In Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Meetings and Events Industry, which will be published in fall 2012, authors Mariela McIlwraith and Elizabeth Henderson develop their MAUDE Framework: five key questions that organizations need to ask when developing a corporate social responsibility program.
M Is it meaningful? Will it have a long-term, sustainable, positive impact on the community where you’re having your event?
A Is it aligned with your organizational objectives?
U Does it apply your unique skills? Choosing a CSR activity that takes advantage of your attendees’ connections, resources, or skills can be much more powerful than one that doesn’t: for example, a marketing company that donates its time to develop a marketing plan for a charitable organization.
D Is it destination specific?
E Is it engaging for the participants and for the stakeholders?
“If you look at developing community service projects that factor in all those components, then you’re getting much closer to the concept of authentic CSR,” says McIlwraith, president, Meeting Change.
This article is based on information in Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility in the Meetings and Events Industry by Elizabeth Henderson and Mariela McIlwraith. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.