Corporate social responsibility (CSR) works best when local communities benefit. The key is knowing how to best reach communities in need. Some of the smallest organizations are making great strides using digital channels, such as reddit and Instagram.
There are a number of great examples of community relations providing opportunities for CSR programs, particularly during COVID-19 and social unrest.
There’s plenty to learn from start-up and established organizations about reaching communities to make a difference.
NFL’s Community Fitness Initiative
National Football League may look a bit different this year, as 20+ teams will start the season without fans in the stands. Some, like the Chicago Bears, Las Vegas Raiders and the Washington Football Team, have said there will be no fans for the entire season. Others are TBD.
Yet a successful program the NFL is famous for, which benefits children in local communities, NFL PLAY 60, will return. The League’s national youth health and wellness campaign, PLAY 60 encourages kids to be active for at least 60 minutes daily.
It is implemented nationally and locally through the 32 NFL teams, as part of in-school, at-home/after-school and team-based programs. Communities have embraced it. PLAY 60 has implemented programs in more than 73,000 schools and constructed more than 265 youth fitness zones nationwide—giving more than 38 million children an opportunity to boost their physical activity levels, according to the NFL.
Getting in on a Local Level
Megan Mendoza, a community relations manager for the NFL, says the League takes a “team-based approach” when implementing this initiative. Schools and students serve as primary stakeholders, but partnerships with national and local nonprofits and organizations also play a role.
“The 32 NFL teams hold a unique relationship with their local school districts and teachers,” she says. “That relationship...is a key factor in successfully bringing our programming to life in an impactful way.” These local partnerships are joined with the NFL’s national partners throughout the year and during key tentpole timeframes, including: Kickoff, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl, Draft, and Combine. Over the past decade, the NFL has partnered with academic, nonprofit and youth-focused organizations, including the American Heart Association, National Dairy Council, Special Olympics, GoNoodle, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Jude and the United Way, to help children of all abilities lead healthier, active lives.
NFL Delivers on Commitment
Since the NFL operates on a national level, it is imperative that it address the needs of each of its 32 markets individually. Mendoza says program deliverables are pushed out through three key focus areas: in-school, at-home and in the community. This has helped during the pandemic, as many in-school events might not be a possibility.
“What has helped us continue to communicate to our teacher, parent and student audience through the pandemic is our approach to be more innovative, [which started] a few years ago with our program offerings,” Mendoza says. “We began working with the American Heart Association through a collaboration with Discovery Education to provide teachers and parents with quick digital-based physical activity break content and lesson plans to implement in classrooms and at-home settings free of charge.”
The content included fun, education-based online resources featuring NFL players, cheerleaders and mascots to get the kids moving. The free services are accessible to anyone who can access the internet.
For 2020, PLAY 60 joined the American Heart Association and GoNoodle to create virtual content that teachers and parents can incorporate in students’ lives to help meet the physical activity need.
The program, Fuel Up to Play 60, releases new content every Thursday, and beginning mid-September the group will provide digital content through the end of March 2021 on GoNoodle.
Mini Fridge Movement Embraces Digital
On the opposite end of the spectrum, a grassroots movement is bringing much-needed resources to strapped communities. Around the streets of New York, for example, fully-stocked mini fridges with food for the taking abound. Some New Yorkers may be cynical, but a Google search offers the needy with information needed to participate.
“Community-led, free-food refrigerators, sometimes nicknamed ‘friendly fridges,’ have been popping up on city sidewalks since February,” according to the New York Times.
Area volunteers stock the fridges, helping to curb many of the food needs emerging from the economic pitfalls and health challenges of the pandemic.
Local mutual-aid networks like In Our Hearts and Astoria Fridge distribute information regarding fridge locations and donation and volunteer needs through social channels such as Instagram. On the In Our Hearts Instagram profile, a saved story highlights locations of fridges around the city.
Through the power of Instagram, followers can spread the word, sharing posts on their stories, eventually branching out to other platforms like community sub-reddits and NextDoor. Freedge.org was created as a global directory for neighborhood mini fridges around the world, demonstrating that some community movements may start with a simple social media post—no budget, paid ads or partnerships needed.
Tools for Community Outreach
Many digital tools are available if you for fostering a better connection between campaigns and communities. In this time of virtual relationship-building, these tools can get the word out anywhere to and from anywhere.
Providing Community Relations Guidelines
Some larger entities have noted the need for community relations tools and guidance, particularly for those looking to make a splash for a new initiative or serious fundraising impact. Organizations like Do Something and Facebook provide tools and strategic counseling for community projects.
For 27 years, Do Something has been providing young people with the means and guidance to get social good initiatives off the ground. It utilizes a digital platform to get more than 5 million young people involved in volunteering and launching programs to help others. Campaigns include everything from voter registration to cleaning up cigarette butts from streets.
Do Something became so successful that in 2013 it launched Do Something Strategic, a social impact consultancy that is “100% focused on young people.” DSS helps create engagement strategies that help brands build relationships with socially conscious people. It has worked with Microsoft on YouthSpark, to get students interested in computer science, and Jed Foundation, to launch a mental health platform for new college students.
Facebook also launched a series of tools under its Social Good platform. It provides guidelines and free courses on tools to help with charitable giving, crisis response, health and mentorship. Any organization that uses Facebook can sign up to access the tools and knowledge base, which facilitates relationship building.
Community help is needed on a grand scale. The more individuals taking charge and getting involved with community relations and social responsibility, the better.
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