Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit a Story/Case Study?
To submit your case story/case study, please email [email protected]
What prompted this initiative?
Over the past ten years, we noticed a disturbing trend. More and more of our young have expressed disdain and negative views of the private sector. They blame many of societal concerns (income inequality, racial disparities, environmental injustice, etc.) on the private sector leaders' greed. Students hear this message from a myriad of sources including public schools, the media, government agencies and entertainment. Unfortunately, private sector leaders have not proactively defended their governance. Instead, they have ignored the discussion, hoping the protests and complaints never surface on their company’s doorstep.
Now is the time for our positive messages to intentionally and proactively be expressed to our young. After all, they will soon become our employees, suppliers, teachers, investors and perhaps our colleagues. The negative messages from the other sources have not stopped. This initiative is a chance to control the message through a medium of our choosing. It is our goal to have a long-term impact on corporate governance and society in general.
Who is hosting the challenges, case study analyses, mentoring, internship matching, etc.?
Guided Compass, a work-based technology platform, will be hosting all the NACD Pacific Southwest chapter initiatives at no charge. All registration and participation fees for this initiative will be waived. The firm has considerable experience in the work-based learning industry, as it has operating agreements with numerous work-based learning organizations including Los Angeles Unified School District, Bixel Exchange with the LA Chamber of Commerce, UNITE-LA and others. It is currently in talks with other educational institutions in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona (the footprint of the NACD Pacific Southwest chapter). It is a national organization that currently operates in several states, including Michigan, Washington, and Missouri.
What are the guidelines for submitting an ESG story/case study?
Interested corporate directors who wish to submit a written ESG-related story/case study for students to analyze should follow the template and case study guidelines indicated below. An example of a properly formatted case study is provided HERE.
Typically, a case study is a problem that the submitter’s company has experienced.
Guidelines:
*Must be between 1,000 and 1,500 words in length
*Must include a short summary description of the situation (e.g. 150 words)
*Must include background information about the company and industry
*Must include contact information (i.e. name, company name, email address, telephone)
*Must include description of your role with the company
The solution to the ESG-related problem, if there is one, will not be shared with the student or teacher until after the case study analysis lesson is completed, and only with the expressed approval of the case study submitter. A description of the solution is optional and does not count towards the 1,500 maximum word limit.
What is a common approach to creating an ESG-related story/case study?
The approach that most corporate directors take to create their ESG-related story/case study is to first review the company’s sustainability report. It typically provides numerous sources that can form the basis for a case study. Crafting the case study from that source is straightforward as you only need to structure the story in the format described above and submit to our repository at [email protected] Our team will finalize the document and make it available for classroom analysis and learning.
Among the common ESG topics that can be gleaned from your companies’ operations are:
Environmental (E) - Waste Minimization, Renewables, Climate Change, Water Resources, Energy Resources, Pollution
Social(S) - Diversity & Inclusion, Health & Safety, Human Rights, Supply Chain Diversity, Community Engagement, Political Engagement
Governance (G) - Compensation, Shareholder Engagement, Capital Allocation, Disclosures/Transparency, Change of Control, Employee Engagement
All ESG-related stories should be submitted to [email protected]
What are the benefits of submitting an ESG-related story/case study?
Most companies are eager to communicate about the good that their companies are doing in society, as evidenced by the significant rise in the number of sustainability reports and the increased disclosures of ESG (environmental, social and governance) activities. Submitting an ESG-related story/case study is another channel to tell your positive ESG-related stories. This channel is focused on our youth, as opposed to the investor community. Your submission can have long-term positive impacts for society. Moreover, it enhances the corporate reputation of your company in the minds of those who will become our employees, suppliers, investors and business associates.
How do I donate and how will my donation be used?
To donate to this CSR Initiative, please click on the “Donate” button displayed on this website. You will be taken to the donate screen where you can enter your credit card information and your desired donation amount. Alternatively, you can mail a personal check to our chapter address, 409 North Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 565, Redondo Beach, CA 90277.
All donations to this CSR Initiative are tax deductible. The NACD Pacific Southwest chapter is an independently recognized 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. The objective is to educate the public about best practices of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. Most of our programs are dedicated to corporate directors. However, this CSR Initiative is devoted to the education of our youth, i.e., high school and community college students, as we seek to protect the long-term viability of the corporate governance industry.
Donations to this CSR Initiative will be used to cover the cost of planning and executing educational events, packaging educational curricula for youth workforce development programs, and hosting student challenges (where teams compete to solve societal problems through a private sector lens). Significant interface with work-based learning coordinators associated with public schools and various employer representatives is required to effectively execute these activities. The majority of the donations will be awarded as cash prizes to students who win the student challenges that are planned and executed by the NACD Pacific Southwest chapter. Finally, a portion of the donations will be used to hire student interns who will work directly on advancing this initiative.
Are there opportunities for my company to become a sponsor?
Yes. Corporate directors who bring their companies on board to sponsor this initiative will be sponsoring at $5,000 each year. Sponsors will have their logos prominently displayed on the sponsor page for all programs, challenges and marketing materials related to this initiative. CSR sponsors should indicate their interest by clicking on the DONATE button on this website.
Note: Individuals who donate to this CSR Initiative will be recognized on our donors list.
The NACD Pacific Southwest chapter has four different types of sponsors – Chapter Sponsors, Roundtable Sponsors, Annual Symposium Sponsors and now the CSR Initiative Sponsors. Parties interested in one of these sponsorship opportunities should contact our Chapter Executive Director, Anne Ettley, directly at [email protected] to receive the sponsorship opportunities package(s).
Is there a cost for students to participate in NACD Pacific Southwest chapter CSR Initiative activities?
No. There is no cost for students or educational institutions to participate in our CSR Initiative activities. All associated fees have been waived by Guided Compass. The case study analyses in which students will engage as a result of your submission will be unique learning opportunities provided by your generosity. It is a significant way to give back to society.