Citi’s Results-Oriented Measurement System

 

 

 

Pamela Flaherty
President & CEO, Citi Foundation,
Director, Corporate Citizenship, Citi

November 28, 2011 -- CECP spoke with Pam Flaherty, President & CEO, Citi Foundation, and Director, Corporate Citizenship, Citi about the company’s Results-Oriented Measurement System. Now three years into the initiative, Pam Flaherty shares the impetus behind the creation of the system, the greatest challenges encountered along the way, and the impact the company is able to track through the system.

CECP: Can you tell us about the work of the Citi Foundation?

Citi: The Citi Foundation supports the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of low- to moderate-income people so that they can improve their standard of living in communities where Citi operates. We make grants utilizing a results-oriented measurement framework that assesses the impact of the programs we fund. Our focus areas and what we seek to measure include:

• Financial Capability and Asset Building – Increase the number of low- to moderate-income adults and/or youth who adopt positive financial behaviors and accumulate and preserve financial assets
• Microfinance – Increase the supply of financial products supplied by microfinance institutions that improve and accelerate the financial inclusion of low- to moderate-income individuals
• Enterprise Development – Increase the number of micro or small enterprises that provide new income generation and/or employment opportunities for low- to moderate-income individuals
• College Success (in the U.S.) – Increase the number of low- to moderate-income secondary school students who are meeting the academic, financial and social milestones to enroll and complete postsecondary education
• Youth Education and Livelihoods (outside the U.S.) – Increase the number of low-income youth, ages 13-25, who demonstrate the skills needed to complete secondary school, become employed in a living wage job, start their own income-generating business or obtain postsecondary education or training
• Neighborhood Revitalization (in the U.S.) – Increase the number of small businesses, affordable housing units or community facilities that contribute to the economic and/or environmental sustainability of low- to moderate-income communities

In each of these portfolios, we strive to partner with organizations that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and incorporate sound environmental practices in their programs.

CECP: What was the impetus behind the creation of Citi’s results-oriented measurement system?

Communities Uniting to Meet America’s Diabetes Challenge 

 

 

 

Patricia M. Doykos
Director
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation

November 14, 2011 -- As we mark American Diabetes Month in the U.S., over 8% of adults are living with the disease – primarily type 2 diabetes. According to the CDC, by 2050 over 30% could be living with diabetes if current trends continue. The cost of diabetes, estimated at $174 billion in 2007, is projected to triple by 2034, and then there’s the cost in human suffering experienced by individuals, families and communities – particularly racial and ethnic minorities, the elderly and the poor. 

These sobering numbers clearly indicate that diabetes is now not only a national epidemic, but one that, despite prevention efforts, is accelerating from year to year.  Sadly, this situation reminds me of how HIV/AIDS statistics in the developing world climbed sharply in the 1990s and fueled the sense of urgency that led to an unprecedented stepped up and coordinated global response that spanned private and public sectors. As with HIV/AIDS, I believe we can turn the tide of diabetes, but we must not lose any more time -- or propagate a fragmented response -- or continue doing only what we have been doing the way we have been doing it so far.

CECP Member Companies Pledge Skills-Based Volunteer Services 

Jennifer Lawson
Executive Director
A Billion + Change 

November 10, 2011 -- On November 3, over 80 nonprofit, corporate and government leaders gathered on Capitol Hill to celebrate a milestone for A Billion + Change, a national campaign to mobilize billions of dollars in skills-based volunteer services to address community needs across the country and around the globe. The event recognized the more than 50 companies that have pledged more than $1 billion in skills-based and pro bono services, such as CECP member companies Allstate, Capital One, Deloitte, GE, Hasbro, IBM, Intel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Pfizer, State Farm, Target and Wal-Mart. As the Executive Director of A Billion + Change, it was exciting to see the many civic and corporate leaders mobilizing for the campaign.

Interview conducted by Aaron Hurst, president and founder, Taproot Foundation

The Taproot Foundation's mission is to lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. This interview with Tim McClimon, President of the American Express Foundation and a CECP member, originally appeared on the Huffington Post on September 8, 2011. To read more of Aaron Hurst's interviews and reflections, visit the Pro Bono Junkie's Blog.

 

 

 

Aaron Hurst
President and Founder
Taproot Foundation

September 9, 2011 -- Tim McClimon is the President of the American Express Foundation, one of the most innovative leaders in philanthropy today. He has a rare ability to see opportunities to make an exceptional impact for both the community and the company's bottom line. We talked this week about how he has translated his vision and insights about the community into powerful programs at American Express.

9/11 is a very personal day for American Express employees given that your HQ is across the street from Ground Zero and you lost 11 employees that day. How did you decide to honor that day by becoming the lead sponsor for the September 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance?
We had to look at our strengths as a company. Our real strength is in service; we depend on having high quality customer service to attract and keep our customers. It's ingrained in our culture here. We felt that the way we could participate in remembering that day would be to engage in something we know very well.

Interview conducted by Aaron Hurst, president and founder, Taproot Foundation
The Taproot Foundation's mission is to lead, mobilize and engage professionals in pro bono service that drives social change. This interview with Bobbi Silten, President of Gap Foundation and Senior Vice President, Global Responsibility for Gap Inc. originally appeared on the Huffington Post on July 6, 2011. To read more of Aaron Hurst's interviews and reflections, visit the Pro Bono Junkie's Blog.

 

Aaron Hurst
President and Founder
Taproot Foundation

August 3, 2011 -- One of the best parts of my job is meeting amazingly smart and cool people. This week I talked with Bobbi Silten, the President of Gap Foundation and Senior Vice President of Global Responsibility for Gap Inc., about her killer career, her passion for service and how her background in business is key to running a successful foundation. Besides being sworn in as a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions earlier this year, Bobbi is the central force behind the Reimagining Service collaborative, increasing the impact of volunteerism.

Corporate Philanthropy is Looking Up
On July 13, CECP was invited to lead a VolunteerMatch Best Practice Network webinar, titled "Giving in Numbers: Emerging Trends in Corporate Giving." In this post, Jesse Fineman of VolunteerMatch provides a recap of the discussion. This post originally appeared on the VolunteerMatch blog. 

Jesse Fineman
Intern, VolunteerMatch
Guest Contributor, CECP Blog

July 21, 2011 -- Even as our economy recovers from a downturn, surveys show that corporate giving levels have risen. Alison Rose, Manager of Standards and Measurement at CECP presented these findings and more in “Giving in Numbers: Emerging Trends in Corporate Philanthropy” on July 13th. This webinar was part of our continuing Best Practice Network series.

Harnessing Corporate Philanthropy to Educate the World's Poor
On International Corporate Philanthropy Day, CECP partnered with the United Nations on a program focused on Millennium Development Goal -2, “Promoting Universal Education for All.” Following on this event, we wanted to share with you a guest blog post focusing on a recent report by the Center for Universal Education at Brookings, which specifically examines the role of corporate philanthropy in addressing educational needs in developing countries.

 

 

Justin W. van Fleet
Ph.D. Candidate and Fellow, International Education Policy, University of Maryland
Guest Contributor, CECP Blog

Author of Brookings Report: A Global Education Challenge: Harnessing Corporate Philanthropy to Educate the World’s Poor

April 5, 2011 -- Despite the undeniable benefits of education for society, the educational needs around the world remain strikingly great, particularly in the poorest countries. The global community pledged to enroll all children in school by 2015 but thus far, has fallen short.  And UNESCO estimates that over $16 billion would be needed in external resources to achieve this goal.  With estimates showing American companies giving over $7 billion annually to support global health, no data existed on corporate philanthropic efforts to support education in the developing world, until now.

Celebrating International Corporate Philanthropy Day

 

 

Jean Case
CEO
The Case Foundation
Guest Contributor, CECP Blog

February 28, 2011 -- I’ve long been a believer that the corporate sector has the potential to play a key—indeed, essential—role in addressing complex social problems. As creators of new products and markets, companies play a vital role in our nation’s success, creating jobs and ensuring our competitiveness. But the corporate role doesn’t stop there. Companies also play a critical role in the development of communities, and in tackling social challenges.

Business Committee for the Arts National Triennial Survey

 

 

Emily Peck
Manager
Business Committee for the Arts
Guest Contributor, CECP Blog

December 6, 2010 -- Since 1968, the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA) has conducted a field-wide survey of businesses to determine why they support the arts, to what extent they support the arts, and how they support the arts. Conducted by Shugoll Research, the "2010 BCA Triennial Survey of Business Support to the Arts" is the only survey in the United States that tracks support from small, midsize, and large companies to provide the most complete view of the arts funding landscape from businesses nationwide.

2010 Chairman's Award Winner

 

Shelly M. Esque
President
Intel Foundation
Winner, Chairman's Award
Guest Contributor, CECP Blog

October 14, 2010 --– All of us at Intel were humbled to receive the Chairman’s Award from CECP in June of this year.  We were proud and pleased to know that our colleagues in CECP recognized our efforts, but of course were also delighted to be able to make our employees proud, and then to be able to build on the award and the credibility of CECP in our conversations with potential collaborators here and around the world.