How can you ensure CSR issues are on the board meeting agenda?

1 Identify the relevant CSR issues

Before you can bring CSR issues to the board, you need to identify which ones are most relevant and material for your business. This means conducting a stakeholder analysis, a risk assessment, and a sustainability audit to understand the expectations, challenges, and opportunities related to CSR. You also need to benchmark your performance against industry standards and best practices, and set clear and measurable goals for improvement.

3 Align CSR with the business strategy

Another way to ensure that CSR issues are on the board meeting agenda is to align them with the business strategy and vision. This means showing how CSR can help you achieve your strategic objectives, such as entering new markets, developing new products, or improving your efficiency. You also need to show how CSR can help you address the external factors that affect your business, such as regulatory changes, consumer trends, or social movements.

4 Engage the board members

To get the board members interested and involved in CSR issues, you need to engage them in various ways. This means inviting them to visit your CSR projects, meet your stakeholders, or participate in your CSR events. You also need to solicit their feedback, opinions, and suggestions on your CSR initiatives, and involve them in your CSR governance and reporting. You can also provide them with regular updates, newsletters, or webinars on your CSR progress and challenges.

5 Seek external support

Sometimes, you may need external support to convince the board of the importance of CSR issues. This means seeking endorsements, recommendations, or advice from reputable sources, such as industry associations, experts, consultants, or auditors. You can also leverage the pressure or influence of your customers, investors, regulators, or media to persuade the board to take CSR seriously. You can also join networks, coalitions, or partnerships that promote CSR and share best practices.

6 Monitor and evaluate the impact of CSR

Finally, you need to monitor and evaluate the impact of your CSR activities on your business and society. This means measuring and reporting on your CSR performance, outcomes, and impacts, using indicators, metrics, and standards that are relevant and credible. You also need to compare your results with your goals, expectations, and benchmarks, and identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. You need to share your findings and learnings with the board, and celebrate your achievements and address your challenges.