Perspectives July 2019

PERSPECTIVES JULY 2019

A note from Danielle As CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, I am working to break down barriers for all girls to have the opportunity for membership in the world’s best leadership organization for girls. Girl Scout membership is proven to drive results in academic, social, emotional, and physical outcomes for girls. In my personal life, as a mother of 3 daughters, (pictured below, Taylor, Riley and Alex along with my mom) I have been working to ensure they have opportunities to be as fulfilled as possible in a world where women are valued and treated equally.

The way I approach both leadership of Girl Scouts and motherhood are very similar, and I pay attention to facts like: The 2019 Fortune 500 list includes only 33 companies led by women or 6.6%.

The 2019 Fortune 500 count shows that only 25.5% of board seats are held by women.

Women earn 79 cents for every dollar earned by men. (https://www. payscale.com/data/gender-pay-gap) Currently only 25% of STEM jobs are held by women.

I also pay attention to leaders, like Sara Blakely, founder & CEO of Spanx, who recently proclaimed in her Giving Pledge letter, “I am committed to the belief that we would all be in a

much better place if half the human race (women) were empowered to prosper, invent, be educated, start their own businesses, run for officeessentially be given the chance to soar! I pledge to invest in women because I believe it offers one of the greatest returns on investment.”

So what does this all mean and what can we collectively do?

Those of you receiving this newsletter represent someone who has once or many times provided an affirmative nod towards the positive impact on the Girl Scout experience through your giving, and for that we are so grateful.

I am asking you today to consider giving on an on-going basis by joining Give. Help. Repeat. For instance, your $60 yearly Give. Help. Repeat. gift will provide membership for two girl in Girl Scouts of Central Indiana.

Currently we are serving 10% of the eligible girl population with a goal to reach the other 90%. Give.

Help. Repeat. members currently allow us to reach more than 250 additional girls a year. By September 30, 2020 we want our Give. Help.

Repeat. members to help us reach more than 400 girls! You can join by visiting www.girlscoutsindiana.org/ givehelprepeat.

PERSPECTIVES Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership Luncheon On Thursday, October 31, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana will present the 2019 Lieutenant Governor’s Leadership Luncheon at the JW Marriott. The doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and the program will be noon-1:30 p.m. This annual luncheon serves two purposes. The first, to raise money to support the 29,000 girls we serve through financial assistance. The 2019 luncheon goal is $500,000; we know this is aggressive and bold, but we are open to this challenge and we know the community is too! Second, we will honor four women in our community who epitomize our mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

This year we are proud to announce that we will honor Angela Smith Jones, deputy mayor of economic development, Office of the Mayor Joe Hogsett – City of Indianapolis;

Kelly Krauskopf, assistant general manager, Indiana Pacers; Lt. General Carol Mutter, U.S. Marine Corps. (retired); and the Honorable Loretta H. Rush, chief justice, Indiana Supreme Court. Table sponsorships are available for $3,000 and include

seating for 10 people. For more information, you can contact Karen Schuman, chief development officer, at kschuman@girlscoutsindiana. org, 317.924.6852, or visit girlscoutsindiana.org.

Corporate responsibility What is corporate social responsibility and why does it matter?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a broad term encompassing practices corporations commit to that benefit society economically, socially, and environmentally.

While the term is popular in today’s

corporate climate, this is not a new concept. The idea of CSR emerged in the 1960s when social activists began to question that economics was the sole objective of businesses.

This concept has evolved over the years and the conversation has moved to the forefront for both corporations and consumers. Today, CSR takes the form of efforts ranging from donating money to nonprofits, offering a matching gift program, companies designating work hours for employees to volunteer, to implementing environmentally responsible policies in the workplace.

CSR is not a practice that is mandated in the United States but rather is something extra that companies voluntarily do in an effort to improve the community in which they operate.

CSR is important for companies, nonprofits, and employees, but why?

CSR affects a company’s internal and external growth. Companies that commit to CSR benefit from an improved public image that often creates trust among employees and customers. In fact, 55% of consumers report that they are willing to pay more for a product from a socially responsible company (Double the Donation Research).

Customers are more likely to be loyal to a brand whose corporate values align with theirs.

Employees who are actively engaged in CSR programs stay longer with a company and are more productive on a daily basis. Employees benefit

from engaging in CSR programs through their employer by having an opportunity to professionally and personally develop. By volunteering and donating, employees experience a sense of pride knowing that they work for a company that not only invests in their community and encourages them to give back as well.

CSR benefits nonprofits by creating strong partnerships with the corporate sector. These programs are often another source of revenue and can increase volunteer engagement.

Individuals are introduced to nonprofits they may not have engaged with previously. In fact, studies show that CSR initiatives help nonprofits make up revenue through grants, matching gift programs, sponsorships, and collaborative partnership opportunities.

Does your company have a corporate social responsibility model that aligns with the Girl Scout mission? Girl Scouts of Central Indiana is always looking for corporate partners to collaboratively develop mutually beneficial partnerships. Some companies we currently partner with are Salesforce, Geico, Anthem, and LIFT. For more information, please contact Megan Phillips, director of corporate and foundation relations, at mphillips@girlscoutsindiana.org or 317.924.6816.

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Indianapolis, IN Permit No. 5677 Girl Scouts of Central Indiana Leadership and Learning Center 7201 Girl Scout Lane Indianapolis, IN 46214

S’mores on the Circle In honor of National S’mores Day, Girl Scouts of Central Indiana will host our second annual S’mores on the Circle on Friday, August 9, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

We created this fundraiser to give business women and men, working downtown, the opportunity to support Girl Scouts on their lunch break. We chose the date because it is right before National S’mores Day! Once again, we are challenging local chefs to create their version of a s’more, with each to be sold for $5 (cash only).

All proceeds will go towards financial assistance for Girl Scouts, so that every

girl who wants to be a Girl Scout has the opportunity to participate in hands-on adventures and STEM activities.

Last year’s chefs treated attendees to versions of s’mores that included rice crispy treats, homemade marshmallow, Nutella, and bacon, and no one went home disappointed. S’mores on the Circle is a fun way to support Girl Scouts of Central Indiana while enjoying a special treat.

For more information, visit girlscoutsindiana.org or contact Karen Schuman, chief development officer, at 317.924.6852 or kschuman@girlscoutsindiana.org.

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