Reinventing Philanthropy as an Employee-Centered Growth Strategy

Some companies are allowing employees to define corporate philanthropy, with one example being General Mills Foundation, which set up an "employee-centered strategy" for giving back, reports Forbes . "We had never approached employees before to ask them how they wanted to engage; we had designed programs for them and invited them to engage," says General Mills Foundation Executive Director Mary Jane Melendez. "But we turned the tables and said, 'What do you want? How do we deliver what you want? Let's design something with you and for you. Not for you and without you.'" The foundation's strategy to evolve the organization's approach included getting informed employee viewpoints before designing anything, a willingness to disrupt the status quo, and intentionally engaging employees in a way that drives value for the business. The grassroots design strategy was employee-centric, with Melendez engaging with more than 1,000 employees over four months in 24 countries. "You have to have the employees' voices at the table before you're designing anything," Melendez stresses. Among the differing perspectives she found similar thinking and prepared to move forward through those differences, even if it meant changing foundational strategy and what the C-suite traditionally valued. The final step involved committing to maintain the employee's voice at the table to make and sustain the changes. "What is so incredibly powerful is that employees are bringing a skill and expertise that no one else can bring forward in that area," Melendez says.