The FINANCIAL — Citi has been recognized as the top financial services company and the second-ranked overall organization in The Civic 50 survey – the first comprehensive ranking of S&P 500 corporations that best use their time, talent and resources to improve the quality of life in the communities where they do business.
The survey was conducted by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) and Points of Light, the nation's definitive experts on civic engagement, in partnership with Bloomberg LP.
An article about The Civic 50 looking at the philanthropic efforts of some of the top companies will appear in the November 12-18, 2012 issue of Bloomberg Businessweek. "At Citi, corporate citizenship is not treated as a stand-alone initiative — instead, it's a unifying theme that is at the core of how we conduct business," said Bill Mills, Citi's CEO for North America. "We are proud of our 200-year history of enabling progress and thank The Civic 50 for recognizing our efforts to improve the communities we serve."
"NCoC is proud to be part of The Civic 50 launch," said Ilir Zherka, Executive Director of NCOC. "The Civic 50 demonstrates that the best companies in America are deeply committed to strengthening their respective communities. Leaders of these companies are aligning the expertise of their companies and people with the needs of their communities, and then measuring the impact of their programs. NCoC hopes The Civic 50 will spur companies throughout our country to do the same."
"As a company committed to community engagement and improvement, Bloomberg is proud to have partnered with the National Conference on Citizenship and Points of Light on this important ranking," said Norman Pearlstine, Chairman, Bloomberg Businessweek and Chief Content Officer, Bloomberg LP. "The Civic 50 is a pioneering addition to the Bloomberg Rankings inventory. It features a comprehensive, transparent methodology to identify companies that have taken a leadership role in developing and implementing civic engagement programs. We believe it will raise awareness of the importance of a civic consciousness through the U.S. corporate world."
Companies were evaluated on seven specific metrics: leadership, measurement and strategy, design, employee civic health, community partnerships, cause alignment and transparency. Winning companies employed increasingly sophisticated tools to measure the impact of community engagement and alignment of these programs with their business' core competencies. As Citigroup Inc. reported, more than two-thirds of the top-50 companies say they "frequently" or "always" use the professional skills of their workforce to address social issues and real community challenges. Sixty-six percent of the top 50 say they have "mission-level" alignment with the community partners, meaning they work with them on the highest strategic level, not just on individual programs or events.
"Today, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, we can see clearly how much corporate America pitches in – with expertise, talent, time and money – to help communities meet critical needs," said Jackie Norris, executive director of the Points of Light Corporate Institute. "In times of disaster and in relative calm, The Civic 50's work is transformative, innovative and critically important."
Discussion about this post