Philanthropy: Corporate Giving and Community Engagement.

In this presentation, Sandra Taylor explains how organizations can focus their giving in a way that makes a difference, creating a more inclusive society. Rather than writing checks to various philanthropic groups, Taylor teaches audiences how an organization can make a larger commitment and a greater impact. Taylor stresses the importance of community engagement to develop a mutually beneficial relationship within the organization’s community – of customers, employees, neighbors, officials, and community leaders. Job creation that fosters engaged, prosperous communities helps break the cycle of poverty and underpins business success. Community investments by business can contribute to the fight against poverty, benefitting both society and business. She explains the reasoning behind understanding the community’s opinions of the organization and helps brand the giving in a way that helps them understand the mission. She also encourages regular dialogues with stakeholders to maintain healthy communication and commitment to the purpose.

Making the Business Case for CSR.

Whether your organization is trying to break into Corporate Responsibility (CR) or already has experience with it, you will benefit from Sandra Taylor’s rich background. The former SVP of CSR for Starbucks outlines the key steps to putting into place a thorough model for integrating sustainability into your business strategy. She educates audiences on how to position the organization as a leader in environmental practices, beyond simply abiding by environmental regulations and putting in place a plan to reduce the company’s environmental footprint – whether that relates to climate change and less greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of energy use, or waste reduction and recycling. She emphasizes the importance of corporate philanthropy exceeding monetary donations and how to proactively build goodwill in communities. She explains the fundamentals of sustainability and examines the intricacies of the group’s supply chain to better understand all practices and how they can be incorporated into a successful CSR model. Finally, Taylor teaches how an organization can take steps to attract and retain employees as part of their overall CSR model.

Sustainability and Wine.

The wine industry has lagged behind others when it comes to sustainability. With an MBA in wine management from the prestigious Bordeaux School of Management and currently researching a book on sustainability in the wine supply chain, Taylor applies lessons learned from the coffee industry to show why sustainability matters and how it makes good business sense. She shares insights on:

• Why the food industry is so far ahead and what wine producers can do to catch up
• Lessons from the coffee industry in organics, sustainable agriculture, ethics and consumer education
• Early signs of progress – examples of best practice sustainability initiatives in key wine growing regions
• Social and corporate responsibility – the confluence of sustainability and ethics – and why both matter
• Who’s calling the sustainability shots in the wine industry supply chain – potential for partnership or conflict between producers and retailers