Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy

The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) is the only international forum of business leaders focused on increasing the level and quality of corporate philanthropy. Membership includes more than 180 global CEOs and chairpersons of companies that collectively account for more than 40% of reported corporate giving in the United States.

Membership is by invitation and is renewed annually. CECP provides member companies with peer-to-peer executive convenings, premier networking events for corporate giving industry professionals, cutting-edge research and thought leadership publications, a proprietary, on-demand benchmarking system of corporate philanthropy data, and exclusive media opportunities.

CECP encourages business leaders to use strategically leverage both cash and non-cash resources as a way to find innovative ways to fulfill unmet social needs, to lead the way towards better alignment of business and social strategies, and to serve as business ambassadors.

CECP is intently focused on three guiding principles: representing the CEO voice in corporate philanthropy, encouraging business discipline in the field, and setting the standards for effective philanthropy practice and measurement.

About

Founded in 1999 by Paul Newman, Peter L. Malkin, and John C. Whitehead, CECP's mission is to draw together and empower senior executives of the world’s leading companies to achieve unprecedented progress on societal challenges while driving business performance. CECP continues to inspire and challenge leaders in the private sector to find innovative ways to fulfill unmet societal needs and to lead the way towards better alignment of business and societal strategies.

History

In 1998, Paul Newman approached John C. Whitehead and Peter L. Malkin about creating an organization that would encourage companies to commit greater resources to charitable investments, and CECP was born. In 2000, the group recruited Ken Derr, retired Chevron CEO, to serve as co-chair. CECP has since grown to include more than 180 CEO members — representing 150 major corporations and over $10 billion of annual corporate giving.

CECP is located in New York City; however, its member companies are located across the globe. CECP’s member companies account for more than 40% of reported corporate giving in the United States.

International Corporate Philanthropy Day

International Corporate Philanthropy Day (ICPD) was started by CECP in 2004 to build awareness of corporate-community partnerships and inspire businesses around the world to engage further in philanthropy. ICPD takes place on the fourth Monday in February every year. It is a day for the business community to come together and celebrate its accomplishments in corporate social engagement, build awareness of the benefits of corporate community investment, and inspire companies around the world to engage in giving initiatives.

ICPD is open to the entire corporate giving community, as business leaders, government officials, and nonprofit organizations celebrate a year of leveraged corporate giving investment. ICPD is an opportunity for companies to tell their philanthropy story on an internationally recognized day; to further engage senior management, employees, and nonprofit partners in their giving programs; to raise awareness of the important role of corporate philanthropy in fostering stronger relationships across sectors and to enhance relationships with peers and thought leaders in the corporate giving community.

On ICPD, CECP offers a host of media-friendly events and works with partner agencies to publicize these programs and communicate the overall benefits and importance of corporate philanthropy. CECP representatives ring the New York Stock Exchange Opening Bell to kick off the day's events. Each year, the Empire State Building is lit in blue and green, the colors of ICPD. Since 2007, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the United Nations Office for Partnerships, in conjunction with CECP, has hosted a special program on opportunities for philanthropy to help advance the Millennium Development Goals on ICPD. Since 2005, CECP has organized the Board or Boards CEO Conference in conjunction with ICPD. This conference provides up to 100 CEOs with the opportunity to come together and discuss corporate philanthropy, peer to peer.

CECP Summit

CECP’s annual Summit convenes up to 250 senior corporate philanthropists from many of the world’s most influential companies. Over the course of two days in June, CECP delivers new data and research relevant to corporate philanthropy, presents inspiring keynote speakers such as U.S. President Bill Clinton, General Colin Powell, and Andre Agassi, and offers participants an open forum to discuss the important trends, success stories, and giving priorities affecting corporate philanthropy.

Excellence Awards in Corporate Philanthropy

Every year since 2000, CECP honors two corporations that best exemplify the Standards of Excellence in Corporate Philanthropy: CEO leadership, partnership, dedication to measurement, and innovation. In addition, CECP created the Directors’ Award in 2004 to recognize a distinguished nonprofit organization that has built a highly effective corporate partnership. The Directors’ Award includes a $25,000 cash donation made by CECP directors to the winning nonprofits.

Winners of the Excellence Awards step beyond the traditional boundaries of corporate philanthropy to explore new ways of solving long-standing social problems by creatively use corporate resources like employee time, business partnerships, and product donation. Winning companies have a committed CEO and senior management who serve as active leaders and participants in the program. Winning companies show commitment to measuring and evaluating all aspects of a community investment program as well as social and business results. Excellence Award winners work closely with nonprofit partners to ensure that corporate resources are best leveraged. Past winners include: Kraft Foods, Xylem Inc., Good360, Western Union, Intel Corporation, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Corporate Giving Standard

The Corporate Giving Standard (CGS) is a peer benchmarking tool for corporate giving professionals. Each year through this annual survey, CECP collects and reports data on numerous aspects of corporate giving programs internationally. Launched in 2001, the CGS now features over $60 billion in corporate giving data.

The CGS allows peer-to-peer company comparisons, aggregated industry benchmarks, and internal year-over-year spending analyses. Giving professionals define their own peer groups to create online customized reports, particularly valuable in planning giving strategy and presenting to senior management. The CGS offers immediate, on-demand reporting and benchmarking while preserving the anonymity of each company’s giving data. CECP reviews each company’s data to ensure consistent, accurate reporting. The CGS serves as a solid foundation for strategy development and program evaluation.

Drawn from the CGS, the annual Giving in Numbers report provides thorough analysis and comprehensive benchmarking data for corporate philanthropy professionals seeking to assess the scope of their contributions initiatives.

External links

• Official website