Beware the Myth of Corporate Social Responsibility

One of Australia’s most experienced sponsorship experts has warned major corporations not to fall for what she describes as the "myth of Corporate Social Responsibility".

Kim Skildum-Reid, from Power Sponsorship says many major corporations fall for the myth that a company can ‘tick the CSR box’ by sponsoring causes and community organisations.

In her online blog, Skildum-Reid says companies that really should know better go for this myth hook,line and sinker.

She says cause and community sponsorship have nothing to do with Corporate Social Responsibility. Both are positive activities for a company and absolutely recommended, but they are not related!

She writes that Corporate Social Responsibility has a very specific definition, and it has to do with the company’s behaviour – how they make money, not how they spend it. If they make their money in an ethical, responsible, and sustainable way, then they have already “ticked the CSR box”.

She says embarking on cause and community sponsorships does not further the effort – once the box is ticked, it’s ticked.

By the same token, she says if a company does not do business in an ethical, responsible, and sustainable way, there is no amount of cheques they can write to charitable organisations – no amount of self-congratulatory press releases they can issue – that will “tick the CSR box”.

Kildum-Reid urges corporates to put CSR back into the governance box, where it belongs.

Her blogs can be found at: blog.powersponsorship.com