As a social impact professional, you likely find yourself in a tug-of-war between doing what you know is right for the communities you’re working to serve and proving that it makes business sense. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever struggled to justify your social impact programs or battled for a slice of the budget pie, you’re not alone.
Let’s explore some high-impact insights from our latest RealTalk webinar about making the case for social impact. Spoiler alert: it’s not about overwhelming your leaders with stats—it’s about connecting the dots between what keeps them up at night and how your social impact programs can help.
Want a head start on making the case for social impact at your organization? Download our free Making the Case for Social Impact Presentation Template.
WATCH THE RECORDING
RealTalk: Making the Case for Social Impact
This RealTalk Webinar takes a deep dive into the challenges and strategies of making the case for engaging employees in social impact!
Step One: Rethink Social Impact as a Business Strategy
Most companies were not built to care about social issues. They’re designed to maximize profit. But what if your social impact program could actually help solve some of the company’s biggest challenges? Let’s stop trying to sell our social impact programs as “the right thing to do” and start selling them as practical solutions to existing pain points.
Imagine you’re pitching a new volunteer program. Instead of leading with the feel-good benefits, why not position it as a strategy for improving employee engagement?
Steal these stats to make your case:
- Research by Great Place to Work found that companies with strong giving and volunteering programs are 4x more likely to have engaged and loyal employees.
- Gallup’s research consistently shows that highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability. Companies with engaged employees outperform those without by up to 202% (Dale Carnegie).
Action Step
Reframe the conversation. Instead of talking about why social impact is good, talk about how it solves problems your leadership team is already worried about.
Step Two: Present the Case for Social Impact Two Ways
There are two main approaches to making a solid business case for social impact: demonstrating the benefits and addressing pain points.
The Benefits Approach: This approach focuses on how your program can help the company thrive. Think about things like:
- Talent retention: Research by the Corporate Executive Board found that employees who participate in CSR activities are 16% more likely to remain with their company.
- Increased empathy: A study by UnitedHealth Group found that 88% of volunteers reported improved empathy and understanding of others.
- ROI: A study by True Impact found that corporate volunteerism can generate returns 2-3 times the cost of the program.
The Pain Relief Approach: This angle is all about identifying and alleviating the company’s pain points. For example:
- Streamlining productivity: Social impact programs can be designed to ease workloads by engaging employees in meaningful tasks, reducing burnout, and improving mental health. A UnitedHealth Group study found that 78% of people who volunteered reported lower stress levels, and 94% said volunteering improved their mood.
- Reducing turnover: According to research, companies with strong volunteering programs see lower employee turnover. That’s music to the ears of any HR leader focused on retention. The Benevity Engagement Study found that turnover dropped by 57% in employee groups most deeply connected to their companies’ giving and volunteering efforts.
Action Step
Build your pitch from both perspectives. Show how your program can help the company succeed AND how it can relieve specific pain points.
Step Three: Choose Metrics That Matter (and Don’t Overdo It)
The challenge of measuring ROI in social impact programs is one of the biggest barriers we hear about. The secret to overcoming this? Don’t try to measure everything. Select three to five key metrics that align with your company’s most pressing goals and stick with them for the long haul.
For example, if leadership is focused on improving employee satisfaction, track engagement levels among employees participating in your programs. If the company is concerned about its public image, look for shifts in brand perception after launching a high-profile volunteer event.
Action Step
Pick a handful of meaningful metrics that directly support your company’s goals and track them over time. Don’t overwhelm stakeholders with too much data—just give them what matters most.
Step Four: Meet Your Leaders Where They Are
Want to get leadership on board with your social impact programs? Start by getting to know them better. What keeps them up at night? What are they most focused on achieving in the next quarter or year? Work to understand your leaders’ personal and professional goals before trying to make a case.
By aligning your social impact work with what matters to them, you’ll gain not only their approval but also their long-term support. Whether their focus is on retaining top talent, improving brand recognition, or expanding into new markets, social impact can help.
Action Step
Have real conversations with your leaders. Understand their priorities and how your program can align with their goals.
Step Five: Think Long-Term, Not Short-Term
One of the biggest challenges in corporate social impact is the tension between long-term and short-term thinking. Most businesses are focused on quarterly results, while social impact programs often take years to show significant outcomes. To bridge that gap, build a multi-year strategy.
When making your case, don’t promise overnight results. Instead, outline how your program will benefit the company over a three- to five-year period. Choose just a few key outcomes and focus on delivering those consistently.
Action Step
Build a 3- to 5-year plan for your social impact initiatives and communicate that long-term vision to leadership.
Step Six: Believe in Your Work—It Matters
This one is personal. No matter how strong your business case is, if you don’t believe in the value of your work, others won’t either. It’s easy to get bogged down in metrics, business cases, and budget cuts, but don’t lose sight of why you’re here.
Reconnecting with your “why” can reignite your passion and make your case even stronger. When you believe in the importance of your social impact programs, that energy is contagious, and your leaders will notice.
Action Step
Revisit your “why.” Reflect on why you got into this work in the first place and let that passion shine through in your conversations with leadership.
Making the case for social impact in your organization doesn’t have to feel like an uphill battle! By reframing the conversation, aligning your work with business priorities, and staying focused on long-term success, you can make a compelling case that’s hard to ignore. Remember, the key is not just in presenting the value of social impact but in demonstrating how it can relieve the company’s pain points and help the business thrive.
Now it’s your turn. Take these actionable steps and start shifting the conversation in your favor!