The Campaign to Change the World

Nov 21, 2011 by DCampbell

We call it the COMMIT!Campaign because it does exactly that: it calls on organizations to make commitments that will change the world. But people often ask exactly how does it work? Sometimes, others see you more clearly than you see yourself… "Oh! I get it. It's like Match.com for corporates and causes." "Makes perfect sense. Nothing major gets done in government without a deadline and a press conference. Why would corporate responsibility be any different?" These two quotes perfectly sum up the essence of the COMMIT!Campaign and Forum. Earlier this year, over 600 people gathered in New York City at the COMMIT!Forum, a place the GRI's Ernst Ligteringen called, "...full of ideas, full of commitment." The Forum called upon people to come together to make commitments to change the world. The 2012 Campaign and Forum picks up exactly where the Forum left off. Got a worthy cause? Have an organization and people ready to commit their time, energy, & resources to making a difference? Then join the Campaign. Here's how: PARTICIPATING IN THE 2012 COMMIT!Campaign The COMMITMENT cycle. The Campaign provides a constant drumbeat, deadline, and PR platform for showcasing commitments. Each year we identify a set of core commitments to feature in the campaign and build a program that drives toward commitments, ultimately showcasing them at the Forum Oct 2-3, 2012 in New York City. Articulate a COMMITMENT. We work with NGOs and governments to articulate commitments for which they need corporate partners to succeed. When initially presented the commitment can be amorphous and high level. We work with them to define it and put into terms companies can understand and see what's in it for them. Ultimately, commitments should meet the following criteria:

Aligned. It should align with companies’ core strategy and business interests. Companies should clearly see how fulfilling on the commitment serves their long-term business and CR strategy.

Verifiable. It should have defined outcomes that CR Magazine can monitor progress against.

Sustainable. It should be structured in such a way that companies can see a long-term stake in the success of the commitment. As such, it typically goes beyond cash donations to include things like technology, knowledge, or skills transfers.

Match COMMITMENTS. We work with the NGO/government to identify interested, motivated companies from our membership and network. In small group meetings leading up to the Forum we put the NGO/government together with the companies to further define the commitments and participation levels. Follow through on COMMITMENTS. We keep up a steady level of attention on the progress of the commitments both before and after the Forum to ensure the pieces fall into place in time to benefit from the media platform and announcement at the Forum. As an example, CR Magazine has a regular feature on "Ready to COMMIT? Ready for COMMIT?" that reports on what NGOs/governments have asked for, who's signing on, how to participate, results, etc. Showcase COMMITMENTS. At the Forum itself we showcase in our "Big Ideas Lightning Round" the commitments that are changing the world. These sessions are open to the media and videotaped for rebroadcast. We often couple them with a press conference and media availability, depending on the type and level of commitment. So are you ready to join the campaign? Sign up online or contact kim.gilliam@sharedxpertise.com for more details.

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