Businesses today are erasing the traditional boundaries between profit and purpose.
Many, in fact, are pioneering an era where corporate social responsibility is not just a department, but the heart and soul of their operations.
This exploration into the CSR industry unveils the innovators who are masterfully integrating social impact into the very essence of their business strategies. By doing so, they’ve not only been able to make a lasting impact on the communities in which their employees and customers live and work, but they’ve also been able to boost their returns on investment.
Through the lens of past Engage for Good Halo Award winners, we go behind the scenes of these remarkable collaborations and uncover the strategies, metrics and tools that have not only maximized impact but also defined the ROI of their initiatives.
CSR pros in need of more than just applause
Before we go there, let’s get real for a minute.
While everyone’s cheering for the big wins in CSR, there’s a bit of a reality check coming from the folks actually in the trenches of CSR.
Turns out, while everyone’s been asking them to pull off bigger and better things, the support they’re getting feels more like someone threw them a deflated pool noodle instead of a life raft.
This whole setup really makes you wonder—do companies actually give a hoot about CSR, or is it all just for show?
Cue the recent CSR Insights Survey from the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals.
What it revealed was that there’s a massive gap between what companies expect from their CSR programs and the actual support they give the folks running the show.
Diving deeper, we learned that a staggering 78% of CSR professionals are seeing their to-do lists get longer and crazier. But barely any of them have the tools they need to tackle the job.
Plus, the survey said many executives at the C-Suite level at companies talk a big game about supporting CSR but often don’t back it up with real action. So, our CSR champions are often left trying to work miracles with not much more than a pat on the back and a “good luck.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, though.
There are some real rays of sunshine breaking through the corporate social impact clouds, showing us that not everything’s lost.
The following standout companies and nonprofits have figured out how to do things a bit differently and actually make a dent in the universe (or at least in their communities). They’re proving that with a little creativity and a lot of elbow grease, you can turn even the biggest corporate ship around and steer it toward something good.
HelloFresh
In the wake of the pandemic-induced food insecurity crisis, the HelloFresh team rolled up their sleeves, geared up for action, and launched “Meals with Meaning.”
This wasn’t just about slapping together some meals. It was a full-blown, all-hands-on-deck operation aimed at tackling food insecurity head-on.
Departments across HelloFresh, usually focused on getting dinner to their customers’ doorsteps, pivoted to something far bigger. They zeroed in on their distribution centers, picking charity partners with the precision of a sous-chef selecting the perfect herb.
Enter the Culinary Team, HelloFresh’s unsung heroes, who whipped up not just any meals, but nutritious feasts designed with the people in the most need in mind—complete with recipes in Spanish because inclusion was the secret ingredient.
Meanwhile, the Procurement Team was playing a high-stakes game of Tetris, figuring out how to pack and ship 8,000 meals per week, each bursting with flavor and care.
And then came the twist: HelloFresh customers could hit pause on their weekly box and instead, “Donate their box” to someone in dire need. For those feeling extra generous, there was an option to contribute cash.
The result?
A whopping two million meals delivered in 2022 and a fundraising total of $2.48 million in contributions.
FedEx & Operation Warm
FedEx, usually seen zipping around delivering packages, decided to package some warmth and hope for kids in need.
In partnership with Operation Warm, they delivered coats and shoes to thousands of children in need.
This wasn’t just about logistics and distribution. It was about utilizing FedEx’s core competencies—its unparalleled delivery network and organizational efficiency—to ensure warmth reached those little hands and feet just when they needed it most.
It was about wrapping kids in a big, warm FedEx hug, boosting employee morale, and knitting the community a little closer together—demonstrating a powerful example of how companies can use what they’re best at to make a difference.
The result was the delivery of 18,000 coats and 7,200 shoes, reaching more than 25,000 children. The entire project garnered more than 200 media placements and, with more than 30 social media posts, they helped more than 1.5 million people see how corporate resources can be leveraged for a noble cause.
Humble
Ever since Humble first hit the scene in 2010 with a mission to do good by gaming, they’ve been like the Robin Hood of the digital world—except they deal in games, not gold, and their merry customers are gamers with big hearts and open wallets.
Their formula? Simple yet revolutionary: Bundle up games, sprinkle in some books and software for good measure, and let buyers pay what they want, with a chunk of the proceeds going to charity.
It’s been a game-changer, literally.
So, when Ukraine found itself in crisis, Humble didn’t just pause and watch from the sidelines.
Nope, they cranked up their charity machine and launched the “Stand With Ukraine” bundle, effectively turning gaming sessions into philanthropic power plays. With that bundle, they managed to raise a whopping $20.7 million, proving that when gamers unite, they can make waves bigger than any boss fight.
But Humble’s gaming for good fundraising model doesn’t stop there.
Recognizing their community’s desire to make a quicker impact in the face of disasters, they rolled out the Forward-Fund Initiative.
Partnering with Direct Relief, a charity that’s been working with Humble for years, they devised a way to stockpile funds in advance.
This means they’re now ready to sling support like spells at a moment’s notice, turning their all-for-charity bundles into a war chest for future crises.
PetSmart & PetSmart Charities
When PetSmart and PetSmart Charities decided to get serious about pet adoptions, they weren’t kitten around. Fast forward to 2022, and boom: the 10 millionth pet finds a forever home.
To mark this tail-wagging milestone, they pulled out all the stops.
Picture this: the De La Rosa family finds out they’re adopter number 10 million on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Add to that a blitz of heartwarming stories in People magazine and a TikTok challenge that had folks everywhere posting with #10MillionAdoptions.
This strategy wasn’t just for show. It was a masterclass in storytelling that turned the spotlight full beam on their cause, teaching us all that, when you’ve got a story worth barking (or meowing) about, it’s time to go all in.
Leveraging every storytelling platform available not only maximized the visibility of their campaign but also deeply connected with audiences, showing the impact of every adoption story.
Their campaign led to a 16% uptick in website visitors for PetSmart Charities and a 10% jump in pet adoptions. In addition, a remarkable $41.8 million was raised to support the mission.
Talk about a purr-fect outcome.
USWNT Players Association & Kiva
Meanwhile, the US Women’s National Team Players Association and Kiva were busy showing us how mixing sports with a dash of social responsibility can score big for small businesses.
They weren’t just concerned with winning on the field. They wanted to win for communities where teams were located too. So their game plan was to lend 400 no-fee, 0% interest loans to local entrepreneurs within four years.
With the power of soccer games to shine a spotlight on these entrepreneurs, they started turning heads and opening wallets faster than you can say “goal!”
By the end of the first year, they’d already helped more than 1,300 borrowers with more than $285,000 in funds, smashing their initial target.
Reflecting on this success, and asking themselves how to continue building on the momentum, the USWNT Players Association decided to set an even bigger goal.
The partnership is now aiming to support 3,000 entrepreneurs by 2025—showing that, in the world of corporate social impact, there’s always the next game, the next goal, and the next community to uplift.
The true measure of CSR success
These success stories have shown us that measuring impact isn’t just about tallying up numbers or painting everything green and calling it eco-friendly.
It’s about meaningful milestones, like the ringing of the 10 millionth pet adoption bell at PetSmart, or the heartwarming tally of over $20 million raised by gamers with hearts of gold via Humble.
It’s clear that when companies go beyond the balance sheet to quantify their contributions, the results can be both inspiring and impressive.
And at the heart of all these efforts are the tireless teams dedicated to the cause. Supporting them isn’t just a nice-to-do. It’s an essential ingredient in the recipe for sustained impact.
So, let’s remember that while the methods of measuring impact may vary, the essence of what makes these initiatives successful does not.
It’s about connecting on a human level, whether through the joy of sports, the warmth of a winter coat, the future of a child, or the survival of a small business.
