aligning the social &business values of corporate citizenship.
Businesses understand their core values better than anyone else. But when it comes to directing those ideals into social strategies, the best intentions don’t always lead to quantifiable results – for the business or its stakeholders. Corporate Citizen guides businesses and their social investments in every step of corporate responsibility, from planning and implementation to stakeholder engagement and sustainability. We Move the Line.
Assess current funding platforms and evaluate the supply chain.
Set strategy goals & construct a timeline.
Implement & oversee the campaign.
Manage relationships between leadership, agencies, and stakeholders.
Report on impact and program achievements.
Engage the stakeholders.
corporate culture
Determine giving focus based on core values.
Develop volunteer opportunities for giving time, talent, or treasure.
Increase employee connection & involvement.
Promote program dialogue between the leadership & the employees.
Evaluate internal satisfaction with program.
Empower the employees.
community
Evaluate the brand profile in the community.
Design & implement long-term social strategies.
Establish & maintain shared value partnerships.
Assist non-profits to leverage gifts for maximum impact.
Measure program impact & reach.
Enrich the community.
How you get thereWhere do you stand?
Debunking the myth
Corporate citizenship isn’t an expense. It’s an investment.
#1
Philanthropy is the main component of Corporate Responsibility.
Corporate citizenship should be measured by its ability to create shared value, not just social benefit.
#2
Social initiatives aren't relative to the brand experience.
Referencing a company's products and services is at the center of corporate responsibility. Own it. The best social programs directly reflect who a company is and what they do.
#3
Social goals detract from economic ones.
Effective social strategies can increase brand worth, differentiate businesses from competitors, improve productivity, reduce costs, and lead to positive economic and social returns for all stakeholders invested.
#4
Stakeholders aren't paying attention.
Stakeholders expect socially responsible practices - they also expect transparency. Business partners, shareholders, employees, and citizens are demanding more and better reporting on the impact of corporate citizenship.
Where do you stand?Kudos
CREATING shared VALUE
words from some of our favorite VICCs (very important corporate citizens)
Kari has a foundational understanding of business principles and strategies. She has the unique ability to blend a company’s values with the needs of the community seamlessly, which consistently results in long-lasting impact that is evident on both sides.
Eric Crown, Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus, Insight Enterprises
Kari challenged me to rethink how our company was involved with the community. She exposed me to the rewards that are associated with taking corporate responsibility to the next level, and our growth has been phenomenal.
Walter Clarke, President, Oxford Investment Partners
If not you, then who? — Hillel the Elder
Kari offers a unique connection between business and community that I only wish I had access to while in my former positions as an executive in marketing and public relations and as a business owner. Having someone with her expertise on your team is an absolute necessity and critical to long-term success.
Valerie Paxton, Owner, Allegro Medical Former VP of Marketing & Communications-Insight Enterprises
While working alongside Kari at Banner Health, I found her to be an invaluable resource. She aligns companies and organizations with the needs of the community and then takes action.
Kim Behrens, Vice President of Development, Banner Health Foundation
I have known Kari Yakowski for many years and have been extremely impressed with her knowledge, passion and effectiveness in the area of corporate citizenship. An effective corporate citizenship strategy is not only good for our community and our society, it makes good business sense.
William H. Gibbs, President of the University of Phoenix (retired)
KudosGood Citizens
Good Citizens
gold star achievers in the business of doing good
Molson Coors
Molson Coors is a prime example of a businesses that has a deep understanding of the benefits that can be seen when investing in corporate responsibility. They are a Gold Star Achiever in our book, and a company who is leading us all on the path to Good Citizenship. Molson Coors shares with us what it means to them to
A leading global technology distributor, received a Corporate Social Responsibility Award from PR News, the leading publication covering the public relations trade. Winning in the Stakeholder Engagement category, Avnet was honored for bringing 14 partners, customers and vendors together to support the Avnet Tech Games, a technology-related team competition for students attending Maricopa Community Colleges.
Social goals shouldn’t detract from business strategies. They should intersect. Look at any ‘top 100′ list of leading businesses; many of the strongest performers are also among the most admired corporate citizens. Corporate Citizen provides direction for social investment that leads to measurable impact and meaningful change.
Corporate Citizen’s strategies for corporate responsibility do not involve rewriting company policy. We meet our clients where they are in the process, regardless of where a business is in their giving strategies. Corporate Citizen’s methodologies increase brand worth, improve corporate culture, align partnerships between the public and non-profit sectors, and leverage those partnerships for greater benefits.
Chief Navigator Kari Yatkowski provides a unique dual perspective into the needs of the community and the ROI that stakeholders demand of social funding. With 20+ years of experience in corporate business, supply chain management, and extensive collaboration in the non-profit sector, Kari applies practical business principles to social objectives. The result? Broader outcomes for the community, and better support for businesses.
Kari has worked with over 50 non-profits, as both a fundraiser and a donor, and has held numerous leadership roles that impacted fundraising efforts—netting over 100 million dollars. She has aligned hundreds of corporations and their stakeholders to develop meaningful programs—creating shared benefits for donors, non-profit agencies and ultimately the community. In 2003 Kari created Haven Charitable Foundation, and continues to spearhead efforts that directly fund critical social initiatives. She has aligned new business and corporate partners with organizations including Banner MD Anderson, Homeward Bound, O’Connor House, Valley Leadership, American Heart Association, and Phoenix Suns Charities.
Kari is a graduate of the W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU with a Bachelors of Science in Supply Chain Management and has resided in the Valley for 25 years. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the Corporate Responsibility Officer Association, the National Association of Women Business Owners, and ASU Women in Philanthropy. Kari lives in Scottsdale with her husband Paul and three sons.
About UsConnect
Connect with us
Join Kari on the path to good citizenship! Connect with her if you’d like to arrange a CSR consultation, invite her to participate in a speaking engagement, or seek assistance with non-profit development.
The Corporate Compass Blog
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
5 core values for creating social investment strategies
TRUST: Engage the Right Priorities Three truths must be considered when creating social investment strategies: You must be honest about your core values; You must be honest about what social initiatives you wish to engage; and you must be honest about the impact you seek to make in the community. By engaging the truth, companies will create authentic and integrated strategies that have integrity and in turn your stakeholders will trust. ALIGN: Connect the Right Partnerships. Authentic alignments must happen [...]
Contact: Crissy Saint Social Media/Communications Manager crissy@mmidentitylab.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CORPORATE CITIZEN LAUNCHES TO ALIGN BUSINESSES WITH COMMUNITY Scottsdale, AZ (January 10th, 2011) – Corporate Citizen, a company focused on aligning corporate values with community needs, will host a private launch party on January 12th, 2012 at Clayton in the Park in Scottsdale. An informal speech will be given by founder, Kari Yatkowski, in which the vision of the company will be shared with CEOs, [...]
Be honest about your core values; be honest about which social initiatives you wish to engage; be honest about the impact you seek to make in the community.
Align your relationships up and down the shared value chain. Shift the emphasis from merely informing stakeholders to engaging them.
Create mindful strategies and leverage them to create business returns and opportunity for innovation, reduced costs, brand worth, market longevity, and improved employee recruitment and engagement.
Improve your triple bottom line through real, effective business strategies driven by social innovations in 5 major sectors: Health; Wealth; Environment; Civil Society; and Safety.
Tell your unique and compelling story. Activate further engagement, create new giving, and create measurable impact.
