Laying the Foundation for a Signature CSR Program

A readiness guide for corporate social impact leaders. Make sure the foundation is in place before you invest time and resources in a signature program.

Laying the Foundation for a Signature CSR Program toolkit cover
Developed by ACCP and sponsored bySubmittable

About the toolkit

The strongest signature programs aren’t built overnight. They come from deliberate choices: where your company can make a unique contribution, how that work connects to the business, and what it will take to sustain it.

Laying the Foundation for a Signature CSR Program helps you assess readiness across eight key areas, identify your program’s focus, align resources and partners, and plan for long-term impact.

What’s inside

Five steps from readiness check to a program built to last.

  • Assess your organization’s readiness across eight key areas

    An eight-point checklist, from executive sponsorship to long-term funding, shows your strengths and the gaps to close first.

  • Identify your signature focus

    Questions on what your employees care about, what your communities need, and where you can commit for the next three to five years.

  • Prioritize the drivers that will shape your program

    Choose the three factors that matter most, from community need to business strategy, then name your primary driver.

  • Map the structure, partners, and resources you’ll need

    Outline the issue, beneficiaries, internal partners, employee roles and how you’ll measure success in year one.

  • Plan for longevity and impact

    Look past launch: leadership support, risks to plan for, and what success looks like ten years from now.

  • Get the toolkit

    Tell us where to send it and we’ll email you a download link right away. It’s free.

    The eight readiness areas

    • A clearly defined community issue or opportunity
    • Executive sponsorship
    • Cross-functional support
    • Clear measures of success
    • Alignment with business strategy and brand
    • Long-term funding commitment
    • Internal capacity to manage the program
    • Flexibility to evolve over time

    Build a program that reflects who you are and is made to last.

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