Sporting Organisations can be a major driving force for change especially in youth issues such as childhood obesity, academic failure, violence and teen pregnancy. Familiar sport stars and their teams can have an enormous impact on not just their fans, but many people or situations across the globe.

And it doesn’t stop there. Using CSR for sports teams can also combat concerns with the environment, sustainability and other emerging social issues.

FC Barcelona is one team that clearly steps up for their efforts with CSR. A not-for-profit club is owned by their members and paying an annual fee allows them to elect members to the board, headed by a president.

Their motto is ‘més que un club’ – meaning ‘more than a club’. And they stick to this. The work they do on the field is competitive and exciting, but the work they do off is just as good.

The FC Barcelona created ‘The FC Barcelona Foundation’ in 1994 and it was established to use sport as the backbone for promoting education and the positive values of sport.

The Foundation has been an endless source of participation in numerous social, cultural and sporting activities organised through the club. Players and coaching staff also donate 0.5 per cent of their wages to the Foundation.

‘FC Barcelona Foundation’ and Pies Descalzos Foundation (Columbian charity founded by pop star Shakira in 1997) are working together on the ‘Football for youth development and a healthy life’ project which includes the construction of sporting and recreational areas of Cartagena (Columbia) and Miami.

It is to benefit children most vulnerable in Columbia and Hispanic community in the U.S who are at risk of social exclusion.

Their work has been picked up globally and they have partnered with many different charities to conquer different world issues.

Work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been used to begin the eradication of polio, connections with UNICEF which began in 2006, using projects to fight AIDS.

There are also organisations that are utilising the sports industry to improve their environmental impact. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is America’s most effective environmental action group and they started work with NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles in 2004 for their ‘Go Green’ efforts. Since then MLB, NBA, NHL, NFL, MLS and USTA have jumped on board to action their efforts too.

It has a web-based resource that helps teams what areas of work are available in their region to pursue environmentally superior operations and supply chain options. From their website they state, “One of the many ways NRDC has been helping stadiums and arenas reduce environmental impacts is by commissioning energy, waste, and water efficiency audits — many of which result in significant cost savings.”

Apricot Consulting, who has extensive experience in working with elite Sporting organisations in Australia (Australian Football League and Australian Cricket), has recently been appointed by the North Melbourne Kangaroos to work with them on their corporate social responsibility strategies.

Over the coming months we will be working closely with the Kangaroos Board, CEO and Senior Managers to critically analyse all elements of the current CSR program and to help design a world class strategy. These discussions will provide deeper insight into potential operations of what CSR programs could achieve and a future vision for the Kangaroos. It will also lead to bringing about major social change as a result of the engagement of Sport.

Areas of work will also cover employee, fan, media and player engagement, marketplace perceptions, commercial partnerships and game development initiatives.

As things progress Apricot will keep thorough updates of our work and progress via Twitter, Facebook and the website.

Huge names in the fashion world such as Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs, American Apparel and even Bono (who even knew he designed clothes!) are doing their part in changing the carbon footprint from this $300 billion a year industry.

H&M’s 10^th annual CSR report has been buzzing in fashion networks, showing off their further commitment to being a ‘conscious’ fashion label. From the report noticeable areas of change are seen from the highlights, including – 2.4 million pairs of shoes made with water-based adhesives, using organic hemp as an alternative fabric and saving 300,000,000 litres of water from denim production.

In fact they aim to be using only sustainable cotton by 2020, but have been open about the challenges they face to getting there.

H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson says in the report, “We are proud of all the achievements we have made during the year. But we are also aware of the challenges ahead. We strive to be as transparent as possible about the progress we make.”

But it doesn’t have to be these mass, global companies doing all the good. For example, Country Road in both Australia and New Zealand has a sensational sustainability guide for the company and has been in action since 2008.

They have connections with Red Cross that make huge impacts for both organisations. Collect any unwanted Country Road clothing or accessories, take it to any Red Cross store and receive a $10 voucher towards the next purchase over $50 at Country Road. Isn’t that a good motivator not to just throw our clothes away!

This is also seen through The Salvation Army (TSA) in their Adult rehabilitation programs and thrift stores. These programs provide an environment for people to regain self-esteem and valuable vocational skills. Anyone purchasing recycled clothes from TSA stores, not only prevents the waste going into landfills but helping others reclaim their lives and helping families.

There are even such events as ‘Eco-Fashion Week’ recently held in Vancouver. The three-day event brings in more than 2,000 global VIP’s, buyers, guests, designers and many more.

And they are not just there for the fashion shows, EFW promotes speaker seminars and industry panels which propel all the aspects of the fashion industry, but into an ecological society and culture.

ASOS, one of the top online fashion retailers attracting nearly 18.5 million visitors a month, has also just recently announced its certification as a CarbonNeutral company. They are the first retailer to achieve this status under The CarbonNeutral Protocol, which is the international standard for continuing integrity and quality certification programs.

Due to their online presence, ASOS has less of an environmental impact compared to other retailers, and their main source of emissions is from packaging and customer delivery. The CO² emissions from ASOS’ energy use, business travel, non-recyclable waste, deliveries and commuting has been measured and reduced to net zero, through verified carbon offset projects.

They are also involved with numerous small charities throughout the UK including, The Prince’s Trust, Udayan Care, Oxfam and Retail Trust. As the business continues to grow, ASOS will add further initiatives to their CSR program and further its ongoing environmental policy.

Finally, a completely new initiative from London College of Fashion who have teamed up with clothing giant, Marks and Spencer to create the UK’s first Sustainable Fashion Lab. The project gives customers an insight into the world of fashion and even allows them to try designing some of their own pieces.

By taking in unwanted clothes, each item is assessed for potential use and then can be reused and transformed or taken to a local Oxfam shop. This fashion lab is happening from 26 April to 9 May in East London.

All of these changes are what can begin to make fashion sustainable and affordable for many average citizens. Let’s hope this year and for years to come, companies are open about their promises and make real changes in this ever-growing industry.

The Salvation Army, Western Territory, USA.

There are two major projects we have been working on for the last 8 months.

Firstly we are helping to build the relationship of the  Salvation Army with the Californian Government. For over 120 years The Salvation Army has run hundreds of programs and spent hundreds of millions of dollars, assisted millions of Californians without any formal relationship with the Californian Government. Apricot is helping TSA to see what they are actually doing now and in the past and how to communicate that great story to the Government

The second project is one that is very moving. We are working with the Adult Rehabilitation Centres (ARC’s) to help build greater links with the graduates into the broader Salvation Army community and programs. This is what has also taken me to Hawaii and Los Angeles. There are 22 centres in the Western Territory and has the largest residential rehabilitation program in the United States. They receive no Government funding for this and it is free to the participants, financed through The Salvation Army thrift stores.

I continue to work with BlueScope steel in Kansas City, Kansas. This organisation has been through great change and it has been a real pleasure to work with a number of the senior executives as well design an innovative CSR program working with recently released prisoners.

We have also just begun to work with Ambulance Victoria. This is an organisation that has been under incredible change for the last couple of years. Here we will be helping AV to understand its internal culture of the organisation and be clear about what behaviours and culture they want to drive their success for the future. This organisation has been in operation since 1880 and has a long and illustrious history. With non-profit organisations, the change of culture internally can be a real challenge. Many people working in such environments have a sense of duty or calling. We want to tap into this commitment helping to design behaviours that work best for the employees and the organisation.

Another exciting project is with University of Tasmania. We have been working with the executive team here for about six months. This project is to work with the executives to help develop a team to achieve the goals for this changing institution.

These are only some of the projects Apricot Consulting is working on at present. We continue to work with others and with many more opportunities lining up, the future is looking bright. Keep an eye out on Twitter, Facebook and the website for more information.

And the upcoming edition could very well be the best yet.

The London 2012 Olympic Games is in the final stages of a seven-year strategy for this event.

London won the rights for the Olympics back in 2005. Since then, the organising committee has done everything in its power to ensure the July event will be the best the world will ever see.

But so much more planning goes into events like these than what we actually see on the surface.

Many folk around the world will sit in front of their televisions at home and watch the 16 days of competition. Others will gather in their thousands and witness the splendour live at Olympic venues.

However the majority of us will forget the impact the Olympics will have, not only on London, but on the entire country, in terms of sustainability and accountability towards Corporate Social Responsibility.

For an event to be sustainable it is not the easiest of tasks as for example, a building, which can be deemed as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

The Olympics will therefore have to operate differently, but still as effectively.

London 2012 has a sustainability plan, which can be viewed on its website. It has endeavoured to do a lot for the footprint it may, or may not, leave behind.

London’s bid for the Games seven years ago showed the country’s commitment to sustainability, highlighted by:

• Using venues which already exist in the UK, where possible.
• Only making permanent structures that will have long-term use after the games are complete.
• Building temporary structures for everything else.

London 2012 has even used the phrase “a catalyst for change”, emphasising this will be “the first sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games”.

The sustainability plan, also documents the potential challenges the organising committee may face. However it stresses that it is prepared for anything and transparent in the awareness of these issues. For example, the treatment of waste during and after the Games depends on the “provision of facilities and technologies that are not yet in place”.

It is hard not to look back at previous Olympic Games and contemplate the promises that were made but never upheld.

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were by far the most expensive ever held, with an estimated $40 billion spent in running costs and losses. This left many people homeless without compensation.

The 2004 Athens Olympics weren’t much better. The remaining buildings used during the event are now derelict and abandoned, with much of a cost to Greece.

If anything, London should have learnt a lot from the past experiences of other countries.

Yet there is little to be discouraged from the work London 2012 has done already across the country.

Of course the real test will be during and after the Games.

To keep London 2012 on target, Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 has been created to monitor and report all of the work to the public.

All eyes will be on London over the coming months, not only for the Olympics itself, but also for what could be seen as the ‘aftermath’ of what remains.

On-boarding shapes how a new employee interprets organizational culture, objectives, and resource alignment with their role in the organization. It begins before orientation, specifically, the moment they accept the position. It is important to establish a relationship between the acceptance period and their first day, to address any concerns and clarify the role. A recent study shows that 40% of new executives fail in their first 18 months, so it is important that onboarding begins early and is targeted to specific populations such as:

Senior Leaders – A new leader requires an onboarding plan that caters to their situation and acquiring the leadership skills needed for their role. The framework should include a socialization component that provides teambuilding, networking, and mentoring to highlight what success looks like in the organization.
Managers – Similar to senior leader, but with a customized plan that focuses on tools and resources that can be applied in different ways to develop their team and drive profitability.
Remote Employees – This population creates a mutually beneficial relationship of bringing in talent that is not limited by traditional geographic boundaries, while providing flexible work options in return. Connect them with video conferencing and learning management system (LMS) tools to engage with personal interaction and involvement in the workplace experience. Use scaffolding in the learning process to teach the material in steps. It is important to build a relationship that emphasizes their individual strengths, as well as value to their team.
Seasonal - The same attention to onboading as year-round employees should be given to the seasonal population. After all, a customer is most likely not to know the difference in their dealings with your company. With a short time frame to work with, it is essential begin as early as possible to provide training on the technical skills needed to quickly become part of the team and acclimate to the organization’s culture.
Many organizations have successfully created onboarding processes that provide tailored toolkits and support structures that keep employees engaged and reduces new-hire turnover. At the Visiting Nurse Service on New York (VNSNY) for example, they customize their toolkits to reflect the unique differences in environment between their office-based and field-based staff. An added dimension to their year-long onboarding is incorporating three stakeholders, the new hire, their manager, and an onboarding buddy. The addition of an onboarding buddy creates a peer mentor dynamic that has correlated to a 55% reduction in first year attrition at VNSNY.
The return on investment for onboarding clear and its appearance in organizations is gaining momentum. The design it is implemented under makes all the difference. At Apricot, successful client onboarding looks like a full cycle role-targeted initiative that begins when the job is accepted, establishes milestones, and includes a feedback aspect that surveys employees on their experience after closeout. Taking conscious steps to establish and refine the onboarding process will encourage real engagement.

It has been three years since the merger, and many of their policies and procedures have discrepancies both for employees and customer service. In 2010, Delta had the highest rate of customer complaints including issues of canceled flights and baggage mishandling. The likely causes of these customer service problems stem from employee dissatisfaction and a post-merger culture ignored the importance of service-orientation.

Delta invested $2 billion to support initiatives that improve the customer experience. One significant stride has revolved around the revitalization of their Red Coat program. Red Coat employees are responsible for “on the ground” customer service representation equipped with technology to instantly print boarding passes or other vouchers. For employees, this program creates new positions and authorization to improve customer satisfaction with tangible measurements.

These investments are starting to pay off, as Delta’s overall airline quality rating score has improved since 2010. Customer satisfaction scores for 2011 place Delta around the industry average, which is an improvement for the airline post-merger but a far cry from their golden days of customer excellence. Creating a service-orientation image that differentiates Delta from the market competition will be integral in re-building their brand.

Delta’s senior vice president of customer service, Gil West, says “we realize we’ve got to invest in the human element as well. … One of our key objectives is to continue to improve our customer service. The bringing back of the Red Coats for Delta is very symbolic of that.” Initiatives like the Red Coat program sit at the forefront of entwining customer service to the employee representatives they interact with, thereby, establishing a Delta brand that will inspire loyalty and recognition the next time you see their red logo (or coats).

At Apricot, we believe that real service extends beyond the customers online for a flight, but to the employees and to the community at large. According to CSR wire, Delta’s last published CSR report was in 2007. Can they work to serve all three? Time will tell.

The talk, organized by Chris Grayson at Humble Media, was intended to spark thought around the ways that technology affects our lives and the tremendous opportunity it delivers to inspire change and progress. Grayson curated a diverse (and gender-balanced) group of speakers to explore the creative use of technology and its unexpected outcomes.

Akbari suggests that technology has transformed our lives for the better. Most notably, it helps us to identify networks, relationships, wants and needs and then to connect with others based on our desired alliances and relationships.  She points to a 2005 study by happiness researchers at University of California, Riverside; University of Missouri, Columbia; and University of Texas, Austin that studied the correlation between happiness and genetics (explaining 50 percent of a person’s long-term happiness), circumstances (10 percent), and activities and practices (40 percent). Noting that “the 40 percent includes our habits and rituals around technology,” Akbari’s framework is a fitting introduction to the ways that technology has transformed our lives to be more productive, meaningful, and ultimately, happier.

Although corporations have little incentive to initiate major reform at this stage, they should not ignore the protests. Consistent with current trends, there will likely be an increase in various Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives by a number of larger companies, including those criticized by the movement. However, the effectiveness of CSR campaigns – especially without meaningful substance – in appeasing the growing masses of angry people remains to be seen.

Short-sighted philanthropic or cause-marketing based initiatives that simply throw money at issues are unlikely to change the minds of Occupy Wall Street sympathizers. While many companies currently engage in CSR programs that aim to create change at a deeper structural level, PR oriented CSR work continues to abound.

If there is one learning to take away from the Occupy Wall Street movement, it is that these kinds of empty CSR gestures will no longer suffice. People are demanding more out of their government and out of their companies, and with social media and increased transparency, they will be able to judge the true sincerity of many of these programs. While a large portion of protesters are demanding widespread structural change to our current system, it is probable that they will at least look favorably upon more companies increasing their CSR initiatives in a sincere fashion.

A major complaint of the “99%” is that the people at the top simply do not care about the rest of the population. A company that is serious about CSR and displays initiative and a sincere compassion for the welfare of its operating communities (and society as a whole) will be more likely to fall under the grace of this growing movement. In terms of pure Wall Street style economics, this can only benefit them in the end.

Schultz’s point of view resonates at a time when the nationalunemployment rate is at 9.1%, and the underemployment rate, at 16.2%. Americans are facing tough times and a frustrating dearth of leadership in Washington.

Shultz is a CEO who has embraced corporate responsibility as his company has grown. More than ten years ago, Starbucks entered a partnership with TransFair USA, where the coffee giant agreed to market Fair Trade Certified coffee in more than 2,000 retail locations across the United States. In 2009, Starbucks agreed to double its purchases to 40 million pounds, making it the largest purchaser of fair trade coffee in the world. More recently, Schultz refused to cut health benefits for his employees, even as the company restructured.

Last week, Starbucks announced a new innovative partnership with theOpportunity Finance Network (OFN) to create and sustain jobs at home. OFN is a 27-year-old national network of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs). CDFIs are private financial institutions whose purpose is to deliver responsible, affordable lending to help low-income and other disadvantaged people and communities join the economic mainstream. CDFIs target small businesses and individuals who lack access to banks and mainstream financial services. CDFIs have become an incredibly important engine of economic growth in the recent credit crisis, providing more than $23.2 billion in financing and generating nearly 300,000 jobs in urban, rural, and Native communities through 2009.

With vision, market presence, and a dedicated customer base, Shultz believes Starbucks is uniquely positioned to jump start economic growth. The new program, called Create Jobs for USA, is seeded by the Starbucks Foundation, and will be sustained by donations from 6,800 Starbucks stores (customers can donate spare change from their lattes or make a $5 donation in exchange for a wristband). Donations flow directly into the OFN’s Create Jobs for USA Fund; member CDFIs will then find and finance community businesses they deem ready to succeed, and local community residents will get or keep jobs.

CDFIs will loan roughly $35 for every $5 in donations they receive, Opportunity Finance Network’s Mark Pinsky told the Daily Beast. Pinsky stresses how helpful it is to work with an existing network of lenders. His member-lenders already have a backlog of worthy small businesses and nonprofits that he says could start hiring now, if only they had access to a loan. Starbucks will start accepting donations on November 1. Describing the program, Pinsky explains, “virtually every $1 donated will be re-loaned indefinitely, compounding the job-creation impact.”

The growing role of private industry in facilitating large-scale change is an important one. The power of corporations in our society is somewhat of a paradox – they have become the villains targeted by occupy Wall Street activists, but also the caretakers of communities and local economies in a time of gridlocked Congressional movement around jobs.  Realizing the importance of economic growth in a robust corporate social responsibility strategy marks huge strides in a field that was once dominated by arms-length philanthropic donations. The Create Jobs for USA initiative is an important model, as it places direct financing and stakeholder engagement in the hands of experienced CDFIs, yet actively engages its consumer base in one of the most important domestic issues of our time.

Schultz says he feels a personal responsibility to do something to stimulate the economy. “I feel very strongly I have to take on a deeper responsibility to do all that I can to use the scale of my company for good,” he told the Daily Beast last week, “I don’t want to blame anybody. I just want to stand up and make a difference.

This month marks the 10-year anniversary of the signing of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, an agreement made by the country’s largest chocolate companies, including Hershey, to put an end to forced child labor in chocolate. Unfortunately, Hershey’s has lagged behind in this initiative to some of its main competitors such as Nestlé. Many of its problems with child labor persist, and advocacy groups like Global Exchange and the International Labor Right Federation are urging the manufacturer to take steps to take to become a more socially responsible and ethical business.

Currently, Hershey’s purchases the majority of its cocoa from West Africa, especially the Ivory Coast, which grows nearly 40% of the world’s cocoa. Estimates of child labor in the Ivory Coast hover around 262,000 children – and many of these kids are likely working on small cocoa farms and plantations throughout the country.  Reports indicate that Hershey made scant progress in the past year in reducing its sourcing from suppliers that utilize child labor, thereby eliminating incentives for plantation owners to reconsider their use of child labor.

The root of the child labor problem in these areas is inherently an economic one. Child labor exists only because there is still a demand for products and raw materials made and handled by children. If Hershey’s and other corporations commit themselves to purchasing only third party certified raw materials from trusted sources, child labor will diminish because those suppliers who utilize it will have nowhere to sell their product.

Hershey’s first ever corporate social responsibility report last year does have sections regarding supplier code of conduct, but it is loosely enforced, there is no mention of sanctions for noncompliance, and supply chain transparency is virtually obsolete. Hershey’s continues to buy cocoa that has not been certified by a third party, and without this certification for the vast majority of its products, it is likely that cocoa made under abusive conditions is used in Hershey’s supply chain.

Many groups and consumers are advocating for Hershey’s to be more transparent when it comes to its production process, starting with cocoa farmers in developing countries around the world. The Time to Raise the Bar campaign has urged Hershey to (1) commit to sourcing 100 percent fair trade certified cocoa beans by 2012 for at least one of its top 5 best selling chocolate bars, (2) agree to take immediate action in ending child labor and trafficking that is currently present in parts of the supply chain, and (3) commit to having the majority of Hershey’s cocoa products be fair trade certified by 2022, among other things.

Though this situation paints a dark picture for the chocolate giant, Hershey’s isn’t completely without socially responsible programs. It does have some solid CSR initiatives that mainly focus with on-the-ground projects.  These largely revolve around promoting sustainable livelihood in West Africa. Hershey’s is a founding member of the World Cocoa Foundation, the International Cocoa Initiative, and ECHOES. These programs help to spread literacy, entrepreneurship, and awareness about child labor and diseases such as HIV/AIDS or malaria. Hershey’s also launched CocoaLink, a project that uses mobile phones to help get farming and social information to cocoa farmers in more remote locations. These programs are certainly a step in the right direction, and are definitely proven to help people in the targeted areas, but they by no means address the whole issue.

With shareholders to satisfy, the economic costs of fair trade practices are often hard ones for large companies to swallow. Committing to fair trade sourcing raises productions costs, thus forcing companies like Hershey to make the difficult decision about whether or not to raise the price of their chocolate. Whether this will affect consumer demand for their product is certainly a fear, but in this world of transparent information and more socially responsible consumers and corporations, the costs of a few cents of price increase versus child labor accusations seems negligible.

For more information, access Hershey’s 2010 Annual Report here, and the Time to Raise the Bar report on cocoa sourcing.