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Doing Business, Doing Good
Working social responsibility into your business plan can result in a win-win situation for your business and your community
By Amy Spiezio

The ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital is a DC-10 that has become a mobile training center and eye heath education resource. On an ORBIS program in Kingston, Jamaica, Drs. Richard Duffey and Mildred Olivier

There are myriad reasons to get involved in philanthropy, from growing your relationships with employees and business partners to building your brand with the public. While at first glance, it may seem that philanthropy goes against the basic principles of business—you are working to make money, not give it away—doing good helps grow your business on a number of levels, most of them leading back to the bottom line.

Crunching the numbers shows that good works make good business sense. According to The Points of Light Foundation's "The Corporate Volunteer Program as a Strategic Resource:"

• 53 percent of companies agree that employee volunteering provides a way to implement corporate business goals.

• 74 percent of companies agree employee volunteering is a means to improve a company's image.

• 56 percent of companies strongly agree employee volunteering is a way to help employee morale.

The following is a guide to getting started in philanthropy and how eyecare is finding the positives in philanthropic works.

INSPIRED PARTICIPATION

Between telethons, golf outings, charity auctions, and ongoing volunteer commitments, it seems like there is no end of requests on businesspeople for donations of goods, time, and money. Options for philanthropic programs cover approaches including direct giving, working with a local or national charity or service, creating a foundation, or employee outreach. Whether signing up with a national organization or creating an individual effort, "It does good either way you go about it," says Ann Getman, APR, principal of Getman Strategic Communications in Cambridge, Mass.

Unlike many industries, optical has an intuitive option for philanthropy—helping to build eyecare awareness here and abroad.

The Scojo Foundation's partners Scott Berrie (l) and Jordan Kassalow (r) with Oliver People's Ken Schwartz on a mission in India

Nearly 20 years ago, Give the Gift of Sight's vice president Susan Knobler was working at Lenscrafters and wanted to bring her child-of-the-60s good works into the workplace. Thus was born the Give the Gift of Sight program. Today, it is expanding to include Luxottica employees and the firm's wholesale partners as well.

"It's in our field, it's philanthropy. Our success is directly driving our wish to give back to the community," says Pierre Fay, senior vice president of Luxottica Group. "We are now involving our wholesale customers, and there will be different ways to participate."

Marchon's president, Al Berg, was struck by the good work undertaken by ORBIS' flying eye hospital and was able to use his company's well-known brand partners to raise the awareness of the cause in the U.S. "Marchon helps people look better. Marchon helps people see better. ORBIS helps people see," notes Berg, who was recently awarded the Blue Sky award for support of the organization.

Sàfilo and Essilor have also reaffirmed their commitment to philanthropy by renewing agreements to work with the Special Olympics.

"If a company cares about having relationships with its stakeholders, its reputation, or having its employees connected to the community, philanthropy is the way to go," Getman says.

Mildred Olivier, MD, from Chicago teaches local doctors the latest procedure on an ORBIS program in Kingston, Jamaica

EXTERNALLY YOURS

Outreach helps people put a human face with a corporate name.

■Build your brand. Having social responsibility on your agenda lets people know that you are more than a profit machine. "When you are a large corporation, people can see you as a large, cold, closed organization. We are a caring company, and I think it's important to confer that," Fay says.

■Create new connections. Companies have the opportunity to develop relationships with other local leaders who also participate in good works. "Put a face and personality to your company as a good neighbor; create relationships with civic leaders," Getman and Martin Cohn, president of Cohn Public Relations Inc., in Needham, Mass., note in a white paper: "Corporate Philanthropy Comes of Age."

■Solidify relationships. Clients will come back for more as they opt for businesses that share their values. "Our customers are aware of what we are doing and are devoted to it," says Scott Berrie, co-founder and president of ScojoVision and the Scojo Foundation.

New customers will also patronize businesses that
support causes that appeal to them. "Customers who are value-driven contribute to corporate growth in two ways: They actively seek out products and services from like-minded companies, and they talk about their values with others, creating positive buzz," Getman and Cohn report. 

INTERNAL GROWTH 

A Luxottica staffer screening students on a Give the Gift of Sight mission

One of the biggestbenefits to companies doing philanthropic work is the positive impact on internal relationships.

■Leadership training. Whether it's screening school kids in Chicago or organizing a training session in Ethiopia, optical outreach provides a hands-on training facility for leaders. Volunteers master handling emergencies, personalities, and deadlines.

■Getting to know you. For practices and businesses with multiple locations, volunteering is also an opportunity to get together. "It builds team sprit in the organization as well as in the community," Getman says.

Give the Gift Of Sight has successfully integrated the Luxottica family, notes Give the Gift of Sight Foundation executive director Joe DeZenzo. "The heart and soul of this organization broke down a lot of barriers." 

■Attracting and keeping the best. Having a philanthropic program in place can get the attention of potential employees. It can also build loyalty with current employees who appreciate the community connections.

"Companies with a good reputation attract more qualified applicants, and companies with a reputation for giving attract and retain people," note Getman and Cohn.

THE GOOD HARVEST

While philanthropy should not be undertaken only as a public relations vehicle, well-intentioned efforts deserve recognition. The Points of Light Foundation suggests
publicizing your efforts internally and externally: "Use a variety of communications techniques to tell your community about your volunteer activities."

At the end of the day, though, be sure that what you're supporting represents the message of your company and that the work isn't just a bandwagon effort.

"I think it comes down to authenticity. Being real about what you do is something that the market can sense one way or another," Berrie says. "If you are doing it because you think you have to do it, the market will sense that as well. It's a holistic, authentic part of who you are."

Want to spread the word on your good works? E-mail the author at spiezioaj@lwwvisoncare.com.

Get on Board

Each year, philanthropic organizations reach out to communities in need domestically and internationally to provide treatment and eyewear as well as training for local medical professionals. Whether it's a developing nation or hard-hit areas of the United States, such as towns in the path of Hurricane Katrina, one to three weeks on the road can provide a life-changing experience to eyecare professionals and to the recipients of their skills.

Notes Marchon's president Al Berg, who recently joined ORBIS on a program in Kingston, Jamaica, the impact on people who have their sight restored or preserved can be inspiring: "It's absolutely exhilarating when that day comes for a person."

The following is a sampling of organizations seeking volunteers from the three Os:

Give the Gift of Sight: www.givethegiftofsight.org
Lions Clubs International: www.lionsclubs.org
Optometry Giving Sight: www.givingsight.org
ORBIS: www.orbis.org
Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps: www.ramusa.org
Scojo Foundation: www.scojofoundation.org
Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH): www.vosh.org

Strong Foundations

While many companies in optical routinely give time, money, and products, there are a few firms that have grown their business hand-in-hand with philanthropy. One example of this is the Scojo Foundation and ScojoVision. Founded by Scott Berrie and Jordan Kassalow, OD, the firm and foundation's creation were inspired by the plight of third-world artisans who were too presbyopic for fine detail work and could no longer maintain a livelihood.

The Scojo Foundation was formed with the intent of bringing readers to those who needed them the most. Today, ScojoVision sells high-end readers to the consumer market and donates five percent of its pre-tax profits to the Scojo Foundation, which trains primarily women to start their own businesses selling readers in developing nations.

Fashion with a cause is Sama Eyewear's mission statement. Working in harmony with the Sam Vance Foundation, the company, founded by Sheila Vance, creates a blend of looking good and doing good. Vance uses her artistry in frame creation while helping others—she donates a portion of the net profits from the Sama collection to The Sam Vance Foundation.

A longtime optical insider, Vance lost her only child, Sam, to heroin and was determined to prevent this from happening to other families. Establishing the charity in his name, The Sam Vance Foundation assists youths and young adults fighting drug addiction and a number of other worthy causes.