Canadian Business for Social Responsibility

Founded in 1995, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) is, according to its Web site, a nonprofit, business-led, national membership organization of Canadian companies that have made a commitment to operate in a socially, environmentally, and financially responsible manner, recognizing the interests of their stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, business partners, local communities, the environment, and society at large. Its vision statement is to be Canada's leading voice for corporate social responsibility (CSR), harnessing the power of business to create positive change. Its mission statement is to offer practical services and tools [Page 253]to assist Canadian businesses to improve their performance in support of CSR. CBSR members have three guiding principles: (i) implementing and acting on socially, environmentally, and financially responsible policies and practices; (ii) ensuring shared prosperity of shareholders, staff, the environment, as well as local and international communities; and (iii) fostering an exchange of ideas and information within the business communities.

There are three types of members of CBSR: founding members, sustaining members, and regular members. CBSR currently has more than 140 members representing many of Canada's largest corporations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. The members vary in location across Canada, as well as in size and sector.

One of CBSR's primary activities is the provision of advisory services to help organizations achieve their CSR goals. Different advisory areas that are worked on by CBSR include the following: board and senior executive engagement, research and benchmarking, CSR assessments, stakeholder engagement, CSR strategy and planning, training and education, management tools and systems, and policy and program development. CBSR's advisory services attempts to help companies answer the following four questions: (1) How do you engage your employees in CSR, from frontline staff to senior executives? (2) How do you develop your “random acts of goodness” into a strong and cohesive CSR strategy? (3) How do you communicate your CSR achievements internally and externally? (4) How do you develop the business case for CSR in your company?

CBSR also engages in a number of other projects and activities each year, including the hosting of conferences developing CSR tools and methodologies, as well as the provision of CSR research reports. Examples of some of CBSR's current or past projects include the following: Human Rights: Everyone's Business, Building Sustainable Relationships: Aboriginal Engagement and Sustainability, and the Small and Medium Size Enterprises Program.

The organization takes a collaborative approach to its activities and has entered into partnerships with a number of other CSR-related organizations from around the world including international CSR networks, government agencies, industry associations, educational institutions, the media, and nongovernmental organizations. For example, CBSR considers the U.S.-based Business for Social Responsibility to be one of its many partners. CBSR has offices in both Vancouver, British Columbia, and Toronto, Ontario.