Living Me to We. Craig Kielburger
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for employees. It’s easy for corporations to reinvent their image and create change using their products.Travelling to new countries requires culture shock preparation. But Tania Carnegie could not have prepared for the KPMG employee trip to Kenya. Simply put: the people of the Maasai Mara rocked her world. Tania’s been involved in community outreach for years but she met people in Africa who redefined what it meant to give back. They were working hard to make their small piece of the world a better place. Back in Canada, Tania and KPMG “adopted” three villages in the Maasai Mara, putting plans in place for sustainable water projects, alternative income, education and health care. But she felt the need to do more. Pretty soon, she drafted a plan to inspire KPMG employees to support their community year-round, just as she’d seen a world away in Kenya. Today the accounting company has one of the most ambitious corporate engagement programs in the country. Every employee – all 5,500 of them – is responsible for contributing to their community on his or her own terms, whether working in a community garden or building a home for low income families. Along the way, volunteers get help and support from Tania and the rest of KPMG’s engagement staff.
TIPS FOR CEOSPick a charity that is aligned with your brand to leverage for social good.Look to social media to get the word out about charitable initiatives.Start an annual awards ceremony, complete with staff nominations, to recognize the extra hours and hard work put in by employees.Create appreciation cards for employees to send to one another after a stellar project or volunteer effort.Encourage managers to become actively engaged in the company’s volunteer projects and lead by example.Ask about payroll deduction programs with your human resources department, for quick, easy and regular donations to a charity of your choice.A volunteer trip is an excellent bonding exercise for a team. On your return, host an informal lunch time slideshow to share your initiatives and experiences with the rest of the staff.
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Office Politics
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STRONG COMPANY ROOTS
A socially conscious company has room to grow
GO TO PAGE 160 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION
Source: Imagine Canada, Wall Street Journal.
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GET TO KNOW
TRANSIT TOWN
Seamus O’Regan
When he’s not getting up at the crack of dawn to host CTV’s popular morning show Canada AM, Seamus O’Regan is out on the town riding streetcars, subways and buses. He’s not doing it to make some grand point about saving the earth. He just genuinely thinks it’s easier to ride transit. Okay, so maybe he has a bit of a crush on the environment.
THE MOMENT: “I grew up in Labrador, in a town of 8,000 people. If someone had lectured me back then that I shouldn’t have a car, I would have laughed. How else was I supposed to get around? Back in those days, I had this real gas-guzzler: a big SUV. I loved that car. I had a bigger car than most people, but we all make mistakes and I would say that is mine. I’ve never forgotten how much money I spent on gas and how often I had to fill it up.”THE MISSION: “When I moved to Toronto, I decided I didn’t need a car. In a city with way too many cars and too few roads, it just makes sense. I’m of the mind that you don’t always have to make environmental choices because it feels good, but also because it makes sense. That’s my kind of environmentalism.”THE HABIT: “Transit isn’t perfect. As soon as I’m in a rush to go somewhere, I come out of my house and a bus goes by. It’s like a quirk in The Matrix. But whenever I’m not in a rush, no problem, I make every connection. It’s like, somehow, they know. During winter, it can get tough, but I’m pretty stubborn. I live at a corner where there’s plenty of access to the streetcars, buses and subway. Instead of paying for parking everywhere and adding pollution to the air, taking transit just makes sense.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL RAJZMAN
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“What’s friendlier on the environment is often friendlier on the pocket book, too.”
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Invest for Change
ONCE A CITY PLANNER FOR THE CITY OF VICTORIA, Dennis Carlsen now consults on green and affordable housing projects in Vancouver. He thought he was pretty up-to-date on environmental and social issues – until he took a closer look at his RRSP. Why was a tobacco company in his portfolio when his father died of lung cancer? But his advisor was more interested in rates of returns than feel-good finances. So Dennis made a move – to an ethical investor. Today Dennis’ portfolio is stuffed with SRIs (socially responsible investments) such as housing trusts and green technology. If Dennis wants more information on a company’s background, his advisor outlines its past. If he questions a certain holding, his advisor explains how ethical shareholders and investors leverage holdings to get a company to improve its record. Together they’re figuring out a better roadmap for how to invest.Could it be that the Gordon Gekko era of “greed is good” is fading? Today, ethical investing is a $609 billion industry in Canada. Socially responsible companies are increasingly seen as better value for money over the bad boys of the investing world. The logic runs like this: companies that treat workers well or upgrade environmentally will avoid major costs when government regulations and other restrictions kick in later. Today, traditional holdings earn nearly the same as ethical stocks. For every early adopter like Dennis, who would choose the common good over profits regardless, ethical investment options continue to expand. We can increasingly make a buck and do good at the same time. Speak to your advisor about SRIs or turn to the Social Investment Organization’s cross-Canada listings for advice. Get informed and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions.
THE STEPS TO SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE STOCKEach industry has its own environmental or social issues to wade through. Ask your advisor which companies are leaders or laggards when it comes to instituting changes.Raise the topic of corporate social responsibility with your advisor. It’s his or her job to know.You can’t just walk into any old bank branch and talk investments. All major banks have a special investment branch. Make an appointment there.
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