Today is the fourth Monday in February.  Today is the day the philanthropy and the corporate giving community embraces an initiative led by CECP members, International Corporate Philanthropy Day.

To kick off this internationally celebrated event of corporate giving, Susan Hyatt is hosting the 1st annual Strategy for Good (tele)SUMMIT.  For weeks Core Thought has been preparing and lining up the best leaders in the corporate philanthropy business to speak.  Among those speakers is Margaret Coady of CECP and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark.  CSR professionals will be speaking on an array or topics to be seen valuable by anyone looking to start or enhance their corporate philanthropy initiatives.

Among the Core Thought and Strategy for Good Events, the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) has a great list of what your company can do on this special day:

• Tell your company’s philanthropy story on an internationally recognized day.
• Further engage senior management, employees, and nonprofit partners in your giving programs.
• Raise awareness of the important role of corporate philanthropy in fostering stronger relationships across sectors.
• Publicize your company’s philanthropic initiatives, benefiting from the added media interest.
• Enhance relationships with peers and thought leaders in the corporate giving community.

See the full CECP article here.

See the full Strategy for Good SUMMIT 2012 line-up here.  Registration is FREE, so don’t hesitate in taking advice from the professionals.

by Cathie Beck

Core Thought, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) consulting and training firm (www.core-thought.com) will hold its inaugural STRATEGY for GOOD SUMMIT beginning Monday, February 27, 2012.

The STRATEGY for GOOD SUMMIT is a free, five-day tele-summit that celebrates International Corporate Philanthropy Day. The SUMMIT brings together leading business thought leaders committed to the social good and corporate philanthropy to share their insights, tips and strategies with other business leaders interested in strengthening their own give-back efforts.

The tele-summit is open to anyone interested in learning about how to make their company’s community engagement more impactful and can be accessed here: www.strategyforgoodsummit.com from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, February 27 through March 2.

Participating speakers represent a range of perspectives and approaches to giving back. Fortune 500 companies and experts in corporate social responsibility, cause marketing, employee volunteering, and grant-making will participate, as will independent, ‘cause committed’ companies whose business models have social good built into their operations. “Leaders from Ford, Motorola, Barefoot Wine, Zhena’s Gypsy Tea, and craigslist are among those who will participate and share insights with SUMMIT attendees,” says Sue Hyatt, founder and CEO of Core Thought and the STRATEGY for GOOD SUMMIT host. “The inaugural STRATEGY for GOOD SUMMIT is designed to inspire companies to get more strategically involved in their communities and to demonstrate the many options available to businesses determined to give back.”

Anyone with internet access and a telephone can participate during live broadcasts. The SUMMIT recordings will be available for free for 48 hours after the live broadcast, and packages of all recordings will be available for purchase after March 5.

The line-up of speakers showcases over 30 business leaders, and will include: Margaret Coady, Director, the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy; Alison DaSilva, Executive Vice President, Research & Insights, Cone Communication, Inc.; Mark Kramer, co-founder and Managing Director, FSG; Ruth Jones, CEO, Social Venture Partners International; Cindy Hallberlin, President & CEO, Good360; Eileen Sweeney, Motorola Mobility Foundation; Zhena Muzyka, Founder and Mistress of Tea, Zhena’s Gypsy Tea; and Michael Houihan and Bonnie Harvey, founders of Barefoot Wine.

For further information and for free registration for the inaugural STRATEGY for GOOD SUMMIT, visit www.strategyforgoodsummit.com. Susan Hyatt can be reached at: shyatt@core-thought.com or 303.512.0808.

Learn practical tools for creating and managing your community investments according to your values, vision, and business goals.

Learn from businesses around the world that are bucking the current economic environment through community investment that works!

Understand the new giving paradigm shift from checkbook philanthropy to  strategic, all-win partnerships.

Be inspired by success stories that give you a powerful vision of what is possible in your business and community.

Understand how to create inspired and loyal employees using your core values.

For five days, 30 of the world’s leading business thinkers, executives, authors and pioneers will come together via a telesummit to share their ideas and tips to help you transform your company’s social mission, business giving and community investment strategies, your life and the world.

MEET SUSAN HYATT, Your SUMMIT Host
Susan is the founder and CEO of CORE THOUGHT, a consulting firm that helps companies transform good intentions into real impact on their communities and their bottom line. She is the author of Strategy for Good: Business Giving Strategies for the 21st Century. Susan’s clients include the Corporation for National and Community Service, CARE, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer International, and USAID. The author travels widely as a trainer, keynote speaker, and avid volunteer in global service projects.