Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are very important, and their impact can be tremendous. As you move forward with your organization’s program, you can easily measure its impact by asking three simple questions. This will ensure you’re at the leading edge of CSR and truly making a difference.

1. Why is corporate social responsibility important to my organization?
Asking yourself why CSR is important will help you measure your program’s impact. First, it will help you relate your program to your organization’s mission and values. Second, it will help you understand the connection between your program and the schools, communities, and environments it affects. Third, it will help you relate your program to specific needs. With all of this information at hand, you can really focus in on what your program is impacting and make decisions on how to increase or redirect impact based on your findings.

2. What is the goal of the corporate social responsibility program?
Perhaps the most important way to measure the impact of your CSR program is to clearly identify its purpose. Maybe your purpose aligns with one or more of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a list that many organizations follow when formulating their CSR program. Some examples of purpose include:

• Health and wellness programs
• Community outreach programs
• Strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations

When evaluating your purpose, take your organization’s size, budget, and resources into account. Once you have a clear idea of what it is you’re trying to accomplish, you’ll be able to determine what measurement tactics to employ and what type of data you’ll need to collect so you can track and tell your story. At MMS Education, we believe research and data are the keys to program development, execution, and long-term success. We’ll help you collect and organize data and then make key decisions about the direction of your program. We’ll help you create and reach your goals.

3. What are the benefits of corporate social responsibility?
People and organizations should benefit from your program, both those affected by it and those implementing it, and it’s important to identify those benefits — past, present, and future. Some benefits to consider are:

• Community relationships. Your CSR program should make your relationship with the community stronger. Above all, it should enhance communication and promote teamwork between your organization, community members, and community leaders.
• Increased revenue. Although your program may not generate direct revenue, it very well may be producing indirect revenue. Identifying ways in which your CSR program makes money is critical to your program’s long-term success, and MMS can help you do just that.
• Continued growth. Finally, your program should enable positive change and spark new ideas, interests, and concerns. If your program is making an impact, it could enable you to start exploring other expanded projects. Your insights will make the projects easier to maintain.

It may not be possible to receive all of these benefits, but it’s important to realize they’re possible and to try to work toward them. Recognizing which of these benefits affect your organization will help you measure the impact of your CSR program. Have you noticed a strengthening of your community relationships? Have you seen an increase in employee engagement? We’ll help you identify what benefits to measure in your program and how you can maximize those benefits.

Contacting MMS Education
We want to make sure you reach your corporate responsibility goals and that they are making the type of impact you want. If you need help measuring the impact of your CSR program, please contact us at 866-395-4552 to arrange a one-on-one consultation or visit our contact page.