SRO Stories
Pathways to Social Responsibility: Successful Practices for Sustaining the Future
The stories shown below are all companies and organizations that have embarked on their own paths to social responsibility, providing a broad spectrum of engagement and business success.
2010 Issue
You can download the entire publication as a PDF or zipped.
Abbott
Founded in 1888 by Chicago physician Dr. Wallace C. Abbott, Abbott has emerged as one of the world’s most diverse healthcare companies. A critical component of Abbott’s approach to citizenship is the company’s efforts to integrate values-based, sustainable decision making throughout all levels of the organization.
Berea College
Founded in 1855 as the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, Berea College is a Christian liberal arts work college in Berea, KY. The school is unique in that it charges no tuition and admits only academically promising students, primarily from Appalachia, who have limited economic resources.
Boeing
Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Most people are familiar with the impact the company has on aerospace, but what makes Boeing stand out in the world of social responsibility is its willingness to bring the same quality tools and processes it uses in its own factories and offices to the world of nonprofits.
Cisco
Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Helping communities through education, healthcare, and economic development improves the welfare of individuals, their families, their communities, and their countries while nurturing new and existing markets to make business more sustainable.
Discovery World
Discovery World is committed to demonstrating business innovation and environmental sustainability by tackling local issues and providing technical approaches that also can create an engine for economic development.
Dominion Resources
Dominion is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy. Dominion employees have worked for years with local agencies on projects to improve the environment and the community as part of the “Putting Our Energy to Work for the Environment” campaign.
IBM
IBM is a globally integrated technology and services corporation headquartered in Armonk, NY. The objective of IBM’s corporate social responsibility initiatives is to strategically focus the company’s best and most valuable resources and its employee talent and expertise.
Johnson Financial Group
Founded in 1970 by Samuel C. Johnson, Johnson Financial Group is a full-service, financial services company. Through a comprehensive campaign to improve its operations, the company is finding social, environmental, and economic success.
McDonald’s Corporation
McDonald’s works closely with its direct suppliers to continuously improve the practices that impact employees, communities, the environment, and—most important—customers.
NMMC
North Mississippi Medical Center is the flagship hospital and tertiary referral center for North Mississippi Health Services. NMMC’s mission and vision—to continuously improve the health of the people of the region—is woven into its organizational culture and governance.
Potawatomi Bingo Casino
The Forest County Potawatomi tribe in Wisconsin opened Potawatomi Bingo Casino in 1991. Potawatomi Bingo Casino focuses on five key areas of SR, but its no. 1 social priority is responsible play, which addresses responsible gambling.
Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods is a global food company and the leading processor and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in the United States. The company began utilizing an environmental management system (EMS) to identify and manage operational elements that could affect the environment, and to reward employees who advance the initiative.
MILWAUKEE’S PAST: Gathering Place by the Water…MILWAUKEE’S FUTURE: World Water Hub
Long before oil became an important commodity, the availability of water determined where civilizations would gather, take root, and grow. And where water is scarce, people face enormous challenges.
2009 (Inaugral Issue)
You can download the entire publication as a PDF or zipped.
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
At UWM it was the hearts and minds of its biggest stakeholders–the students–that led the social responsibility charge. From faculty to staff, to committees and student organizations, sustainability is a measure of accountability across campus.
Urban Ecology Center
What started as a grassroots organization formed to prevent crime in a park has led to a social and environmental revitalization in two Milwaukee WI neighborhoods.
Northwestern Mutual
Founded in 1857, it is a mutal company that answers to its policyowners rather than stockholders. The Policyowners’ Examining committee (POEC) was established more than 100 years ago, and annually a five-member group of policyowners spend a week at headquarters where they have unrestricted accss to information.
MillerCoors
Corporate responsibiity and sustainable development are recognized by the company as key to sustainable growth and superior financial performance. Results and progress against responsibilities and commitments are tracked using their Sustainability Assessment Matrix which is based on the Global Reporting Initiative G3 guidelines.
Manpower
In the state of Tamil-Nadu in southeast India, two Manpower Vocational Training Centers helped change the culture. Before the tsunami struck in 2004 women needed permission to leave their homes, let alone hold a job. Now these women are learning new skills and earning as much money as a man.
JohnsonDiversey
As a leading global provider of cleaning and sanitation solutions to schools, the company was inspired to find ways to invest in schools and children worldwide.
Johnson Controls
In 124 years of operations, they’ve learned that the sustainable approach is not ony good for the planet; it’s good for business. The company requires its business units to measure and report on 10 key sustainability strategies.
Intel
Intel emphasizes its belief that corporate responsibility is essential to its business success by publishing a detailed annual report on the goal using the GRI G3 Sustainabiity Standards
Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin
Since 2001, the concept of process improvement and the use of Kaizen have helped Goodwill bring efficiencies and save an estimated $2.8 million per year with Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois.
Baxter
Baxter measures the ROI of Social Responsibility. On average, Baxter has received a return of about $3 for every $1 it has invested in environmental programs.
Aurora Health Care
Social responsibility is the principle that guides Aurora Health Care’s actions as a not-for-profit to imporve the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
[...] a social responsibility profile. Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2009. Share you story here or email [...]