We’ve talked a lot on this blog about the “why” behind startups committing to corporate social responsibility/doing good. For many founders, the reasons for integrating impact within their business operations may be obvious. What may not be so clear is the “how.”

The world of philanthropy has grown in myriad ways over the past few years. The opportunities to invest in the betterment of the world have grown beyond the typical means, and thereby opened up new ways of increasing impact for every dollar given.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has certainly become part of the mainstream. Businesses across industries have made increasing investments in support of their ESG goals, and there’s been widespread backlash against companies who haven’t demonstrated a commitment to stakeholders beyond shareholders.

We are in the midst of a literacy crisis. Last year, the first national assessment of fourth graders’ reading since the pandemic illuminated the devastating impact COVID had on reading skill development, as students faced the largest decline in scores in 30 years.

2022 proved to be a year in the world of venture capital that people will talk about for decades to come. After the record-breaking year of 2021, the challenges of 2022 in the VC world were dramatic, obscuring the fact that the metrics of industry activity overall were strong.

“Impact” has never been a more important topic to CEOs. After maneuvering through years riddled with widespread social unrest, racial injustice, and climate change, companies have been tasked with conducting business ethically and in support of positive change. With this focus, the role of a Chief Impact Officer (CIO - not to be confused with Chief Investment Officer, Chief Information Officer or Chief Innovation Officer…)