Making the Case for Corporate Community Engagement

Legal, Accounting, and Business Strategy Considerations

Madden DeGarmo Manion, Meghan D. Hely Walsh, Jeffrey Senne, and Spring Taylor Lacy

Manion opened the panel by discussing employee engagement with respect to sustainability, saying, “we really think about employee engagement as a key driver of the sweet spot for companies—it connects the employees' passion and interest with community need and with company interest.” She added that it also improves morale, noting that companies have saved $2,400 per engaged employee in decreased turnover and increased productivity. Employees who participate in skills-based engagement also increase leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. She also said that millennials and consumers are increasingly advocating for companies to have community engagement programs.