Trigger social change
Dynamo Academy Impresa Sociale and Certifica Management have designed an effective voluntary management system that enables and enhances an organization's philanthropic social sustainability strategy.
In the new complex and changing scenario that has emerged from the pandemic, which has accelerated some already existing trends, companies are increasingly involved in the evolution of the economic system towards greater inclusiveness (stakeholder capitalism). It is desirable that they adopt a strategic approach to social sustainability, here understood in its philanthropic dimension, aligned with business objectives. Not only, in fact, must actions that result in liberal donations—in money, goods, or services—and corporate volunteering produce immediate good, but it is desirable that they trigger "social change": a donation acquires meaning if it helps to improve the quality of life of the recipients, reducing inequalities.
Specifically, the resources invested must create a better future for the community, translating into substantial benefits. All this works and becomes systemic if it does not conflict with—but rather promotes—the corporate world's need to be economically sustainable and profitable. This awareness has led Dynamo Academy Impresa Sociale and Certifica Management to work together to design an adequate and effective voluntary management system, verifiable and based on existing best practices, as well as national laws, that enables and enhances an organization's philanthropic social sustainability strategy.
The system is articulated in a series of universally applicable steps and procedures, regardless of company type or size, geographical location, or industrial sector. Both external (community, beneficiaries, stakeholders) and internal (leadership and company personnel) dimensions are contemplated, right from the design phase, including results monitoring and continuous improvement. In essence, some concrete characteristics that corporate action must interpret to proceed coherently in the direction outlined above are suggested, characteristics that translate into the design of suitable processes. Right from the context analysis, when identifying the geographical and typological spectrum that inspires philanthropic strategy and actions, the organization must involve the beneficiary community, identifying their real, explicit, and implicit needs; planning and implementing communication actions; promoting measures aimed at spreading greater education and awareness on problems and possible solutions, fostering empowerment processes; creating a sense of identity and co-responsibility of beneficiaries towards philanthropic action; stimulating the development of capabilities, skills, and knowledge (capacity building); investing in the human-social capital of the community to promote autonomy in project management.
By following this management system, the organization also equips itself with processes and organization to conduct a stakeholder analysis, defining and documenting the methodology and criteria for identifying them; mapping, in relation to the reference community; and relevant requirements and expectations for the successful outcome of strategies and individual actions. The external dimension is also relevant when the organization needs to monitor the perception of recipients/beneficiaries regarding the fulfillment of their explicit or otherwise expected requirements. From an internal perspective, for the management system to fulfill its function and be effective, leadership, responsibility, and commitment from the management or board are required. They must therefore ensure that the policy and objectives of the philanthropic strategy are established, and that these are compatible with the organization's context, strategic directions, and business processes. Management must also work to ensure that the management system corresponds to a coherent organization, not only in terms of model and available resources, but also in terms of a process-based and risk-based thinking approach, as well as active participation, which must be encouraged at various levels of definition. The organization must indeed involve its resources in a bottom-up logic, with varying intensities of relevance, ensuring an environment suitable for spreading understanding of the approach, objective, management model, and processes.
A suitable environment can consist of a combination of factors, social (non-discriminatory and non-conflictual conditions) and psychological (stress reduction, burnout prevention, emotional protection). Once the strategy has been defined, the individual philanthropic actions (initiatives) must be outlined, tracing their reference perimeter, i.e.: specific areas and intensity of intervention, supporting motivations, type of contribution, relationship with overall social sustainability strategies and business objectives, partnerships. The organization must evaluate and determine the internal and external factors, positive or negative, that influence the ability to achieve the objectives defined and pursued with the corporate philanthropic strategy and with individual actions. In particular, processes, products, and services within the competence of external partners must comply with the established requirements, determining the controls to be implemented. It is, in fact, likely and frequent that products and services from suppliers or partners are incorporated into philanthropic actions or directly provided to beneficiaries by external partners, on behalf of the organization. The latter must finally plan and implement the monitoring, measurement, analysis, and improvement processes necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of philanthropic actions, continuously improving the achievement of expected results and the effectiveness of the management system. Such measurements must cover the breadth of philanthropic action throughout its entire life cycle and must also be obtained through audit management and the preparation of the Sustainability Report. Through the implementation of this management system, the organization ensures that the form and substance of an innovative social sustainability strategy go hand in hand, balancing involvement and responsibility, concreteness and consistency of vision, standardization and flexibility of adaptation to contexts.
Source: DYBC MAGAZINE
