How to nail nonprofit website design
Tips for creating content that inspires donor support and amplifies your reach online
With global sociological and environmental challenges on the rise, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become the bare minimum requirement for businesses. Companies that prioritize social impact and sustainability as much as they do profit are more likely to find support among consumers and employees. Over 91% of millennials would rather purchase from brands that support worthwhile causes. Additionally, 90% of consumers will abandon companies that don't practice social responsibility.
CSR & sustainability
Besides CSR, successful companies prioritize sustainability as a crucial facet of their operations. Corporate sustainability entails a company offering goods and services in a way that assures a safe environment for itself, its employees, and its customers.
Developing and implementing procedures that increase corporate sustainability ensures that your company's profitability is maintained while maximizing social, environmental, and economic value to the community. Sustainable businesses achieve this by incorporating ESG into their for-profit and nonprofit activities.
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG)
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) is a non-financial model that assists organizations in assessing the ethical impact and long-term sustainability of investments and operations.
ESG provides a gauge for corporate sustainability strategies. Even though the framework is non-financial, it helps make sense of CSR and sustainability performance. Today, investors use ESG to observe and measure corporate sustainability. Therefore, now is the time to prioritize ESG to stay competitive in your market. Let's break down ESG:
- Environment: The environmental aspect of ESG considers how companies use natural resources and the positive and negative impacts of their use.
- Social: The social aspect of ESG examines a company's social structure relating to the community. It also examines a company's internal social structure by tracking the efficiency and effectiveness of top-down and peer-to-peer communication.
- Governance: Governance examines a company's internal procedures and policy decisions, as well as the effect of these decisions on the organization and community at large.
ESG vs CSR
Most people confuse CSR with ESG. Both terms are connected. However, they don't have the same meaning. CSR primarily emphasizes the qualitative aspects of a company's social commitment. ESG examines the quantitative aspect of a business's long-term growth. CSR assists firms in being more socially responsible. Here are a few examples of how they differ:
- CSR covers an organization's intentions toward the community. ESG looks at how to meet those intentions.
- Conducting CSR is more of an objective or an end goal. ESG is a continuous process aimed at improving performance based on the criteria.
- CSR mainly tells the company's story and purpose outside of profit-making. ESG collects and provides data that showcases the true image of the company's sustainability.
- CSR consists of a range of sustainable activities that hold businesses accountable. ESG works on specific policies and structures that guide and measure business performance.
The benefits of ESG
ESG helps businesses make sound financial decisions when it comes to sustainability measures. ESG reporting gives a clear assessment of the cost and benefits of various measures a company is willing to take. As a result, companies can maximize efficiency and effectiveness while also managing costs.
ESG also increases company efficiency by streamlining processes. ESG helps top executives track CSR activity and keep precise records for reference and reporting. Furthermore, ESG implementation has assisted many nonprofit organizations in carrying out sustainable philanthropy programs. In practice, ESG improves an organization's understanding of risk, which helps them make data-driven decisions.
ESG & CSR in action
The world celebrates Earth Day on April 22nd. This holiday is an excellent opportunity for businesses to demonstrate their corporate citizenship and commitment to ESG, CSR, and the environment. Earth Day, along with Earth Month, is an opportunity for companies to align with their employees' and customers' values through action, service, and generosity. Whether your company focuses on carbon offsets, deforestation, or ocean conservation, these sample campaigns are great ways to give back during Earth Month and help your company meet the UN’s sustainable development goals:
Water is a powerful resource in the lives of humans all over the world. We use water for basic life functions. We use it to drink, eat, bathe, power machines, and more. Today, 2.2 billion people still don’t have access to safe drinking water and by 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could face water scarcity for at least one month out of the year. These nonprofits work to provide water to populations that are vulnerable to water scarcity. Give today to help communities that are in urgent need of clean water.
Vetted nonprofit organizations to support:
Charity: Water | Water Aid | Water for People | Water.org
The United States is powered by unsustainable energy systems that pump pollutants into our atmosphere and accelerate climate change. In 2019, the US emitted 5,130 metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, slightly over 15% of worldwide emissions and only accounting for 4.25% of the world’s population. Renewable energy is the way of the future. The Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere predicts that the world will run out of oil in 2052, natural gas in 2060, and coal in 2092 — the change to renewable is upon us. Renewable energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps stop the warming of our planet. Give today to help the world make the switch to clean energy.
Vetted nonprofit organizations to support:
We Care Solar | Solar Village Project | Green Empowerment | RE-volv | Vote Solar
Trees help clean the air we breathe, filter the water we drink and provide habitat to over 80% of the world's terrestrial biodiversity. Forests provide jobs to over 1.6 billion people, absorb harmful carbon from the atmosphere, and are key ingredients in 25% of all medicines. Have you ever taken an Aspirin? It comes from the bark of a tree! Trees are incredibly useful in each and every one of our lives. But trees are in danger. 46% of the world's forests are already destroyed. Deforestation comes in many forms like fires, clear-cutting for agriculture, ranching and development, unsustainable logging for timber, and degradation due to climate change. The destruction of one of our most valuable assets on earth is devastating. Give now to help plant trees and renew our earth’s forests.
Vetted nonprofit organizations to support:
One Tree Planted | Team Trees | Stand for Trees | American Forests
It’s estimated that the average person consumes 1 credit card worth of toxic microplastic each week. One major source of ocean plastic derives from ghost nets, which are abandoned fishing gear that kills an estimated 650,000 marine animals every year. Sea turtles, ancient whales, dolphins, sharks, and countless species of fish. The nets fray into microplastics, and become extremely challenging to clean up. These microplastics are consumed by ocean life and eventually end up in the human food chain.
Vetted nonprofit organizations to support:
The Marine Mammal Center | Oceana | Conservational International | Ocean Conservancy
5% of all life on earth is made up of animals. These animals are known to humans as beloved pets, livestock, methods of transportation, and much more. Like humans, animals are deserving of basic rights. They deserve to live happy and healthy lives. All over the world, animals are used and abused for the use of humans. In 2019 alone, 797,546 animals were used in laboratory experiments. Laboratory use of animals is harmful and often permanently damages their health. Give back to help rescue animals from situations of abuse.
Vetted nonprofit organizations to support:
ASPCA | American Humane Society | The Jane Goodall Institute | Farm Sanctuary
