So Much More Than Just a Tick!

Is your business genuinely “giving back” or are you just ticking a checklist?

There is rightly an expectation that successful businesses will contribute to the well-being of those less fortunate and, in the war for talent, one of the questions asked most often by sought-after candidates at job interviews is “What CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) do you do?”. But whether we call it “Giving Back” or “Paying It Forward”, this is about much more than just sympathy or ticking a box on a CSR Checklist. 

At the BNI^® Foundation, we believe the best way to make an impact is to focus on children and their education, because while children are only 20% of the population, they are 100% of our future.

As adults they will be our customers, suppliers, employees, teachers, doctors, and leaders. We will look to them to finance our pensions, purchase our businesses, and find solutions for the problems in our world which we have either caused, ignored for too long or simply been unable to solve ourselves.

– Kevin Barber, Chairman of BNI Foundation with former manager and player Jürgen Klopp

The impact on networking groups, small businesses, and individual business owners can exceed even their greatest expectations. In 2014, a colleague of mine reached the final stages of a father and son soccer tournament. The winning teams were to receive their prizes from Jürgen Klopp, the top soccer trainer in Germany at the time, who went on to achieve great success with Liverpool in the English Premier League. We asked if we could get 5 minutes with the “great man” if we promised a donation of €1.000 to the local children’s cancer hospital and, to our surprise, his management agreed.  

When the games were over and the prizes awarded, we handed over our check and smiled for the cameras. He was running late and about to leave, when management reminded him “Jürgen, we promised!” Impatiently he asked, “So what’s this about?” I asked him to tell me more about the children’s hospital and why he took his team there. “Hang on, did you just give me money?” he replied. “Thank you, normally people just want something from me. What would you like to know?” 

His eyes lit up and he talked passionately about the children and how excited they were to spend time with such famous sportsmen. We were no longer a legendary sports personality and a BNI® Director, but two human beings with a shared passion.  I looked at my watch and reminded him he needed to leave. “Gosh, yes, thank you” He said. And then came the magic words – So what do you do? A few weeks later, he was voted Germany’s most marketable face of 2014, and we had the worldwide picture rights for €1000! 

Whether we call it giving back, paying it forward or just caring, there is no doubt that doing good can be for good for business too. Business people who invest business time, money, and resources in supporting their local community are entitled to expect a business return, which often has 3 parts:

• A warm feeling in our hearts (yes, we all need that from time to time!)
• Visibility in the press, social media and via word of mouth
• A growing network – we connect with people we would otherwise never have met

And what will people who help do if helping leads to more business? They’re likely to help even more!

Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself: Are you truly contributing to the growth and strength of the community where you live and work? Are you genuinely making a difference? If you realize you’ve been simply “checking the box” and want support to create a real impact, let us know—that’s exactly why we’re here! 

(Kevin Barber, Executive Director BNI Germany Southwest, Chairman, The BNI Foundation Worldwide)