How to Create a CSR Plan

Caroline Hazelbaker | Account Coordinator

So you’ve decided that corporate social responsibility (CSR) matters to your company. That’s a great first step! Naturally, now you want to learn how to create a CSR plan. This might seem like a huge task, but in reality, creating a CSR plan doesn’t need to be daunting. Before you even begin putting pen to paper on your plan, here are four easy steps to create a CSR plan.

Know who you are.

Before you create a CSR plan, you need to identify who you are, or in other words, who your company is. Identify your core competencies and what resources you have so you can better understand how to highlight them when you create a CSR plan.

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel.

Once you have identified who you are, you can start to brainstorm the CSR initiatives you want to begin implementing. So what do we mean by “don’t reinvent the wheel?” Simply put, to be an effective corporate citizen, you can simply continue to do what you do well but with the intention of helping others. For example, if you are a technology company, your CSR initiatives can focus on engaging children in STEM! Don’t start doing something completely new because: 1. It won’t be authentic to your company, and 2. It won’t make any sense to your employees or stakeholders.

Communicate effectively to your employees and stakeholders.

Now that you’ve narrowed your CSR initiatives to what you already do well, it’s time to begin communicating those initiatives with your employees and stakeholders. Before you make a CSR plan, it’s important to listen to the other individuals invested in your company. This will help ensure everyone is on the same page and on board with the plan. Bringing these individuals into the conversation and planning process will increase engagement and excitement for your initiatives.

Engage your employees.

Don’t forget that your best spokespeople are right in front of you – your employees! We covered in a previous blog that employee satisfaction is related to whether or not a company is doing good for others! If you make your employees feel like they are a part of your CSR initiatives, they will feel a sense of pride in their work and the company as a whole. Bring your employees into the discussion when you create a CSR plan so they can help share your story!

When you create your CSR plan, simply start with these four easy steps. You’ll hit the ground running in no time! For more information on CSR planning, check out our CSR and Philanthropic Services webpage and our main blog page, too. We are here to help with all your CSR initiatives!