Dear Kiantha: The ‘why’ behind corporate good deeds matters

Dear Kiantha,

I serve in a C-suite position at a multimillion-dollar corporation. I am extremely proud of the work that our corporation does to support our national community through our giving practices. For decades, we have supported resource drives for those less fortunate living in the communities in which we have lines of business.

We continue our commitment to initiatives that help the disadvantaged, including doubling the reach of our employee’s workplace giving by doing 1:1 company matches, making considerable annual investments through our organizations philanthropic arm to dozens of nonprofit organizations that support diverse communities and, most recently, investing a considerable budget in the review of our workforce development strategy using an intentional diversity, equity and inclusion lens with one of our goals being the diversification of our workforce to better reflect the community.

As I mentioned, I am proud of the work that our corporation and so many others like us do for the betterment of others; yet, it seems to be in bad form for us to publicly celebrate our efforts. Why is that?

Dear Friend,

It is safe to say that the efforts and investments your corporation has made thus far have had great impact in the lives of the recipients. Yet, I would offer that there is an opportunity to look at your organization’s intent and path forward before celebrating. Acknowledge your efforts, yes, but let’s hold off on the external celebration. I think there is an opportunity to go deeper.

What I can ascertain from your question is that you and the leadership of your corporation have a genuine desire to positively impact the community. Many corporations do. What I am not clear on is your “why.” And, yes, your “why” matters.

From a corporate stakeholder’s perspective, positively impacting the experiences of those who engage with your product is critical. The unspoken boomerang effect and the “why” is that it yields a return to the corporation, be it via tax break incentives, positive marketing campaigns or the like. That is an easily understandable equation. We give this, we get that.

Going deeper presents an opportunity for you to evaluate your why. Take an honest look at who the true receivers of your benevolence are. If the answer to that equation is your corporation and its stakeholders, now is the time to give differently and give more.

Corporate investments in community should not be measured by their return to stakeholders. When community investments are done well, your investment will be much larger than its return to you. That is a clear indicator that your “why” truly is for the betterment of those less fortunate and that is definitely worth celebrating.

Soul to soul,

Kiantha

Dear Kiantha can be read Fridays in The Spokesman-Review. To submit a question, email DearKiantha@gmail.com. To read this column in Spanish, visit spokesman.com.