2024 Corporate Philanthropy Institute

About

When a company’s brand is trusted, consumers are more likely to prove loyalty with purchases and advocacy. This earned trust and loyalty not only means more business, it also leaves room for forgiveness when a mistake is made. According to the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, Business as a sector is trusted more than philanthropy and nonprofits, government, or media.

If this is true, why does it feel like companies constantly need to thread the needle with no room for error? How can we grow our impact as a sector to support an equitable future? 

Companies are held to a standard that seemingly require perfection as the line between companies, the society in which they operate, and the communities their giving funds, has dissolved. We see the evidence daily. Assaults on ESG and climate work, rolling back efforts on racial equity and DEI, challenges to gender rights and affirmative action, and ongoing concerns about advancing a representative and functioning democracy. The internal and external environment for companies is filled with constriction, retreat, and pressure to thread the needle precisely to keep the brand loyalty they’ve earned. While this precision is mounting, it’s occurring in parallel to communities’ reality of systemic barriers, a highly polarized electorate, and attacks on communities of color.

This year’s 2024 Corporate Philanthropy Institute will bring together NCG’s corporate community, leaders in the field, and Corporate Philanthropy/CSR professionals. Together we’ll discuss the future of corporate giving, business practice standards, and how we can grow our impact while “threading the needle.” We hope to see you there!