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A 4-point guide for any leader to create social impact

The president and CEO of Newman’s Own Foundation has advice for leaders—whether they are for-profit or nonprofit— who want to focus on authentic social impact.

A 4-point guide for any leader to create social impact
[Source photo: FC]

People of all ages, especially millennials and GenZ, want to lead lives of purpose. They want to give to impactful organizations in service of justice. They want to buy from leaders and brands that do not harm the planet and give back. In their careers, they want to use their talent and ingenuity for the greater good. Almost two-thirds of Gen Z feel it is very or extremely important to work for an employer that shares their values, as per Ernst & Young’s latest GenZ survey.

The desire to lead lives of impact is not a new concept; however, corporate leaders are now understanding impact is a must do, and getting into the game themselves. More than 40 years ago, when Paul Newman started selling his salad dressing and decided to “give it all away,” he spurred a whole generation of socially minded businesses, who are looking to create shared value and establish a model of “doing well by doing good.”

Today, corporations have now all jumped on the impact bandwagon, as I am pretty sure no recruiting brochure is complete without a page on a company’s community giving credentials. However, this younger generation is not impressed by half-hearted attempts at cause marketing, and organizations are getting called out for greenwashing or not following through on their racial justice commitments.

Here’s my advice for leaders—whether they are for-profit or nonprofit— who want to focus on authentic social impact:

CHOOSE A MISSION THAT RESONATES WITH YOUR SUPERPOWERS

We all know LEGO as the little plastic bricks we played with as children. The company’s mission is not to sell toys, but to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow, which they do every day through the product, but also through their giving. The LEGO Foundation owns 25% of the company, and funds programs around the world centered around learning through play, to spark curiosity, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning. Not bad for a 91-year old family-owned company.

Think about what I call your superpowers. These are the unique skills and experiences you can bring to the world and channel that through your organization’s mission.

Let’s imagine that you’re the CEO of a company that designs software for the construction industry. Great. What are you doing to improve greenhouse gas emissions for new constructions? How are you training the next generation of construction workers?

These are great examples of problems you can address through the core of your business and your employee volunteering program, in addition to your giving.

ENGAGE BEYOND ASKING FOR MONEY

Your stakeholders, whether they are your consumers or donors, want to do more than purchase a product that gives back, or write a check. Participatory and collective giving is one of my favorite ways to engage people to do philanthropy, because it puts power back in the hands of community. This is why Newman’s Own Foundation worked with Grapevine recently to launch a Community Fund.

EVOLVE YOUR GOVERNANCE

Ben & Jerry’s and Danone are now B-Corporations, a growing network of organizations that meet high social and environmental standards. Patagonia is following in Newman’s Own’s footsteps, creating a nonprofit trust that owns the company. Bloomberg has pledged to do the same. You can also sign onto the Pledge 1% movement to dedicate 1% of profits, time, equity, product, or what you have to give in a meaningful way.

As you look at your organization’s overall governance, there are a lot of strategies to consider to grow your social and environmental impact. For example, ask yourself: Who is on your Board? How do they represent the communities you seek to serve?

PARTNER, PARTNER, PARTNER

The problems we face today are too interconnected and complex for easy solutions that one actor can fix alone, even if you are Bill Gates or MacKenzie Scott. Map the people and organizations that can help advance your mission, whether through additional funding, policy change, or movement building. Find ways to work together to multiply your impact.

The world cannot wait, and we all have a critical role to play in advancing justice and giving back. As Paul Newman said: “We need to be a little like the farmer, who puts back into the soil what he takes out.”

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