30 Years of Corporate Citizenship Insight, Growth and Progress
This May marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship. The world is a very different place than it was 30 years ago. When the Center was established in 1985 with just 35 people from 35 companies connecting to our mission to help companies know more, do more, and achieve more with their environmental, social, and governance investments, debate about the human contributions to climate change had just begun in earnest and institutionalized corporate philanthropy and employee volunteer programs were new practices.
Today, the Center has grown to 420 members and our focus areas—along with the field of corporate citizenship—have evolved. We maintain our strong foundation in philanthropy and community involvement. Over the past 30 years of practice we have, as a field, many more standards, frameworks, and guidance documents available to aid companies in determining, disclosing, and reporting their environmental, social, and governance impacts and achievements. Research shows that companies that engage strategically can derive a number of benefits from participating in these initiatives if they are prepared to maximize the effort. In addition to the social and environmental good that can be derived from corporate engagement with the organizations that govern these various initiatives, benefit can accrue to the company as well: highlight corporate culture, inform strategy, establish accountability, provide transparency, stimulate dialogue with stakeholders, and engage employees
