children’s Health Centre at Surrey Memorial Hospital in 2018, which included a new space for children receiving cancer treatment in the Joseph Chung Pediatric Oncology Unit. COVID-19 research studies in Surrey during the height of the pandemic.
There is much to celebrate, but urgent medical needs only continue to grow. With Surrey being the fastest-growing children living in the Fraser Health region, exceptional health care for children remains one of the top priorities. This fall, Surrey Hospitals Foundation is calling on the community to support important children and youth programs including mental health treatments and the new phase of the Children’s Health Centre at Surrey Memorial Hospital.
To learn more about Surrey Hospitals Foundation and their current campaigns, please visit SurreyHospitalsFoundation.com
“The first thing I want to do when things are back to normal is go see my friends. It’s not a big thing to go see friends, but to me, right now, it is.” - Pia, pediatric oncology patient
