THE CASE FOR INTEGRATING SOCIAL PURPOSE
At CAF we work with 70% of the FTSE100 and every day we’re witness to the critically important dynamic between “purpose” and profitable growth. Our experience is that having a strong social dimension to your purpose plays a key role in a company’s success; inspiring passion, loyalty and long term returns. In considering purpose it is important to engage your employees and customers as well as consider how it plays into your business strategy.
Firstly, social purpose matters to your employees. The Millennial generation has matured just as the spotlight has turned on the impact of business practice on society. Having an authentic social purpose is increasingly being seen as a key driver to attract and retain talent in a world where competition is high. As the Deloitte Millennial Survey 2016 states “the potential for a “profits-first” approach to alienate Millennials” is very real.
We've advised leading companies, like Brewin Dolphin, who wanted to set up a corporate foundation to help clarify and demonstrate their unique values and purpose. The foundation has since driven significant employee engagement and provided a focus and greater impact for their charitable giving. We also run CAF Give As You Earn, the country’s most popular payroll giving scheme and help companies like Tesco and Arriva harness their collective employee giving power to further drive employee engagement and build a positive reputation both internally and externally.