In an age of increasing global challenges, how can businesses and charities collaborate to generate greater social impact? In our most recent masterclass Jude Brooks and Kate Crabtree, two seasoned professionals from the commercial and charity sectors, respectively, provided a comprehensive roadmap for building meaningful and impactful partnerships.
Reimagining Work to Create Social Impact
The masterclass began with a bold vision: reimagining the world of work where every leader and organisation can create social impact through their business. Jude, who has spent over thirty years in large commercial organisations and now consults for responsible brands, emphasised the importance of unlocking commercial value from social purpose and impact programs. Her philosophy, “I want to do work that matters with people that care,” set the tone for the discussion.
With over twenty years in the charity sector, Kate highlighted the critical role of collaboration. Her experience leading partnership teams underscored the value of diverse perspectives and the potential for impactful synergy between the commercial world and the charity sector.
The Landscape of Need
The current global landscape is marked by political uncertainty, a surge in global conflicts, and the looming threat of climate change. These factors, combined with a cost of living crisis affecting millions, place immense pressure on public services and, by extension, on charities. This environment underscores the urgent need for partnerships, as no single entity can solve these issues alone.
The Business Perspective
There is a growing recognition that businesses must play a pivotal role in addressing these challenges. The paradigm is shifting from maximising shareholder value to maximising stakeholder value.
The masterclass emphasised the need to reframe attitudes towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). We have the opportunity to shift the perception of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from being primarily about risk mitigation to being a driver of business growth, from siloed activities to embedding social impact into an organisation’s DNA, and from mere philanthropy to driving mutual shared value.
‘The companies that are breaking the mould are moving beyond corporate social responsibility to social innovation. These companies are the vanguard of the new paradigm. They view community needs as opportunities to develop ideas and demonstrate business technologies, to find and serve new markets, and to solve long-standing business problems.’ – Rosabeth Moss Kanter
The A* Partnership Playbook
Jude and Kate introduced the A* Partnership Playbook, a set of essential ingredients for building long-term, mutually beneficial strategic partnerships that drive both business value and social impact. The playbook is not a rigid framework but a guide for successful collaboration:
- Align Authentically: Identify issues that align with the business’s strategic goals and values, involving top-level engagement and conducting materiality assessments to ensure the partnership is strategic and authentic.
- Agree Your Approach: Establish a shared vision and goals, set KPIs, and consider collaborative efforts even with competitors. Define a clear methodology for genuine impact measurement.
- Activate and Anchor: Embed the partnership across the organisation through employee engagement, personal development opportunities, and customer interactions. Financial support and budget allocation for activities like volunteering are crucial.
- Amplify and Accelerate: Effective communication is key. Establish a shared message matrix, consider the channel mix, create necessary assets, and leverage advocacy opportunities to amplify efforts.
- Assess and Advance: Continuously assess and improve the partnership, measure long-term impacts, and plan for the future. Be prepared to scale and transition the partnership as needed.
Key Takeaways
The session concluded with attendees being offered five key pieces of advice to reflect on:
- Identify the unique issues your organisation can address.
- Embrace collaboration and understand the power dynamics in partnerships.
- Move beyond cash contributions; engage relationships across the organisation.
- Use your collective voice to advocate for necessary behaviour changes.
- Do not remain stagnant; continually evolve and adapt.
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Watch the full masterclass recording here. And, to see the full slideshow click here.
Footnotes
1. ‘Where is child poverty increasing in the UK?’. Action for Children. 22 March 2024.
2. ‘With Highest Number of Violent Conflicts Since Second World War, United Nations Must Rethink Efforts to Achieve, Sustain Peace, Speakers Tell Security Council’. United Nations: Meeting Coverage and Press Releases. 26 January 2023.
3. ‘The concept of ‘climate refugee’: Towards a possible definition’. Think Tank: European Parliament. 5 October 2023.
