Carolyn Berkowitz, ACCP
President and CEO
Good Morning and Welcome ACCP!
I love the ACCP Conference. It is a chance to see all of you, connect to our larger purpose, and think together about what the future might hold.
This Conference is a special one for me, because it’s my last as CEO of this magnificent organization. If you haven’t heard, I’ll be retiring at the end of the year, but we’ll have a chance to talk about that later.
In 2018, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink – one of the world’s most influential investors – published his annual letter to CEOs. It was titled “A Sense of Purpose,” and its message to corporate America was clear: it was time for companies to contribute to society or risk losing BlackRock’s support.
Now, this wasn’t the first time Mr. Fink had raised the issue. For several years, he had been talking about the obligation corporations have to manage their social and environmental impact – – because he believed the future of financial markets depended on it.
But this was the first time Fink was putting businesses on alert: Do good – or else we’ll pull the plug.
Fink’s statement came about a month before I joined ACCP. And on Day 1, my priority was to lead what our then-board chair, Laura Coy, called “The Fink Freakout.”
Because that letter really did cause …well… a collective, global freakout.
It was a freakout for our members: How do you handle the increased scrutiny and c-suite involvement – and how do you seize this incredible opportunity?
It was a freakout at ACCP: What does this mean for our member companies, and how can we help you manage this sea change?
And it was a freakout for the corporate world and everyone who paid attention to it: What did Fink’s pronouncement mean? Was there really a risk of being left out by the world’s largest investment management company?
Many business leaders have endorsed this fundamental truth that we’ve all known for some time — corporations perform better when they respond to stakeholder needs.
Of course, in the years since, we’ve seen huge swings of the purpose pendulum due to all kinds of external forces and cultural shifts. We’ve lived through them together.
And the “Fink Freakout” was a charge for us all to respond to “THIS MOMENT.”
And almost 7 years later, what I’ve learned is that THIS MOMENT isn’t every once in a while. It is a constant. These are momentous times.
Which means — that regardless of the background noise — the argument for, and the importance of, doing this work has only grown stronger.
And despite the ebbs and flows that make our jobs challenging, consider this:
Every day, you wake up and go to a job where you get to broker enormous resources on behalf of companies, to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems.
What momentous work you do. What an awesome privilege.
And, we know this isn’t easy.
So ACCP’s goal is to help you, and your companies, continue to rise to the occasion of claiming your purpose – while also navigating those ebbs and flows.
To stay focused on achieving your long-term objectives while riding the moments that alter the trajectory of our companies, our communities — and of history itself.
To that end, ACCP has been focused on four key areas.
The first is to expand the knowledge and skills of practitioners in the field.
When your work is about making the world a better place, it’s easy to talk a big game without getting to brass tacks.
But as important as inspiration is, we also need some perspiration.
That’s why the next couple of days are all about giving you practical tools to get the work done. Innovative, creative, and immediately useable ideas that you can apply when you get back home.
Take Patrick McNally – the head of Civic and Community Engagement at AllianceBernstein. At a time when the social sector is frayed, he wanted to shape AB’s programs to better serve nonprofits in his communities.
Patrick came to his first ACCP Conference last October and attended a session, led by John Brothers, where he learned the 6 Principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy. Those principles made him rethink his own relationships with the company’s nonprofit partners – and lightning struck.
He went home and built a new approach to funding AB’s programs – one that would give his nonprofit partners more time and autonomy to do what they do best.
He got his company’s leadership on board, and by December, had approval for the approach and a budget for unrestricted, multi-year grantmaking.
The best part? Now, instead of spending time on paperwork, his nonprofit partners can focus on achieving their purpose.
That’s the kind of knowledge and skills we know you need to make a difference.
Second, ACCP aims to create and nurture a community of peer support.
Because let’s face it — there are only a handful of us in our companies tasked with aligning business and society, and measurably improving both.
This is a huge – and often lonely task.
This big, beautiful group of CSR professionals from across the country, and even the globe, in one space is something very special. The open exchange of ideas — the “behind the scenes” stories.
As one of you shared earlier this year, “These are exactly the people I want to learn and share with –and support.”
This support can make all the difference.
Another member story to share. As a seasoned community leader from a member company told me that he’d often felt out of place in the CSR space. The people he knew in the field didn’t look like him, didn’t dress like him, didn’t think like him. But he came to our conference last year — skeptical, to say the least.
He said afterwards this was the first CSR gathering where he could be his authentic self, have real conversations, and yes, wrestle with his experiences navigating corporate life. Something had changed for him after spending time with this community, he said, and he resolved to find his place in the corporate sector.
A few months later, his company received a major grant from the federal government, which included funding for workforce training programs and community development. He’s bringing his whole self to that task now, and his company is so lucky to have him. We are, too.
We need each other. We need to be together in community to be our best selves.
Third, ACCP is working to cultivate a diverse and inclusive field of CSR leaders and staff in every company.
In 2021, ACCP conducted research on the diversity and equity of our profession, knowing anecdotally that social and environmental impact teams across corporate America are mostly comprised of white women.
We learned that more than half the field worked on teams with no or just a few people of color on their teams, and more than 80% of the teams had a white leader. There’s a lack of diversity in promotions, and challenges breaking into the field.
Our companies are pouring billions of dollars into communities – to build workforces, strengthen education, fight climate change, expand access to healthcare, and improve people’s lives – but we can’t accomplish our goals unless we have a robust, diverse group of people all focused on making lasting change.
In the three years since that initial study, the field has made incremental, but steady progress. More CSR teams have more staff that identify as people of color.
But when only a quarter of CSR teams are led by a person of color, we need to build a more inclusive pipeline and pathway to leadership.
That’s why ACCP is proud today to announce the pending launch of RISE: Realizing Inclusive Leadership in Corporate Social Impact, a first of its kind cohort-program to prepare CSR professionals from diverse backgrounds for leadership roles.
Thanks to support from our founding partners, MetLife Foundation, Georgia Pacific, Vanguard, and Booz Allen Foundation, an inaugural cohort will be recruited early next year to participate in a months-long, hybrid learning experience, that includes mentoring and a capstone project.
Our hope is to not only foster great leaders, but to inspire others to think about how we can build the future of CSR talent.
Fourth, we’ve been working to elevate the profession, and the value-proposition of CSR.
Over the past few years, we’ve been out there telling our story – your story – to everybody from the press to industry leaders.
Because you can accomplish incredible things – but unless society knows about it, and the C-Suite invests in it, we can’t scale your work.
That’s why hearing from Bloomberg reporter recently that ACCP is his “Go To” source for topics relevant to corporate social impact and seeing our coverage in Forbes, Fortune, and The Hill is so encouraging.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together – as an organization and as a community.
And as I mark the end of my tenure, I have so much confidence in the engine that we’ve built, and in the direction we’re headed.
Over the next couple of days, you’ll soak up the offerings of this conference – from our dynamic keynote speaker to incredible workshops.
And perhaps most importantly, you’ll get acquainted and reacquainted with this extraordinary community of peers. People who know exactly what you’re going through on a daily basis… and are ready to lend a helping hand, a pearl of wisdom, or just a sympathetic ear.
And that’s what I want to leave you with.
If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that there is never a dull moment in our field. Our work immediately reflects the ever-changing world. Which means that THIS MOMENT is always the one to seize.
But know this: Come what may, ACCP is your home base.
This is where you will find the knowledge and skills you need to be the absolute best at your job – because that’s what it takes to create impact.
This is where you will find people who are dedicated to elevating your work and its importance. An organization that will support you through the trials, spotlight your triumphs, and always speak out for the invaluable contributions of our field.
And this is where you will find a network of support and people who genuinely have your back. Because our work is more powerful, and frankly more fun, when we do it in community.
So, my call to you? Stay engaged. Plug into all we have to offer … and spread the word about this incredible resource.
As many of you have come to learn over the years, ACCP can be your secret weapon in your challenging, but rewarding work.
This work has never been more important – the world’s challenges are only getting more complex.
And yet, as I close out 30 years in this field, I can honestly say that I’m also incredibly optimistic. That’s because of the absolutely amazing people in this room, in this profession.
I believe in you, and in your resilience, ingenuity, and wisdom to push the corporate world – and all of us – towards a better future.
I can’t wait to see what you do next – and I’ll be cheering you.
Thank you.
