Your City Could Be Smarter & IBM Wants To Help

Cities across the world can now apply for year-two of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge – a 100 city, US$50 million grant program that furnishes expert advice from IBM consultants to 100 progressive municipalities. 

Can Cities be Smarter?

I often complain about Toronto’s public transportation (and so do all of my friends). It seems oddly inefficient, out of date and grumpy. I figure it’s because elected officials have no resources to improve it. Or maybe it’s because no one really knows what to do. But I know it can be better. I’ve been to Portland, Oregon. That city has an amazingly efficient, modern, friendly and even partially free public transportation system.

Your city may be the same way, but maybe it’s not about public transportation. Maybe there are other challenges your city or town is facing. It could be jobs, health, public safety, social services, recreation, education, energy or sustainability - areas where year after year there seems to be little improvement and the basic priority is....decay management.

IBM is offering your mayor help - for free!

Last month I was speaking with my friend, David Robitaille. Dave is the Manager of Corporate Citizenship and Corporate Affairs at IBM Canada. After catching up on life in general, he began telling me about this cool initiative he had been working on: the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge.

Turns out your city doesn’t need to merely manage decay. Even though there may be little to no money in the budget for improvement, something can be done. Cities across the world can now apply for year-two of the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge. This is a US$50 million grant program that is being spent across 100 cities. The grant furnishes expert advice from IBM consultants to 100 progressive municipalities. And according to David, the results are worth it!

If your application is approved, your city will have access to IBM's top talent. They will devote weeks of their time analyzing unique opportunities and challenges your urban center may be facing.  During this time, the IBM team will meet with officials, citizens, businesses, academics and community leaders to ensure an accurate understanding of the issues involved. Finally, the IBM team will recommend steps to make the delivery of services to your neighbors more efficient and innovative. The value of the talent provided for an individual engagement in a given city is approximately US$400,000.


Why this is a good idea

I love it when companies play to their strengths when it comes to CSR. The IBM Smarter Cities Challenge not only aligns with IBM's brand, it utilizes employees in strategic roles. This isn't philanthropy, but it does make the world a better place. It isn't volunteering, but it
engages employees in unique and interesting ways to improve communities. The initiative certainly passes our litmus test for high impact community investments.

Other community programs do not. (Pharma companies planting trees, for example).


Is it working?

The program is already helping cities that engaged with IBM in 2011.  For example, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina is now planning its budgets and improvements with all its towns and villages in a more coordinated way.  St. Louis, Missouri has hired officials to better share of information among agencies involved in criminal justice so that they can make better legal decisions. And Edmonton in Canada is using data more effectively to improve traffic and pedestrian safety.

Here’s how to apply

In order to be eligible for the IBM grant, city mayors need to apply before December 16, and the application is online.

To find out more, please visit http://smartercitieschallenge.org/ or YouTube for videos from some of the 2011 Smarter Cities Challenge grant winners.

Realized Worth works with major corporations to launch high impact employee volunteer programs. We focus specifically on the challenge of employee engagement. Call us to chat: 317.371.4435.

Your City Could Be Smarter & IBM Wants To Help

The Annual Giving Campaign: 6 Tips for Success

Here are Microsoft's six recommendations to increase employee engagement in your company's next annual giving campaign.

The real question:

October has become the month of corporate giving in North America. If you’re one of those companies looking to break the giving record you set last year you know exactly what you have to do - increase the number of employees who give and the enthusiasm with which they participate.

Simple, right?

Sure, until you ask yourself the question, "How exactly do I increase employee engagement in my annual giving campaign?"

The answer?

To find the answer to that very question, we traveled to the Microsoft campus in Seattle for a behind the scenes peek at one of the largest workplace giving campaigns in North America. The giving goal this year is a whopping 100 million dollars. No small feat - not even for mighty Microsoft.

(For more information about how these funds are invested in the community, read this article by Brad Smith, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Microsoft).

Microsoft uses a strategy that we’ve seen successfully employed by other companies looking to create widespread participation in workplace giving campaigns. The strategy is to issue the role of "Executive Sponsor" to a senior executive who is willing to step up as a champion for the giving campaign.

Last week in Seattle, we sat down with S. Somasegar (who goes by Soma), the corporate vice president of the Developer Division at Microsoft, to talk about his insights as the Giving Campaign Executive Lead in this year’s campaign. Soma has been with Microsoft since 1989 and is an avid supporter of the Campaign.

We asked Soma how he champions the campaign at all levels of the organization. Without hesitation, he outlined six action points that blew me away. I think these action points are brilliant and may prove helpful in your campaign.

Microsoft's 6 Tips for Success

1. Distribute Responsibility. As an executive, Soma has the opportunity to sit with his peers and have conversations with them about the campaign goals, tools, and benefits. Enlisting your peers is the first logical step toward broad engagement.

2. Think Small. Yes, it’s important that the CEO give a mandate for the month of giving, but if Microsoft relied on Steve Ballmer to make this campaign successful, it would fail. The key is to look at the bottom of your org chart instead of the top. Where are the smallest teams or units of business within the company? These people are on the ground level, executing every day. It is essential to go to these employees and engage them directly. Soma does this by making sure managers and supervisors at this level have all of the information and tools they need to talk about the campaign during their team meetings. This equips an army of people to pitch for the campaign, rather than relying on the voice of the big guy or gal.

3. Hold Big Events. Too many options for giving and volunteering can be confusing for employees who wish to participate for the first time. Yet Microsoft knows that by increasing the options for employees the participation rate will increase. The key is to do both. Microsoft holds one or two big events designed for everyone. This provides clarity and direction for those employees who may be joining in for the first time. They also offer hundreds of small events and opportunities to give and get active in the community.

4. Deal with Nay-sayers. Managers are very aware of their business targets. So sometimes when they are approached by employees who want to spend time volunteering or raising funds they are less than enthusiastic about granting time away from work - even for sanctioned, community investment activities.  Soma believes that one-on-one conversations are they only way to help these managers see the value of activities that may not seem to contribute directly to the business unit goals.

5. Give What You Can. Soma doesn’t like asking people to give money. He prefers to present opportunities and then enable people to give however they can. Some employees give money. Other employees give time. Microsoft also loves to give away software products. Whatever the contribution, Microsoft is working to match each type of donation. Matching allows people who can only give a little feel a sense of significance. Successful campaigns enable individuals to matter.

6. Have fun. This should go without saying, but sometimes annual giving campaigns can be dreary or boring. Microsoft’s Giving Campaign is neither. For example you can bid online in an auction for the world’s best baloney sandwich. Or, following the 5k run/walk, you can join your colleagues at the beer garden for food and live music. (We made sure to join this one - you can check out the pics on the Facebook Page). But maybe the most interesting/fun/bizarre event is the Flamingo Flock:

This year the Microsoft Operations team is ‘flocking’ the offices of unsuspecting employees with plastic flamingos.   Employees can plot and surprise co-workers with their own flock of flamingos.  There are four levels of participation:

• Flock‘em - Allows an unsuspecting individual’s office to be overtaken by FLAMINGOS!
• Flock Migration - A Flock Migration allows the ‘flocked’ individual to pass the flock over to another colleague.
• Flocksurance - The well prepared and those with Flamingo Phobia can purchase the Flocksurance to avoid these pink creatures.
• Flocksurance Side Stepper - The Side-Stepper is a premium product which allows one to override another’s Flocksurance.

Weird - but fun (and financially successful).

More about Microsoft’s Annual Giving Campaign

Microsoft’s campaign is held during the month of October. Employees are mobilized to engage in the local community and support nonprofit organizations nationwide.  The month is filled with engaging fundraising events driven by employees and executives across the United States.  Every year, full-time Microsoft employees receive up to $12,000 in corporate matching gifts. Microsoft will match employee volunteer time at $17 per hour. If employees wish to give financially during October, Microsoft will make a dollar-for-dollar match of an employee’s financial donation to the non-profit.  Last year, the company raised a record-breaking $96 million throughout the year with a big push during the October giving campaign that helped achieve this exemplary goal. 


Full Disclosure: Our trip to was sponsored by Microsoft. They kindly covered all of our travel related costs. We received no fees for writing or posting this article.

Realized Worth works with major corporations to launch high impact employee volunteer programs. We focus specifically on the challenge of employee engagement. Call us to chat: 317.371.4435.

The Annual Giving Campaign: 6 Tips for Success

Shifting Trends in the Corporate World: Your Guide to CSR

A big thank you to Brook Folliot, a recent business school graduate who developed this educational resource on business ethics as part of her business degree project. We are pleased to offer our readers a look at the definition of CSR, how the concept has infiltrated business and education over the years, and where to go to learn more.

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Is Corporate Social Responsibility Changing The Way We Do Business?

The short answer is yes, of course. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a specific type of business self-regulation that many companies around the world have begun to mesh into their business models. It can be described abstractly as an approach to doing business that focuses on things on like environmental stewardship, cultural sensitivity, and a general willingness to improve the quality of our world's societies. Aside from the obvious external benefits of such an approach, there are plenty of intrinsic boons associated with developing a solid CSR plan for any business, whether large or small. Corporate social responsibility emphasizes the importance of having a positive impact on the world, but it is certainly not meant to deemphasize profit. CSR tempts businesses to focus on the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) in order to drive growth in a way that adds a certain intangible value to a venture. The specific policies and protocols that blossom from CSR have helped many corporations use their size and power to create positive change in the world and the trend seems to be steadily increasing. CSR continues to gain traction as a popular buzzword in schools and workplaces, but the idea itself actually dates back to the Industrial Revolution. This is not surprising, considering that most innovation happens as a result of juxtaposing old principles in unique ways to fit the times.

CSR In Schools

Corporate social responsibility is a prevalent theory in higher academia that touches on a diverse gamut of business nuances. Successful entrepreneurs and professors of business often stress the importance of ethical behavior, as well as the need for social responsibility in long-term, international corporate strategies. But why a professor would do such a thing seems to elude students and employees alike. There are volumes of information dedicated to corporate ethical disasters that could have been averted, or at least repaired more efficiently, had CSR been practiced in better faith. A few of these cases are listed below, along with substantial studies that help highlight how this mantra has developed over time.

• The Minamata Disaster: methylmercury from a Japanese chemical company was released into a local fishing bay and the Shiranui Sea for over 35 years starting in 1932. The toxic chemical accumulated in fish, which were eaten by Minamata's populace resulting in mass mercury poisoning. A settlement for this case was just reached in March 2010.
• The National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling is a paper that was commissioned by the Obama Administration as a scrutiny of the disaster. In addition to being an anecdotal keepsake, it functions as an educational business case study that hinges on CSR principles.
• The Three Mile Island accident is a historic nuclear failure that occurred in 1979 near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There are many opinions still circulating about the auxiliary ethical details of this accident, but its core mishaps and lessons learned remain. The nuclear industry is an especially powerful example of how CSR consciousness has improved an entire business niche in a short period of time.
• The Seveso Disaster occurred in Italy in 1976. A toxic cloud of corrosive chemicals was accidentally dispersed into the air, cause a slew of acute and chronic illnesses that would affect generations to come. As this interesting case study points out, however, this disaster was a landmark in the new models of disaster relief and prevention that followed, arguably influenced by the overarching ideas of CSR.
• The Bhopal Disaster, sometimes called the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, is one of the world's worst of its kind. In Madhya Pradesh, India in 1984 the escape of methyl isocyanate gas contaminated many people, killing over 3000 and injuring thousands more nearly beyond repair. As with other disasters, what the chemicals industry and others in the industrial world have learned from this incident is indispensable to CSR discussion.

These case studies should help you think about why being cautious about the environmental implications of a company's operation are considered important, both in academia and in the real world. Today, the "Ethical MBA" has become a popular term used around the globe, and even Executive CSR Programs are offered (or are in development) at some of the most prestigious schools. Whether you are a student or a CEO, there is wealth of archived information from which to learn and bolster your ability to leverage CSR in your own pursuits. It is well known that CSR helps the bottom line , so it's worth keeping up-to-date.

CSR & Engineering

Engineers are often involved in jobs that have a long-term impact on the development of a major community, and as such they have a large role as employees when it comes to corporate social responsibility. Books like Citizen Engineer and Socially Responsible Engineering are used as primers to help engineers think about their positions when it comes to CSR. There’s also a lot of helpful information that a business student can learn from socially responsible engineering practices and the risk management associated with things like the building of bridges, chemical plants, and petroleum operations. Broadening your knowledge base, regardless of whether or not your interests and passions are technical in nature, will only benefit the savvy entrepreneur in the long haul. A few examples of socially responsible and fascinating inventions can be found below. These examples are excellent proof that a product with strong social value can be highly marketable, too.

• Time's Top Inventions of 2010 contains an array of socially responsible inventions, from devices to help paraplegics more efficiently to sailboats made of plastic bottles.
• A mirror that monitors vital signs - see for yourself.
• A Pen That Screens for Disease

Additional Case Studies

1. Corporations often find out that they can't reach a CSR quota and then stop being socially responsible. The Coca-Cola case study is a prime example of how being socially responsible must be considered on a case-by-case basis.
2. The Harvard Business School is one of the premiere online spaces for comprehensive case studies on CSR, and is designed to help people develop an understanding of how complex CSR issues manifest work environments.

Socially Responsible Companies

1. Society is beginning to take note of the world's most socially responsible companies, and this list provides a brief insight into how these companies are differentiating themselves in terms of CSR.
2. Another list of the Top 100 socially responsible companies might come with a few surprises. Companies like BP, who have been responsible for large environmental calamities, have actually been involved in plenty of CSR projects and therefore rank high on the list.
3. Projects related to CSR come in all shapes and sizes, but this list of 8 revolutionary socially responsible companies contains a few unique ideas that could end up changing the world.
4. While there is no doubt that CSR is becoming increasingly important in the business world, this does not mean companies can't be successful without CSR programs. For example, Apple, one of the world's most admired companies, also has a notorious history of non-charitable practice.

Organizations Dedicated to Corporate Social Responsibility

1. Business for Social Responsibility is an organization that works with over 250 companies to develop sustainable business strategies.
2. The World Council for Sustainable Development is an association of over 200 companies working together to establish socially responsible practices, and to ensure that the world is living within its means by 2050.
3. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development provides a forum for governments to work together to foster and promote socially responsible practices.
4. Find out how one government is attempting to make a difference by following the Environmental Protection Agency as it works to establish a socially responsible mindset from within the government.
5. For more information about the various organizations making a difference socially, this resource (while slightly outdated) provides a solid list of organizations working internationally and locally to establish social responsibility.

Brooke Folliot is a business graduate, with an entrepreneurial background. She is a non-profit and sustainability enthusiast, who wants to see CSR make a difference for both companies and communities across the globe.

Shifting Trends in the Corporate World: Your Guide to CSR

A Story of International Corporate Volunteering

As employee volunteering takes its place in the spotlight, more and more companies are stepping up to share their story. Here's one that came to us after our recent post highlighting The Next Big Thing for CSR: International Corporate Volunteerism.

Dow Corning Goes to India

A Story of International Corporate Volunteering

by Deirdre White, CEO and President, CDC Development Solutions

 “On this project, there are no distinctions – everyone is a leader,” says twenty-two year old Ashley Crandall.  Ashley is an electrical apprentice on the manufacturing floor of one of the world’s largest silicone producers, Dow Corning (specifically, its joint venture company – Hemlock Semiconductor Group). Last year, she traveled to India to spend four weeks with nine other Dow Corning’s employees, as well Bangalore’s local community.  The project she is referring to is Dow Corning’s Citizen Service Corps, a skills based volunteer program in which the company sends employee teams on pro bono assignments in emerging markets to work with local NGOs and social entrepreneurs.  

This was Ashley’s first time outside of America.  She spent this time improving the manufacturing process of local clean cookstove producer, Sustaintech.  One month later, she returned to Eastern Michigan with a different understanding of her work with Dow Corning.  “When I first got here, I just graduated college.  I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.  But I can see myself ten years from now and I want to be one of our Senior Managers.” 

In Realized Worth’s recent post, The Next Big Thing for CSR, they reported on International Corporate Volunteerism (ICV).  CDC Development Solutions conducted a survey that revealed some interesting statistics about employees once they return from an ICV trip:

·       97% are more motivated in their job

·       94% are more invested in their company

·       92% say ICV learnings now impact their day job and will ultimately lead to a positive business impact for their company

·       86% say they are stronger team players

·       92% say they are more resilient  

What Happened on the Trip?

In the case of Dow Corning, ten volunteers were selected from countries as far reaching as Belgium, Korea, and Mexico, and then divided into three groups.  Each was assigned to one of three local organizations in Bangalore – Ashoka, Sustaintech, and Envirofit.  Along with the usual culture shock of entering a new country, the Dow Corning teams were doubly challenged to develop business solutions for these organizations in an entirely new culture – India.  The learning curve can be steep!  For Sustaintech, the group was asked to improve the company's manufacturing process.  In the case of Envirofit, the team was assigned to improve its sales strategy and provided methods to better evaluate messaging around a culturally sensitive topic – cookstoves.  Lastly, the Ashoka team worked on a sustainable housing project for low-income communities.

The Dow Corning volunteers were already talented in their respective fields of manufacturing, marketing, and supply chain when they left for India.  But by transplanting them into a foreign culture, international corporate volunteering nurtures a softer skillset that can otherwise take years to develop including leadership, out-of-the-box thinking, and company loyalty.

From a Few to Many

To expand on the experience of ten volunteers, Dow Corning created a global blog.  Each volunteer shared real-time pictures, videos, and entries about their work in Bangalore.  The entire company had the opportunity to experience the trip with them online.  At one point, Ashley’s team needed support on a manufacturing problem they were facing at Sustaintech.  They reached out through the blog.  Co-workers from offices around the world chimed in with responses and this company-wide collaboration prompted the team to uncover ideas for a solution for Sustaintech.

What Happened Afterwards?

For Dow Corning, ICV is a form of social R&D.  Volunteers returned from Bangalore with forty new ideas, some of which are being further evaluated as potential new business development opportunities.

In addition, last month, Dow Corning announced a five million dollar commitment to Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, and its effort to create a global marketplace for clean cookstoves.  As the market develops over the next decade, Dow Corning will understand its needs and be prepared to meet them.  “The one-month trip to India produced ten people who now have the equivalent of a Harvard MBA, forty new innovation ideas, and good will from a community standpoint,” says Ed Colbert, Director of Talent Management.  “If we look back ten years from now, some of these people will be leading Dow Corning’s presence in the world, and hopefully, some of those products will be in market.”

Right now, the second Dow Corning team is in Ujire, India.  You can view their experience here on Dow Corning’s Citizen Service Corps blog.
 

CDC Development Solutions
cdcdevelopmentsolutions.org

CDC Development Solutions (CDS) provides International Corporate Volunteer programs to IBM, Dow Corning, Pfizer, FedEx, Deloitte, Novartis, Pepsi, and others. CDS guides and manages these initiatives from start to finish, from program design, to in-country partner and assignment identification, to monitoring and providing support to corporate teams, to assessing the effectiveness and lasting impact. 

Realized Worth believes volunteering is transformative. We work with companies to design and implement programs that meet employees where they're at - producing better companies, better communities, and a better world.

Contact us at 317.371.4435 or chrisjarvis@realizedworth.com or angela@realizedworth.com

A Story of International Corporate Volunteering