The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a more holistic Corporate Social Responsibility

While many professional service firms have robust ProBono programs, and are able to cite numerous statistics of “progress” on their Diversity & Inclusion efforts, these successes are often celebrated in isolation, thus missing an opportunity to convey their greater impacts toward a more sustainable, equitable and just world. Aligning these programs with a greater framework, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (often referred to as the Global Goals) helps firms create a more holistic overview and greater understanding by their many stakeholders, including employees, recruits, clients and prospects.

For example:

• A successful ProBono project in your local school district helps achieve Global Goal #4 – Quality Education.

• ProBono work helping low-income, female entrepreneurs form their start-up companies contributes toward Global Goal #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, as well as Global Goal #5 – Gender Equality.

• Diversity & Inclusion efforts and programs are likely to be contributing to many of the Global Goals, such as Goal #5 – Gender Equality, Goal #10 – Reduced Inequalities, Goal #8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth, etc.

Which of the Global Goals are most relevant to your firm’s ProBono and Diversity & Inclusion programs? Furthermore – which aspects of the work you do for clients can be celebrated as contributing toward a more sustainable, equitable and just world? And – what is your firm doing to help achieve those Global Goals related to the Environment and Sustainability?

Firms who understand their CSR program holistically, and tell their story around the framework of the UNSDGS, will benefit from the resulting connection with employees, recruits, clients and prospects who are already aligned with and understand the UNSDGs.

Next week – where does a firm start?