The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) unveiled a new engagement model for CEOs during the annual gathering of its Board of Boards during International Corporate Philanthropy Day on 25^th February.

Based on more than a decade working with top corporate executives, CECP found that the top actions of an engaged CEO are:

1. Reinforce the value of your company’s community engagement
2. Inspire employees at all levels to get involved
3. Rally other CEOs to do more
4. Commit your company’s unique skills and resources
5. Reach outside your company to create solutions
6. Prioritize measurement and transparency
7. Elevate community initiatives to your Board
8. Mobilize your company’s senior leadership

Daryl Brewster, CEO of CECP said: “CECP’s mission has evolved from pure philanthropy to making progress on societal challenges through any and all corporate means. We hope to partner with companies and non-profits around the world. It may not be a movement yet, it may take a few years, but I think this really will gather momentum. We have some companies among our members who are ready to teach the world.”

CECP also announced the winners of its 2013 excellence awards. IBM won the chairman’s award, for companies with revenues of $20bn or more. The company’s $50m three-year Smarter Cities Challenge provides six-person teams of top IBM talent to cities to work with their staff and address issues such as healthcare, education, and social services. By the end of 2012 IBM had worked with 65 cities around the world, and engagements in the final 35 cities will be completed in 2013.

The President’s Award, for companies with revenues under $20bn, went to The Mosaic Company for its The Mosaic Villages Project. Participating farmers are given no—interest loans to buy crop nutrients and receive agronomic education. They then repay their loan through the sale of surplus crop yields at harvest. On average, they have seen crop production increase by three to five times. Since the programme’s inception in 2008, The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation have invested approximately $9m in The Mosaic Villages Project.

“The independent jury that selected these winners was deeply impressed by the widespread impact these two corporations have had through the success of their programs and the ways in which they exceeded each of CECP’s Standards of Excellence,” said Brewster.

He said that there is scepticism about large institutions around the world, but suggested that focus on a broad range of stakeholders is key to overcoming this.

Brewster said: “CEOs today have so many stakeholders that they can’t insulate themselves in a corner office of their building or in the boardroom.  Technology means they need to make global decisions in real time. And because of crises that have occurred, transparency is really important.”

Companies, he continued: “Cannot leave the by-products of growth on the side. Being socially responsible will avoid risk down the road but also see immediate benefits from stakeholders, and increase market development across the globe.”