Corporate Citizenship Signature Programs

BCLC Executive Director Stephen Jordan recently wrote a piece about 10 resolutions for CSR leaders. It's definitely worth a read.

Resolution #8 was about signature CSR programs. ARAMARK and the Office Depot Foundation are two corporate citizens that run very successful signature programs. We'll examine them here.

ARAMARK Building Community

Over the summer we published a full series by ARAMARK's Bev Dribin about the company's signature ARAMARK Building Community program. Here are some highlights.

ARAMARK is committed to strengthening the capacity of locally based independent community centers, which are on the front lines of helping people in need. Today, in facilities that are often old and in need of renovation and with staffs and resources stretched to the breaking point, community centers are under pressure to provide expanded services, including.

ARAMARK is harnessing its resources and its employees' expertise through ARAMARK Building Community (ABC) to help community centers in the areas where they need it most. By linking the professional services company's core competencies in nutrition, facilities management, and workforce development with its access to food, clothing and other essential needs, ABC is helping local community centers to help people of all generations to learn, earn, and thrive. Read more.

Office Depot Foundation and the National Backpack Program

While most kids eagerly anticipate the start of the school year, it can also be a source of great worry for families that can't afford to buy backpacks for their children. Since 2001, the Office Depot Foundation has helped to ease these concerns by donating new backpacks to children through its signature National Backpack Program.

In 2009, the Foundation marked an extraordinary milestone when it donated its two millionth backpack.

The National Backpack Program reaches every state. Backpacks are distributed through special "Back-to-School Backpack Celebration" events in key markets, through Office Depot stores in hundreds of other local communities and through partnerships with national non-profit organizations.

Building on extensive research and eight years of experience, the Foundation has created unique backpacks that are designed with children in mind. They come in five different color combinations and are sturdy and functional, with large front pockets and wide, padded straps for comfort and support. Each backpack includes a pouch containing essential back-to-school items − crayons, a ruler, a glue stick, a pen, a pencil, a pencil sharpener and an eraser. They do not carry any permanent Office Depot or Office Depot Foundation branding (the Foundation wants to be sure that children are proud to carry the backpacks, with no risk of being stigmatized by something that identifies it as an act of charity).

Both of these signature programs were honorees in BCLC's 2009 Corporate Citizenship Awards, and we think they're great examples of corporate citizenship in action.