Dear Friends,

At long last and with amazing gratitude, it is our pleasure to welcome Corporate Karma; How business can move forward by giving back... into the world. For those of you who have been beside us along this journey, we thank you. For those of you new to Orenda, we welcome you.

We’re at an exciting time and place in our growth and in the evolving world of corporate philanthropy. If you haven’t visited the website recently, we invite you to take a look... www.orendaconnections.com ... you’ll see that we are growing up!

We thought it made sense to combine the announcement of Corporate Karma, with the introduction of The Orenda Connection.

As we go about our business of strategically connecting company and cause, we come across all kinds of stories that inspire. We want to share those with you. Combining stories and articles of interest with current events and buzz in the world of strategic corporate philanthropy, we’ve designed this newsletter to inform, educate, motivate and celebrate. We hope you find it valuable and inspiring! We also hope you’ll forward it to others who share our collective vision for connecting companies and causes.

We’re thrilled to welcome you to Volume 1 of The Orenda Connection.

Peggie Pelosi
Vision Keeper- Orenda Connections

Corporate Karma: How business can move forward by giving back

This is the first-ever book to focus exclusively on how corporate philanthropy can create inspired workplaces. It is both a “why to” and a “how to” book exploring why corporate philanthropy makes sense in today’s workplaces and featuring case studies and step by step tips that highlight how to create philanthropy programs that energize and inspire employees, including:

• Leading philanthropy programs by building credibility and trust
• Connecting companies to the right causes and non-profit partners
• Engaging management, employees, key customers and stakeholders in philanthropy initiatives
• How to know if you’re making an impact
• Sustaining philanthropy initiatives over the long term

The book is a launching pad to help businesses establish “emotional profit centers” that deliver bottom-line results—to the company, its employees and the world. I look forward to sharing it with you and am eager to gather your feedback.

For more information on Corporate Karma or to purchase a copy, click here

Companies that Inspire: Verity Women reach out to the community

What happens when you develop an upscale private women’s club in the heart of one of the country's toughest inner-city neighbourhoods? An opportunity for women to reach out and inspire each other.

Verity, a private women’s club in downtown Toronto, is committed to helping women meet their potential. One of the most significant benefits Verity provides is the opportunity for its female members to interact, network and learn from each other. Upon opening its doors in 2004, Verity realized that truly living its mission would mean extending the philosophy beyond its walls and taking its mission into the community.

The Salvation Army’s 614 Regent Park Corps. is situated in Toronto’s inner-city, adjacent to the largest housing project in Canada—right around the corner from Verity.

The partnership between Verity and 614 Regent Park stands as a model for what successful corporate/non-profit partnerships are built on, including:

• Mission Match
• Chemistry
• Size and Scope

Mission Match:
Because Verity stands for the incredible transformations that happen when women invest in each other, networking is intrinsic to its philosophy and programming. 

Like Verity, 614 Regent Park is invested in the power of relationships: “We send people to people—not places” emphasizes Sandra Ryan, 614’s leader. For 614 Regent Park this means an emphasis on community members helping one another rather than a reliance on “top-down” social service programs.

Through their networks, Verity and 614’s leaders bring together women and girls and provide them with opportunities to learn from each other. Though these women’s lives operate in different spheres, the partnership allows their worlds to intersect. In turn, both organizations grow closer to fulfilling their true missions.

Chemistry:
When Verity’s leadership approached the partnership by asking Ryan what the women served by the Salvation Army really needed, she was convinced that Verity was the right partner.  Likewise, Verity’s leaders quickly saw that Ryan and her husband Geoff used their deep roots in the community to reach out in a meaningful way.

The partnership began with an annual Christmas event for a group of the Salvation Army’s women and their children. It was a festive evening at Verity including face painting and clowns. Both groups of women shared a meaningful exchange that left them wanting more.

After the success of the Christmas event, Ryan and Verity’s founder Mary Aitken debriefed. They came up with a weekly event where 12 women would attend Verity’s spa, hosted by members who could engage in informal mentoring.

Both agreed these spa days would need to be about far more than primping and pampering. They created an initiative that leveraged Verity’s beautiful physical space and professional membership to offer less fortunate women informal mentoring, support and self-esteem building.

The chemistry between these leaders has extended into each organization, enabling the relationship to grow organically. One Verity member, a psychotherapist, proposed that the weekly spa be expanded to include a weekly girl's program. The program was quickly adopted.

Other members have created a program for Verity members to regularly donate clothing to the Regent Park women. Others have started a girl's knitting group.

On the flip side, several daughters of Verity members regularly volunteer at 614’s gym.

The possibilities remain endless because the relationship works.

Size and Scope:
Both Verity and 614 Regent Park are small and grassroots in nature. Their similar size has created a closeness rarely seen in non-profit/corporate partnerships.

The relatively small size of both organizations means their leaders interface directly. There’s never a question about who the right contact person is or where accountability lies. These are both organizations where the leaders are actively involved in day-to-day operations.

In addition, rather than holding fundraising events for a large organization, Verity has been able provide tangible, grassroots experiences for its members. These kinds of experiences are “so much better than writing a cheque” says Verity’s Director of Sales Susan Chapman, adding “our 600 members are incredibly talented. We were looking for an opportunity for our members to share what they have.”

Because of the hands-on nature of the partnership, Verity’s members have been inspired by the tenacity, vitality and resilience of the women and girls they’ve mentored. Sandra Ryan puts it best when she says “when you pour yourself into someone’s life you’re never left unchanged.”

www.verity.ca

Food for Thought: The CEO of Whole Foods and the late Milton Friedman debate arguments for and against corporate giving

When it comes to corporate philanthropy, there is no figure cited more often than economist Milton Friedman. In his now famous article for The New York Times Magazine, Friedman. boldly claimed that: "there is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits."

Prior to his death this past November, Friedman engaged in a spirited debate with John Mackey, CEO and Founder of Whole Foods, who argues that a company must create value for all of its stakeholders—including customers, employees, suppliers, and the community.

The full text of this article is invaluable to those who want to better understand the nuances of the debate Friedman helped spark, and what’s behind Whole Foods’ long-standing commitment to community.

World Water Day: March 22, 2007
One third of the world’s population is now short of water. 1.1 billion people have no access to a safe and adequate water supply. 2 million people - mostly children under 5 years of age - die every year due to water-borne diseases. These problems are preventable. We can help.
 
Click here to visit Global Giving for more information.

“Peggie Pelosi brings her unique experience of building the reputation, culture and revenues of a major corporation with leadership skills that include corporate philanthropy. Her message is a unique one, complete with practical advice- showing us how to succeed in a way that inspires.”

Dr. Lance H.K. Secretan
The Secretan Center