Why Working with Schools Is the Best Way to Meet Your CSR Goals

11 minute read | #csrinschools #csrineducation #csrprojects #csrmarketing #marketingtoschools

Building a better future linking society, sincerity, sustainability and schools.

In this article, we explore the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR), its purpose and benefits. Specifically, we look at why companies might focus their CSR programmes on education and how your company could do so to meet your CSR aims.

What is CSR?

Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is a self-regulation concept used by many companies. It is an approach that reflects the company’s commitment to incorporate social and environmental concerns in their business goals.

What is the purpose of CSR?

The purpose of CSR is to give back to the community and to make a positive difference in the world, whether that’s on a local or wider scale. Of course, the benefits aren’t entirely altruistic; a company who supports ethical causes wins the hearts of its potential clients, too!

So, your company has a responsibility to do good. But what are you already doing? What sort of impact is that currently having? And what more could you do – to benefit both the company and society?

The 4 Types of CSR

There are four main types of corporate social responsibility: environmental responsibility; ethical responsibility; philanthropic responsibility; and economic responsibility.

Environmental responsibility

What are you currently doing to address environmental issues and sustainability? Some companies use alternative energy sources or sustainable materials. They might have a recycling waste programme in force. Or they may donate to environment-focused charities or fund research.

Ethical responsibility

What are your company’s ethics and how do you convey those to employees, stakeholders, investors, suppliers and customers? Ethical responsibility includes the way you treat employees (such as wages, health packages, pension contributions) as well as taking business decisions linked to ethical practices. These could relate to where products are sourced from and ensuring products, ingredients, materials, or components be sourced according to fair trade standards.

Philanthropic responsibility

What does your business currently do to actively make the world a better place? It might be donating to and supporting charities or non-profit organisations that align with your guiding missions in some way. Or perhaps your company invests in the local community or gets involved in local projects.

Economic responsibility

Economic responsibility focuses on practices that facilitate the long-term growth of the business, while also meeting the standards set for ethical, environmental and philanthropic practices. Does your company currently look at the overall impact on society when making economic decisions?

“77% of consumers are more likely to use companies that are committed to making the world a better place.”

The benefits of CSR

Companies have been involved in CSR projects for long enough now for the outcomes and benefits to have been measured and reported on. The impact to both the business and society is clear:

Positively impacts the recruitment process
Increased employee engagement, productivity and retention
Support for local and global communities
Increased investment opportunities
Presents press opportunities (if it’s genuine!)
Increased customer trust, retention and loyalty
Improved employer branding
Contributes to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals

When done well, good CSR can completely change the way your customers view your business.

According to social value statistics:

77% of consumers are more likely to use companies that are committed to making the world a better place.
71% of respondents would purchase from a purpose-driven company over the alternative when cost and quality are equal.
80% want organisations to solve society’s problems.
49% assume that companies who don’t speak on social issues don’t care.

CSR in education

Why should businesses engage with schools?

Let’s get real. Initiating a CSR program isn’t always that easy. You need to secure executive buy-in, assign responsibilities, and research potential projects to invest in or organisations to partner with.

You want the benefits to both the company and society to be fully worthwhile. You need the impact to be measurable and to genuinely make a positive difference.

All this is crucial while meeting your business aims.

There is a simple solution and it’s a really effective one...

Invest in education!

Benefits for your business

Your business can get involved with schools easily and make a real difference. Let’s look at the benefits to working with schools to meet your business’s CSR aims.

Creating CSR programmes for schools means there is no need for intense research into finding a non-profit organisation to partner with. That research takes time and human resources.

Working with schools can also provide a huge reach of educators, pupils and their families. That’s building brand awareness and trust in your company with a massive client base, including those on the brink of entering the world of purchasing as they become young adults.

Benefits for the students

Learners want to be stimulated and inspired. They are a potential captive audience ready to acquire skills and knowledge: skills and knowledge that may well help their academic progress and even aid their transition from school or college into the world of adulthood and working life.

Benefits for society

Impactful CSR is about making a real difference to society. What better way to do that than by educating the next generation about important issues? Working with children and young people – whether that’s directly through workshops or work placements, or through providing teaching resources to schools – is the best way to effect change for the future.

CSR in schools

There are many ways companies can work with schools to meet their CSR goals. Some will have a greater impact than others.

One-off gestures such as making a donation, purchasing equipment for a local school or sponsoring an event will certainly benefit the school being supported and will curry favour with the local community.

Visiting a school to deliver an assembly or workshop could be something more regular that a company can do to support a school (or group of schools in the area). Offering your expertise, knowledge and experience can really benefit the students.

Similarly, schools seek to provide work experience for their students with supportive organisations. Offering to help with work placements can positively impact on many students and can be a longer-term arrangement between the school(s) and your company.

The biggest impact a company can have when working with schools is to launch a project or program to be used in schools, offering free resources.

To reach the most students, to benefit the most amount of people, to make the biggest positive difference, over the greatest period, create and offer free resources to be used in schools. This is the best way to work with schools as part of your CSR strategy if you’re looking to make the biggest impact.

Creating free resources – for teacher training or, more commonly, resources to be used in the classroom with students – means educators, anywhere and everywhere, can use those resources anytime.

Read on for how your company can easily do this, even without education experts in-house.

Examples of CSR in education

Consider developing an in-school programme that reflects your company’s purpose and goals.

The hair and beauty products manufacturer, Dove, launched the ‘Self-Esteem Project’ to help young people to build and protect confidence in themselves and others. They created resources that were 100% free for teachers and parents to download and use with their children and young people.

Another example is Dairy Management Inc. (DMI). Years ago, DMI identified a need to make an impact in the health and wellness of children in the United States, so they developed a programme that would reach students in schools. That program is now the largest in-school health and wellness program in the country.

In the finance arena, Santander have developed a programme called The Numbers Game, to help children and young people build their confidence with numbers and money. They have launched free and accessible learning materials for all schools and homes in the UK to provide essential financial education to help build money confidence.

Why should your business invest in education now?

Working with schools to meet your business’s CSR aims has always had its benefits. However, in the current climate, the UK education system could sure use some help.

The cost-of-living crisis has compounded the financial stress school leaders already faced. Many are on their knees and searching for solutions. Any support or contribution – whether it’s in the form of money, time, effort or tangible resources – is going to be welcomed with open arms by educators.

Right now, there are clear opportunities for companies to offer support to schools in several key areas.

Current trends in CSR for education

Social awareness and young people today – Research shows that the youth of today are socially aware, considered and savvy. Young people have never been better equipped to research and access information. Companies can work with schools to develop learners’ skills as future consumers, decision-makers, voters and leaders. Citizenship resources on topical issues, that encourage discussion, teamwork and communication skills, are of great value.

Environmental awareness – Reports of Gen Z (those born between 1995 to 2010) being more likely to buy sustainably rather than to go for brand names indicate their awareness of environmental issues and commitment to making a positive change. Climate change is a huge issue and those in education right now care about it, with many of them likely to take on ‘green jobs’ when they leave education. Resources on this evolving topic are much needed in schools right now.

Financial education – The Young Persons Money Index report 2020/2021 revealed that 81% of young people were anxious about their finances. 72% of young people said that they wanted to learn more about money in school. Resources that support financial education in schools will always be welcomed by educators and students alike.

Digital literacy and digital resilience – Are we ever one step ahead of children and young people and what they are doing online? It often falls to schools to provide adequate, up-to-date E-safety awareness and educate families at the same time! This ever-changing topic requires resources that reflect current trends and concerns.

Health and wellbeing – Never before has this topic been more thoroughly researched or talked about more openly and honestly. The digital age has opened so many opportunities, possibilities and advancements – but it has also shaped the way we work and, in many cases, led to inactive lifestyles and vast amounts of screentime. People multitask, juggle family and work life, eat unhealthily for ease, devote long hours to their jobs, suffer financial stresses and are bombarded with social media messaging.

Health Education is now statutory in all UK schools. Resources that support the teaching of physical and mental health education are always incredibly valuable to schools.

Kindness and compassion – Wouldn't we all like to live in a world filled with these values? Companies can work with schools to help children from a young age to value and celebrate diversity, tolerate and respect differences, empathise with and care for one another, and to strive for equality and equity. Resources that promote inclusivity, representation and belonging will always be highly valued in schools, linking with the citizenship curriculum.

Social mobility and careers education – Time after time we read headlines about the gap in academic grades between advantaged and disadvantaged children. Speak to teachers and leaders in schools in areas of high poverty and they’ll speak of their students’ low aspirations (and the low expectations of the students’ parents).

Teaching children and young people about developing a growth mindset, resilience and character values that will help them through life can help them reach their full potential. Giving them examples – and proof – of others that have achieved their dreams or surpassed their expectations will help to inspire learners. And resources that teach learners life and work skills will help them to progress when they leave school.

How to create CSR resources for schools

Companies who specifically offer services or products to schools are likely to have confidently seized the opportunity to create resources for schools. Their in-house team of experts with backgrounds in education know what educators and students want and need.

But what if your company is a finance company, a charity, a commercial company, a publisher, a media company, a tech company... and you don’t have anyone in-house with any expertise in the education sector?

Does that mean working with schools should instantly be ruled out as an option for meeting your CSR aims?

Absolutely not!

Some education marketing companies offer more than just data and support with email campaigns. Content pillar creation is a service that some can provide to businesses like yours. They recognise the worth of creating engaging, relevant, free resources as part of a company’s CSR contribution to education – both to the world of education and to you, the client.

An education marketing company offering support with content pillars should have a content team made up of experienced content writers who also have a background in education. They can use their experience and knowledge of the sector to create content that is:

subject-specific
pitched appropriately for the age group
creative and engaging
covering curriculum objectives
meeting the diverse needs of learners

We’d love to offer our support to your company if you’re thinking of working with schools to meet your CSR aims. Get in touch with our team to find out more about CSR in the education sector and how we can help.