At any given time, there are multiple corporate crises happening around the world. In the age of social media, these crises “go viral” more quickly than ever before. This naturally creates a villain in the space where a corporation once was. Read the comments on any crisis response message and you can suddenly transport yourself … Continue reading Kill the Beast: A Corporate Responsibility Department’s Reality During a Crisis
My father has three pieces of advice he routinely provides my brother and me. Watch for critters (by this, he means deer and other wild animals one might accidentally hit with a car in rural North Dakota where I grew up). Wear a jacket. Usually stated as “after the sun goes down, it gets cold … Continue reading The Controlled Burn of a Successful Career
Last year, I published a 2018 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Reading List, and loved the conversations I had with many of you throughout the year about those books. When something works, do it again! Just like last year, these books fall into four key categories: must-reads, big topics, general business, and leadership. This year, I'm … Continue reading Your 2019 Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Social Impact Reading List
My favorite networking question in any situation is, "What are you reading?" Studies show the average American reads only 1-2 books per year, but Fortune 500 CEOs read 4-5 books each month. If you want to be successful, open a book! I keep a "books to read" list in my phone, and my "buy with … Continue reading Your 2018 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Reading List
As our nation faces the crisis of Hurricane Harvey, millions of people are asking themselves, “What can I do?” We see the images and videos on the news and want to know how we can get resources to those in need in the affected areas. We want to help, and that instinct is a wonderful … Continue reading Make Your Dollars Count: Avoiding Fraudulent Philanthropy During a Crisis
This month, I launched a podcast with one of my Kellogg Executive MBA classmates. The next day, passing a colleague in the hall, she said, “I was suspicious before. But now I know you don’t sleep!” Well, I hate to burst anyone’s bubble. But I do sleep. As do the other 65 people in my … Continue reading 4 Lessons from 200 days of an Executive MBA
Recently, I participated in a panel discussion with Chicago's CR Group on the trends in the world of corporate responsibility. Following the event, I had more inquiries from individuals interested in CR than I could handle in a very busy summer. And while each of them asked different questions, and I was happy to direct … Continue reading Resume Tips for Transitioning from Nonprofit to Corporate
In a recent post, I touched on how difficult grant making can be. Investing in nonprofit organizations takes a strategic eye, a commitment to partnership building and an enormous amount of consideration, time and energy. Today, I'd like to talk about another aspect of grant making that can be incredibly challenging for both grant makers … Continue reading Anatomy of a No: Grant Makers Can’t Fund It All
Relationships with stakeholders are the cornerstone of any good CSR program. For many corporations, nonprofits represent a major community stakeholder. For that reason, most CSR programs include financial support for nonprofits. These programs can take many forms. But working in CSR means you'll work with many nonprofits. Some will see you as the "lady with … Continue reading The Art and Science of Great Nonprofit Partnerships
It was Christmas season in West Acres Mall in Fargo. I was around five years old. I was with my mother and grandmother shopping for a dress for my grandmother to wear to a cousin's wedding. They looked away for a moment, my mother said. And I was gone. I was five stores down having a long … Continue reading So you want to work in CSR…