Corporate Social Responsibility (read time: 17 min)

Written By Second Day

So you want to work in Corporate Social Responsibility?

It is undeniable that corporations are a powerful force in the United States and worldwide--creating jobs, employing millions of people, and influencing the state of our politics and economics. While a lot of that work is focused on their bottom line, corporations have gotten increasingly involved in the social sector over the past decade, giving more than $20B per year to nonprofits and standing up for social justice issues in politics and the media.

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) team is charged with harnessing the potential of the corporation to have a positive impact in the world. The CSR team works to mobilize a corporation’s money for good and also employs its skilled volunteers and a corporate megaphone to make a positive impact in society. Working in CSR often has very low turnover because the job is a coveted blend of social impact and high salaries. It is also one of the hardest fields to break into at an entry-level that Second Day has analyzed.

If this career path sounds exciting to you, this guide will take you through everything you need to know about working in CSR. To inform our work, Second Day has spoken to experts in the field and gathered the best information out there for upcoming and recent graduates. First, the guide will take you through the different entry-level positions to look out for in this field. Then, we’ll provide tips on actually getting those jobs in CSR. We’ll finish with our next three steps: actionable items you can take to make progress towards finding your first job in CSR. Let’s get started!

This guide was written by Phil Dearing in partnership with the Second Day team.

Many thanks to experts in the field who supported this work:

  • Michael Bigley, Director, Venable Foundation

  • Julie Hodgson, Program Officer, Citi Foundation

  • Elle Kang, Program Manager, Google.org

What types of jobs exist in CSR?

The work of a CSR team

The work of a CSR team varies broadly depending on the company’s focus and size. Small companies might have a CSR initiative that is run by one person or a part-time consultant, while massive corporations may have a dozen or more staff on an in-house CSR team. CSR work is often closely aligned to what the organization does: a grocery store in Houston will likely be involved in food-related causes in Texas, while a bank in Boston might focus more on financial literacy initiatives. You can often learn a lot about the incentives behind a company’s CSR initiatives by learning about the department where it is housed: marketing, government relations, business development, etc. This work is also not always called “CSR” specifically. Other names include corporate citizenship, community investment, community relations, sustainability, employee engagement, corporate affairs, and ESG compliance. In general though, a CSR team will focus on a few key areas:

DONATIONS AND INVESTMENTS

These activities are primarily focused on providing grants and in-kind gifts to nonprofits and other community organizations. Gifts are generally given through a corporate foundation: a private foundation funded by the company that has its own budget and mission. Businesses can also give money without a corporate foundation, and some use multiple vehicles for their giving. It is the responsibility of the CSR team to source, screen, and manage relationships with potential donors. This team determines where and how to give their limited budget to do the most good. Some corporate foundations are very focused on a specific cause, while others will have five or more different areas that they fund. Staff are often charged with coming up with recommendations that are approved by a board or committee on a regular cadence (usually monthly or quarterly). In general, CSR teams do not have time for extensive community engagement and do not engage directly with grantees.


PARTNERSHIPS AND PROMOTIONS

Beyond monetary partnerships, a CSR team will look for opportunities to raise the visibility of social impact organizations and promote their work. This can include free advertising, collaborating on events, or other forms of support. Much of CSR is “brand building” for the company--businesses want their consumers to know they are doing good work for their community. CSR teams need to think critically about their organization’s brand throughout their choices about giving and partnerships—assessing which nonprofits are both doing impactful work and align well with the company’s brand and activities. Of the largest 250 companies in the world, more than 90 percent publish annual CSR reports full of glossy photos and flowery messaging around strengthening communities and minimizing environmental impacts. While a CSR team might not be charged with the actual communications or graphic design work, a strong understanding of communications and brand work is critical ot translate the work your CSR team does into promotional materials.


EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEERING

Over the past decade, corporate employees have been making more and more pro-social demands of their employers. While recruiting, many businesses have learned to lean into the good work of their CSR team to help attract talent. Once employees arrive at their employer, many seek opportunities to use the resources and platform of their company to help their community.  CSR teams are vital to this process in two main ways: by matching donations and by developing volunteer opportunities.

Most large companies have employee matching initiatives. This means that if an employee donates up to a certain amount to a nonprofit, the company will often match that donation themselves. The exact mechanics of this process vary—with some organizations limiting matching to certain causes and others having a wide range of how proactively the organization encourages employees to donate. The CSR team is typically charged with designing, promoting, and implementing these employee matching initiatives. They can be a great way to stay flexible and keep the buy-in of employees whose interests span a wide range of causes.

Another common responsibility of CSR teams is coordinating employee volunteers. Organized volunteer opportunities are a common tool for corporations to support local nonprofits, connect their employees to the community, and (of course) take photos for their promotional materials. Corporate volunteering work varies quite widely in scale, scope, and effectiveness. Some organizations do huge days of service while others focus on promoting one-off volunteer opportunities. Some companies work to ensure their employees' skills match the needs of the places they volunteer, and others will send a group of IT specialists to a soup kitchen. Some corporate foundations will require their grantees to develop and manage volunteer opportunities for the corporation's staff. In addition to CSR teams coordinating these volunteer activities in-house, a number of platforms have also emerged to facilitate skilled volunteer matching such as Catchafire, Taproot, and Inspire.


INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ESG

Large companies have increasingly focused on making their internal practices and operations more beneficial and/or less harmful to the planet, their community, and their employees. Some organizations have an ESG (Environment, Social, Governance)team, while others combine the ESG and CSR teams. In general, this facet of CSR work involves measuring the environmental and social impacts of a company and developing potential solutions to improve that impact. The influence of a CSR or ESG team doing this work varies widely depending on company leadership. At some organizations, these teams can feel more symbolic than helpful--producing reports that may or may not yield action. At other companies, this work can deeply inform the strategy of the organization and lead to actionable recommendations. For some organizations, Sustainability Officers might even be embedded within departments to drive forward social impact within the company's operations. If you want to learn more about internal sustainability and ESG work, see Second Day’s has an ESG career guide here.

For a more detailed picture on the day to day work, check out this resource from a couple members of the Google.Org team

Potential roles in CSR

OVERVIEW

The titles for CSR positions are inconsistent and can be hard to identify. In general, an entry-level role will be titled “coordinator,” “analyst,” or “associate.” This could mean a CSR Associate, a Community Engagement Coordinator, a Sustainability Analyst, a Community Investment Manager, a Corporate Philanthropy Officer, a Grants Manager, a Social Impact Associate, or some combination of the above. Because the job titles, requirements, and responsibilities vary so widely from company to company, it is important to read the job descriptions to understand what the role will entail. Your responsibilities will often be some combination of the four categories listed in the previous section.


GENERALIST VS SPECIALIST

One important distinction across CSR positions is generalist roles vs specialist roles. At larger companies, there are roles that will allow you to specialize in specific elements of a company’s CSR work. For example, you could focus on employee engagement, partnerships, or managing the grant process. For smaller companies, roles often cover a wider range of responsibilities since the scale of CSR activities tends to be smaller. As you consider this career path, ask yourself whether you are more excited by the potential to influence larger budgets and volunteer teams or whether you want to more quickly influence the strategy and programs of a smaller operation. Sometimes, the answer can be a combination of both over the course of your career!


CONSULTANTS

This guide has only covered working in-house on a company’s CSR team, but there is a small industry of consultants that work with companies to develop CSR strategies and implement them effectively. Many of the bigger strategy consulting firms like Bain and Deloitte have teams that specialize in CSR strategy, but there are also a range of smaller CSR-specific consulting firms like South Pole, Wachs, and the Altruist League. It can often be hard to get into CSR-specific work at the big consulting firms (since everyone wants to do it), so we recommend looking for positions at smaller CSR consulting firms. Lots of social impact consulting firms also do some corporate consulting, see Second Day’s social impact consulting career guide for more information. The advice in the guide on getting roles at smaller social impact consulting firms largely applies to these CSR-specific firms as well.

CSR by the numbers (pay and hours)

Working in CSR will have busy times and less busy times, but the work generally revolves around a typical 9-5 work week. Some roles are more internally project management focused, while other roles will involve a meeting heavy schedule. Salary varies by industry, location, and size of the organization. Entry-level CSR roles will often start at around $50k per year but can range up to $70K or $80K.

How to get a job in CSR

What to demonstrate in your application

Because CSR teams are so small and jobs are so competitive, entry-level roles are hard to come by. However, they certainly do exist! While some jobs are posted widely on job boards, many roles are filled through word of mouth. So if this field is of interest to you, it is critical to conduct as many informational interviews as you can to learn more about trends in the industry and start building up a network. The job application process is fairly typical, with a few rounds of interviews and perhaps a basic work sample. Hiring is generally done when there is a vacancy on the team (rather than predetermined hiring cycles). Below are some key tips on how to navigate the process.

  • Demonstrate your skills: CSR teams overall need to be good at communicating recommendations to board members, working across departments, and analyzing information about potential partners. But remember, the amount of emphasis each organization puts on the different facets of a CSR role change with each company. As a result, it is critical to tailor your application specifically to the job description. The skills needed to do grant management, for example, are very different from what is needed to coordinate volunteers. As you apply, be sure to communicate that you can execute on the specifics of the role, you’re eager to come up with new ideas and solutions, and you are ready to plug into the existing great work of the team.

  • Understand the nuances of the team: Throughout the process, it is important to show that you understand the nuances of the field and the CSR work that the organization does. Before an informational interview or writing a cover letter, do a bit of internet research to learn more about where the organization focuses its CSR work. You will stand out as a candidate if you convey a nuanced understanding of the company’s approach and are able to suggest additional programs or interventions that align with their strategy. While internships are very rare, some organizations might be open to you pitching yourself as a part-time or volunteer intern.

  • Be open to a role that isn’t focused on monetary donations: Many people interested in CSR teams are focused on the money that corporations donate, but that often only represents a small fraction of the work of the team. If you are excited about other roles in employee engagement or communications, it can be easier to get your foot in the door. Because CSR teams are so small, there is often an opportunity to pivot towards other areas of work over time.

  • Think about internal mobility within an organization: It can often be easier to pivot onto a CSR team from inside a company than to begin your career in CSR. Go the extra mile to get involved in volunteering opportunities and internally network with the current CSR team, seeing if there are other ways you can get involved beyond the typical volunteering. If you are at a smaller organization without robust CSR, consider organizing initiatives yourself--coordinate volunteering events, pitch senior leaders on the case for charitable donations, and think about other opportunities that both benefit the organization and the world. Many startups begin implementing CSR strategies once they reach a series B or series C funding round, so look out for non-CSR roles at startups of this “age.” If you can be there at the right time (aka when senior leadership begins to consider CSR), then you can play a strong role in shaping a lasting strategy for your organization.

Read about trends in the industry: There are a number of publications that write about corporate social responsibility that are worth reading if you want to know more about the field. Corporate Knights, CSRwire, and TriplePundit all post regularly about the latest CSR and ESG news. Many business schools will also do research and host events focused on the CSR field. The Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is a great place to start since it is one of the few centers specifically focused on the CSR industry.

BONUS! Understanding the nuance of CSR work

Why are some people skeptical of CSR work?

Some people in social change roll their eyes when discussing CSR. Researchers have focused on how CSR can too often be a public relations tool that creates an impression that a business is doing far more social good than it actually is. In fact, some researchers have found that the increased influence in society from corporations can lead to negative consequences like lower environmental regulation or corporate taxes that far outweigh the positive initiatives. The biggest criticism often comes from the contrast between a company’s business practices and the social good practices that it voluntarily engages in.

For an example, think about the super bowl commercial that Doordash did in 2021. In the ad, DoorDash announced that the company will donate $1 to the Sesame Workshop for every order placed that weekend, up to one million dollars. What is left unsaid is that they spent about seven million dollars to produce the ad and reserve the commercial slot during the super bowl. What’s more, many find it upsetting to see Doordash messaging around supporting local businesses, when many are decrying their high fees for restaurants, classification of workers as low-paying contractors with no benefits, and predatory practices that list restaurants that haven’t agreed to sign up.

With this example in mind, you can see how CSR could potentially perpetuate harm by easing pressure for businesses to change otherwise problematic practices. Additional examples include oil and gas organizations spending huge sums to promote very small renewable energy programs or companies spending money promoting their carbon offset programs where the credibility behind them is sketchy at best. In fact, corporations have grown so brazen in promoting social initiatives with no follow through that the SEC announced that they are forming a new taskforce to investigate ESG-related misconduct.


Why are some people optimistic about CSR work?

It is possible to paint all corporations as focused exclusively on profit at the cost of negative externalities for society. With that view, CSR is the tip of the spear, cynically focused on advertising and public relations to distract consumers while the organization continues perpetuating harm. But that isn’t the full story. Many organizations are authentically trying to improve their business practices. Over the past decade and particularly in the past few years, there has been a rising tide of change within corporations to think more about their business practices and not just short-term profit. CSR teams are increasingly gaining the authority to focus on measuring and improving the internal practices of their companies. Heightened employee activism has led to major wins across industries.

What this means is that CSR of the past doesn’t necessarily dictate CSR of the future. There is still tremendous potential for corporations to be a force for good (or at least to do less harm). The mythical ‘win-win’ can still be possible in many areas, so effective CSR leaders can work to identify those areas that help the company but also do good in the real world. Donating millions of dollars to worthy causes can be great for those causes, regardless of whether they also give good press to the organization making that donation. A recent Freakonomics podcast goes more into depth on some of the potential and pitfalls of CSR work. This Council on Foundations report also provides a more detailed look.

Who might thrive in these roles

CSR roles are wide-ranging and the skills required to get the job vary considerably. But these three characteristics are critical to not just getting the job, but harnessing the potential of a CSR team to do good in the world.

You can thrive in a corporate setting. If you show up to work at a corporation expecting to transform it overnight, you will be sorely disappointed. New initiatives take time and political savvy to implement. To thrive in these roles, it is important to keep social change in mind without losing sight of the business needs of the organization. You will need to pitch organizational leadership on the business case for new investments and get employee buy-in for this work as well. Implementing ideas will require complicated coordination with other teams and handling longer timelines. Successfully getting something done will require both communicating the vision and doing the more menial tasks required to make it happen.

You have some issue-area interest or expertise. If you have done a lot of research and systems mapping on issues like education or the environment, you might be able to identify leverage points where the organization can make a bigger difference. Knowing which organizations are doing critical work that is underfunded or thinking about new business practice ideas can go a long way to authentically making an impact. If you can pair knowledge of business needs with true social change, then you might help advance corporations past performative actions.

You can empathize with community organizations and what they need. Because of the skewed power dynamic, it can be hard for corporate philanthropy to understand what nonprofits and community organizations really need. Far too often, strapped organizations create tons of unnecessary work for themselves to host volunteer or mentor opportunities for corporations just because they are hoping for a donation. Having experience working at nonprofits or at least the ability to deeply understand their experience can go a long way to developing initiatives that both engage employees and help social impact organizations.

Having a mix of these skills can be a superpower in a CSR career. If you are laser-focused on social change but can’t handle the bureaucracy, then you will burn out quickly (or be forced out). If you can handle bureaucracy but don’t have the other skills we have mentioned, you won’t be as effective at harnessing the power of CSR to do good. As a result, Second Day generally recommends pivoting into CSR careers after a few years of working rather than launching yourself directly into this field. Of course, you can jump between different roles or build skills through reading and volunteering, but having some experience working directly in social change can help make you a more effective CSR leader.

Exit opportunities

Oftentimes, working in CSR is the destination rather than a springboard. It is more often a role for folks who are later on in their career or intend to stay for decades. If you want to stay in CSR, you will likely take on more responsibilities, seniority, and trust over time. However, because of low turnover and small teams, there is less of a focus on climbing the ladder in terms of actual job titles. Many CSR folks will have the same title for years at a time. The world of CSR is relatively small, so there are lots of opportunities to pivot to other organizations.

However, if you do take an entry-level CSR role and want to pivot out of that work, there are a number of options. Some folks shift from CSR roles to working for philanthropy or government to disperse funding. This can use a similar skill set, but with different incentives and motivations behind them. Others pivot into working directly for nonprofits or community organizations, often using their network and knowledge of funder incentives to help that organization gather resources more effectively. Of course, there is always room for more radical transitions either through advanced degrees or networking to position your skillset accordingly.

Next three steps

  1. Read more about the potential and challenges of CSR work. Think about the role that you think you can most effectively play in this space.

  2. Chart your path accordingly. If you want to go straight into CSR work, focus on networking and finding relevant entry-level roles. If you want to do other work first, consider having conversations with CSR folks now to get their advice on setting yourself up well for a future pivot.

  3. Stay engaged in the latest trends in CSR through the publications such as Corporate Knights, CSRwire, and TriplePundit. This will keep you up to date and may surface new ideas or angles for you to get involved in this work.

BONUS resource from CSR professional Kavell Brown

Kavell has created his own amazing resource of CSR career tips that you can check out here!

Last updated: Dec 2022

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