Business Doing Good: A Resource for (Smaller) Business

I love nonprofits. But they aren't the only ones who do good works. Good is for everyone.

I've thought a lot about this, about the nature of good in the world – and specifically the corporate world – as I have traveled on my own professional journey. And guess where I ended up? Right here with the launch of Business Doing Good.

Here's a little on why. Over the past two decades, from my vantage point at a company that has grown from 130 people to 2,700+ during my tenure, I've seen corporate social responsibility (CSR) evolve around me. At Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB) a technology company specializing in solutions for nonprofit organizations, we began philanthropy and ended up going to full "citizenship" route. Doing good is at the heart of who we are.

We are certainly not alone. Many companies have come before us, leading the way in building superior CSR programs. But, as a corporate citizenship professional, when I look out to the market for resources and guidance to grow what we do – or grow myself – I often hit a wall. There are conferences, associations, books and invitation-only gatherings for members of Fortune 500 companies…but not the small-to-mid-sized guys that employ 79% of the business workforce in the United States alone.

Business Doing Good is for the rest of us, for those who might be informed by what "the big guys" are doing but need how-to advice about building programs. It is my hope that, with this practical advice as a guide, business leaders and ambitious employees alike will have a road map for how to do good.

So join me on the journey, as I unpack both the reasons behind why building a give back program in your business is necessary and showing you how to do it. My aim is to provide practical, actionable advice that helps you engage employees, help the community, and build upon the value of your brand. I'll be doing this by sharing the insights I have gained building the corporate citizenship and philanthropy strategy at a once small, now mid-sized sized tech company. I'll also invite friends and experts to join me in sharing their knowledge, as well as profiling companies that – although small – are making a big impact in the community.

Although the core focus at the beginning will be on giving and volunteerism – the two core areas of any "do good" program – we'll also look at other areas that are just as important to explore if you want your company to truly be a good citizen.

At any time in the conversation, if you have something to say, an idea to share, an opinion to express, chime in or contact me at BusinessDoingGood@blackbaud.com.

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