KORE Communication | Strategy | Research prefers to work with social good organisations, or businesses with a significant social good commitment. What does being a social good consultant mean?
Like many terms, social good doesn’t have a clear definition. Sometimes ‘social good’ refers to something a company does by way of philanthropy. Others define a social good organisation as one that fundamentally exists to do something good for society, like a charity.
There are many companies that have good philanthropic programs and social good initiatives. Some allow their staff to do volunteer work on company time, some have foundations and give grants, others build community gardens or run mentoring programs with at-risk youth. This is all good.
There is a big difference between a social good organisation and a company doing social good. When your very reason for existence is to change the world, rather than make money, the entire culture changes. You might still make money and run a highly professional business, but the way you set your prices, what suppliers you use, and what you’re willing to compromise or not, all changes. The way you measure success changes to achieving social good, rather than achieving a healthy balance sheet.
Most companies now need an element of social good in their business plans to ensure they manage their reputation and continue to have social licence to operate. Social licence is a term that has an equal murky meaning, but basically means the public isn’t angry with you. It first emerged about 20 years in relation to mining operations, when the environmental and social impacts of mining were heightened, and has since crossed over to refer to the corporate social responsibility activities of any business or organisation that enables them to continue to do what they do.
If you are a for-profit business and would like KORE CSR’s assistance with your corporate social good initiatives, or if you’re a charity, advocacy organisation, not for profit or other organisation that exists for social good, we’d love to work with you. Please get in touch today.