Figure 11 illustrates the continuum of business giving in Australia since the 1970s. * ‘Philanthropy’: unconditional transfers of money, goods or services (such as donations) ^ ‘Strategic philanthropy’: donation of funds related to an area that intersects with business operations or industry impact. # Workplace giving includes payroll giving (but not workplace volunteering, which is tabled as a separate item above. Source: Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, 2016 Entities with a long history of giving through formal and structured CCI had further honed their approach to ensure the business case for any cause or social issue that is the focus of their giving was clearly aligned with their business operations. These corporations wanted to actively seek opportunities to apply their products and services to generate a stated objective, in a similar manner that business objectives are achieved. For all businesses – and for corporations in particular – applying business resources and know-how to generate positive social impact was an important element of their giving. This entailed bringing about social change as a result of giving (for example, insurance companies investing in home and motor vehicle safety awareness to minimise accidents; mining companies investing in Indigenous schooling to strengthen the education and employment trajectory of Indigenous Australians). Giving and social licence to operate Corporations placed far more emphasis on giving as part of generating and maintaining their social licence to operate — possibly because of their size as major employers and their economic impact (and depending on the manner in which they operate and their line of business, their environmental and social impact). As the preceding figures indicate, 63% of corporations indicated that strengthening their social licence was a reason for giving, compared to 34% of companies employing 200–1,000 people. This is a large differential (the figure for all large businesses is 47%). The qualitative research indicated that CEOs and other senior managers and business leaders frequently discussed social licence and how to earn and maintain it, including at the senior management team and board levels. As well as formal stakeholder engagement and broader outcomes of CR, giving was considered a strategic and effective input to managing social licence. Our community investment, including our partnerships, volunteering and payroll giving, is embedded in the way we do business, and which in turn earns our social licence to operate. And that’s a nice sweet spot—doing what’s right, and sustaining our business. - Interview, senior manager
Figure 11 illustrates the continuum of business giving in Australia since the 1970s. * ‘Philanthropy’: unconditional transfers of money, goods or services (such as donations) ^ ‘Strategic philanthropy’: donation of funds related to an area that intersects with business operations or industry impact. # Workplace giving includes payroll giving (but not workplace volunteering, which is tabled as a separate item above. Source: Centre for Corporate Public Affairs, 2016 Entities with a long history of giving through formal and structured CCI had further honed their approach to ensure the business case for any cause or social issue that is the focus of their giving was clearly aligned with their business operations. These corporations wanted to actively seek opportunities to apply their products and services to generate a stated objective, in a similar manner that business objectives are achieved. For all businesses – and for corporations in particular – applying business resources and know-how to generate positive social impact was an important element of their giving. This entailed bringing about social change as a result of giving (for example, insurance companies investing in home and motor vehicle safety awareness to minimise accidents; mining companies investing in Indigenous schooling to strengthen the education and employment trajectory of Indigenous Australians). Giving and social licence to operate Corporations placed far more emphasis on giving as part of generating and maintaining their social licence to operate — possibly because of their size as major employers and their economic impact (and depending on the manner in which they operate and their line of business, their environmental and social impact). As the preceding figures indicate, 63% of corporations indicated that strengthening their social licence was a reason for giving, compared to 34% of companies employing 200–1,000 people. This is a large differential (the figure for all large businesses is 47%). The qualitative research indicated that CEOs and other senior managers and business leaders frequently discussed social licence and how to earn and maintain it, including at the senior management team and board levels. As well as formal stakeholder engagement and broader outcomes of CR, giving was considered a strategic and effective input to managing social licence. Our community investment, including our partnerships, volunteering and payroll giving, is embedded in the way we do business, and which in turn earns our social licence to operate. And that’s a nice sweet spot—doing what’s right, and sustaining our business. - Interview, senior manager