US Report on the State of Corporate Citizenship

The Boston College Centre for Corporate Citizenship in the US has released the findings from the 2009 State of Corporate Citizenship which reflect upon the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression.

The report says in its biennial survey of 756 senior executives that there is some encouraging news.

Key findings show:

· Despite the recession, the commitment to corporate citizenship continues – 54 percent of executives say it is even more important during a recession.

· Only modest cuts in community support – Only 38 percent say their company decreased its philanthropy/giving (50 percent stayed the same; 10 percent increased).

· An increased appreciation of the business value of corporate citizenship – Sustainability is now seen as a major business driver with 52 percent (65 percent of large companies) designing or offering sustainable products or services.

· An increased role for business in public policy – Most U.S. senior executives believe business should be more involved than it is today in addressing major public policy issues.

The biennial State of Corporate Citizenship Survey is a joint project of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship and The Hitachi Foundation. The 2009 survey was conducted in June and included over 750 CEOs and senior executive from small, medium and large companies across the United States.

For more information go to www.bccorporatecitizenship.org