Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a growing priority for businesses looking to innovate. Companies around the world are no longer treating CSR as the responsibility of a single vertical or department, but turning it into a key decision making variable for long term business development.  

Consumers, employees, and other stakeholders are taking CSR  into account when making spending, job title, and investment decisions. A survey by The Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility found that consumers are “willing to pay more for products and services provided by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact.” It also found that two-thirds of those surveyed would prefer to work for a company aligned with CSR values.  More data suggests that millennials are willing to take a pay cut of more than US $7,000/year to work for an organization with a better cultural fit. In some cases, CSR initiatives are every bit as strategically significant as the profit-generating measures permeating all areas of their organization.

We’re talking about seven companies leading the way with impactful CSR initiatives to inspire your organization to begin driving real impact through quantifiable CSR programs of your own. 

Why are CSR Initiatives Important? 

Corporations hold power to create real impactful change. When organizations lead the charge on initiatives that support climate preservation, upskilling underserved communities, or encouraging skills-based volunteering among your employees, they create an impact inside and outside of their organizations. 

There are huge benefits for organizations that adopt CSR focused principles and initiatives across the company, including:

Brand Recognition: Customers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact brands have on their community, and they’re paying attention to the organizations creating a positive impact. Future successful brands will be those that recognized the current corporate social impact movement and brought consciousness to their impact on our planet and its people. 

Improving Investor Relations: Having focused CSR strategies positively impacts how investors feel about an organization and how they view the worth of the company.

Employee Engagement: Employees value CSR-related initiatives and they serve as non-financial job benefits that strengthen employee retention and lead to more satisfying day to day work while delivering more promising career trajectories with future leadership opportunities. 

There's never been more tools to actualize CSR goals at speed and scale. CSR represents one of the shiniest and most promising tools for elevating brand trust and backing that trust up with quantifiable evidence.

Here's a few of the global brands setting the standard for best-practice social impact programming -- and the rest of the for-profit world should take note.

7 Companies Championing Impactful CSR Initiatives

Apple

Apple has made their impact commitment quite clear, setting aside an impressive budget of $30 million towards their Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, which focuses on their CSR goal to address systemic racism and expand opportunities for communities of color across the country. Many of their partnerships have focused directly on education and innovation in underserved communities.

Atlassian

Atlassian has created several impactful initiatives centered around net-zero emissions, creating a diverse and equitable work environment, and corporate philanthropy. The company contributes 1% of its equity, profit, employee time, and products to the Atlassian Foundation to do good on a global scale. 

Disney

The Walt Disney Company has been working on efforts to increase diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, and bring comfort, optimism and joy to communities through charitable giving. Their company initiative, Reimagine Tomorrow, highlights resources to advance opportunities for diverse communities, amplify underrepresented voices and champion the importance of representation in media and entertainment.

Deloitte

Deloitte is making active commitments to local communities and the wider society. They have focused extensive resources through their WorldClass program, which has the goal of impacting 100 million futures by 2030. Deloitte is partnering with the World Economic Forum "to advance innovative educational approaches that support access to quality education and training opportunities for more of the world's students." They have also activated programs around developing the future generation of female leaders in STEM and promoting environmental sustainability. Deloitte has also announced the launch of its "Seabin", a collector system for floating plastic waste discarded in our marine ecosystem.

Ernst and Young

EY, through the development of their EY Ripples program, has been helping champion actions that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, bringing together the combined skills, knowledge and experience of the global EY network to positively impact one billion lives by 2030. EY people use their distinctive skills, knowledge and experience to bring positive change across three focus areas: supporting the next generation workforce, working with impact entrepreneurs and accelerating environmental sustainability. 

IBM

IBM has budgeted $250 million to be invested by 2025 for their CSR goals of upskilling 30 million people by 2030, and training millions through increased focus on STEM education for a changing world, including increased STEM education for women and girls in India. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific

After announcing a $25 million budget towards Racial Equity, Thermo Fisher Scientific has created CSR incentives like impacting 100k+ students through STEM education, the “We Belong Together” Initiative to promote employee engagement, mentorship and volunteering, as well as “The Just Project” Initiative, aimed at increasing collaboration and opportunities for Black communities. 

Join the List of Companies Leading the Way in CSR

If you’re inspired by these companies like we are, talk to us to learn how creating real-work experiences for Fortune 1000 leaders of tomorrow can accelerate your CSR goals.

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