National Conference 2012

What gets a CEO’s attention when thinking about how a company should be socially involved? “The more quantifiable the impact is, the more comfortable CEOs will be,” said David Ratcliffe, retired chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company. “But sometimes you just need to do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

 “And what is your commitment to community?”

College students ask this question all the time of the companies for which they’re considering working. Students recognize that it’s not enough to achieve their own career successes – they’re also invested in ensuring the advancement of others.

We’re thrilled to bring you an unprecedented opportunity to hear from some of the best minds in corporate citizenship – all at one time, all one on stage. On Wednesday, the final day of our National Conference in Atlanta, BCLC is staging a session called “The Future of CSR: For Good or For Profit?”

Do “good” and “profit” have to be mutually exclusive, you ask? Well, that’s debatable.

At Viacom, we’re storytellers; channeling the power of our content to create stronger bonds with our audiences and empowering them on the issues they care about most. Education and mentorship are at the top of that list, and within Viacom Corporate Responsibility’s Viacommunity umbrella, our brands, including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, Nickelodeon, VH1, and Paramount Pictures, act as megaphones for the messages that educate, engage and empower.

I’m Carolyn Berkowitz, president of the Capital One Foundation and vice president of community affairs for Capital One.

I worked for non-profits for more than a decade before coming to Capital One. I joined the company because I have always believed in the power of partnership and collaboration between the business community, nonprofits and government organizations and I wanted to be a part of driving that vision forward.

Rachel Weeks was a college student driven to make a difference. Like so many colleagues joining us in the workforce today, Weeks wanted the opportunity for her work to help change the world. In some businesses this is called CSR. In others, it's aiming to become a certified B-Corp. For Weeks and her company, School House, it's called "American Collegiate Craftsmanship." Here's the School House story.