Released June 19, 2012 via Market Watch
June 20, 2012
CHICAGO, June 19, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — New Civic 100 Survey to Measure Private Sector Leaders Making a Difference in Communities Across America As 5,000 of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs, philanthropists and business leaders convene in Chicago this week for the annual Points of Light Conference on Volunteering and Service, corporate America is taking stock of its own role in giving back to the community through The Civic 100 survey. A partnership between Points of Light and the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), The Civic 100 was established to survey, rank and recognize corporations on how they engage the communities they serve and institutionalize these practices as part of their corporate culture. The goal of the survey is also to provide investors, consumers and employees alike with a way to objectively evaluate companies’ community engagements. The results of the survey – a list of the country’s top 100 community minded companies–will be published in Bloomberg Businessweek in November. “There is no question that companies wanting to stand out in today’s competitive environment should devote resources to building a corporate infrastructure that promotes responsible business practices. The Civic 100 will help businesses identify what is the most effective means to invest in communities,” said Jackie Norris, Executive Director of the Points of Light Corporate Institute, and David B. Smith, Executive Director of NCoC in a joint statement. A recent CSR Perception Survey conducted by Penn Schoen & Berland found that 75 percent of consumers said corporate responsibility is important to them, and were more likely to purchase products or services from a company after reading its responsibility agenda. The same survey found 72 percent of respondents were willing to sacrifice spending or salary to support corporate social responsibility initiatives. As corporate America aligns its core operations to emphasize corporate responsibility, volunteerism, and sustainability, The Civic 100 represents an opportunity to provide consumers and employees alike with a way to objectively evaluate S&P 500 corporations’ community engagement. To learn more about The Civic 100 survey as well as the importance of civic engagement in corporate America, please visit www.Civic100.org .