Business for Social Responsibility

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) describes itself as a group that "helps member companies achieve success in ways that respect ethical values, people, communities and the environment."

"BSR provides information, tools, training and advisory services to make corporate social responsibility an integral part of business operations and strategies. A nonprofit organization, BSR promotes cross sector collaboration and contributes to global efforts to advance the field of corporate social responsibility," it states. [1]

Co-founded by Josh Mailman, Laury Hammel, and Mal Warwick. Alisa Gravitz also helped launch the group.

• Aron Cramer - President and CEO
• Robert H. Dunn, Former Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Funders

According to the BSR website and the website of the conservative Captial Research Center, which tracks funding of non-profit groups

• Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
• Ford Foundation ($2.09 million between 2000-2003, unadjusted for inflation);
• Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund$270,000 in 2001-2002;
• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation $100,000 in 2002;
• Ford Motor Company Fund $25,000 in 2002;
• John Merck Fund, $75,000 in 2001;
• Hewlett Foundation
• Hitachi Foundation, $25,000 in 2001;
• Noneywell Foundation $10,000 in 1999;
• Howard Heinz Endowment $75,000 in 1999;
• Levi Strauss Foundation$15,000 in 2002;
• David and Lucile Packard Foundation $100,000 in 2001;
• Turner Foundation $50,000 in 2001;
• U.S. Agency for International Development - Global Development Alliance (GDA) $318,250 in 2003;
• U.S. Department of State $11,420 in 2003;
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $1.415 million between 1998 and 2003, unadjusted for inflation; [2]

Global network

According to its website Business for Social Responsibility is part of a growing global network of business membership organizations that focus on corporate social responsibility. Working in partnership with these groups, BSR is expanding its capacity to serve its members' global business needs and to achieve the mission of the BSR Education Fund. BSR has established formal partnerships with:

• Global Compact
• Ethos Institute (Brazil)
• CSR Europe (Belgium)
• MAALA (Israel)
• Business in the Community (UK)
• Accion Empresarial (Chile)

BSR is also a founding member of EMPRESA, the Forum on Business and Social Responsibility in the Americas.

Members

On its website BSR lists what it describes as an "illustrative" list of members, implying that some prefer their identity not be publicly disclosed. Members, as of April 2005, include:

• ABB Inc.
• Adobe
• Agilent Technologies, Inc.
• American Express Company
• Arup
• AstraZeneca plc
• Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc.
• BP p.l.c.
• British Telecommunications plc
• Brown-Forman Corporation
• C&A
• Chevron Corporation
• Chiquita Brands, Inc.
• Cirque du Soleil Inc.
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• The Coca-Cola Company
• CSCC
• Cutter & Buck, Inc.
• Deloitte & Touche LLP
• Donna Karan International, Inc.
• Eddie Bauer, Inc.
• Eileen Fisher Inc.
• ExxonMobil Corporation
• Fannie Mae
• Ford Motor Company
• Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.
• Gaiam, Inc.
• Gap Inc.
• Genentech, Inc.
• General Electric Corporation
• General Motors Corporation
• GlaxoSmithKline plc
• Hallmark Cards, Inc.
• hanna Andersson Corporation
• Hasbro, Inc.
• H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB
• Hewlett-Packard Company
• The Home Depot, Inc.
• IBM
• IKEA International A/S
• Inco Limited
• Johnson & Johnson
• La Constancia, s.a.
• Levi Strauss & Co.
• Li & Fung Limited
• Lilly Pulitzer
• Liz Claiborne, Inc.
• Maersk Sealand
• Mattel, Inc.
• McDonald's Corporation
• Newmont Mining Corporation
• Mountain Equipment Co Op
• NAMASTA, North American Studio Alliance
• Nike, Inc.
• Nordstrom, Inc.
• OfficeMax
• Oracle Corporation
• Patagonia / Lost Arrow Corporation
• Perry Ellis International, Inc.
• Pfizer Inc.
• Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation
• Placer Dome Inc.
• PMI
• The Procter & Gamble Company
• Reebok International Ltd.
• Ricoh Corporation
• Rio Tinto plc
• Roots Canada Ltd.
• SAP AG
• Sears, Roebuck and Co.
• Shell International
• Sony Corporation
• Staples, Inc.
• Starbucks Coffee Company
• Sunbeam Corporation
• The Timberland Company
• Tom's of Maine
• Toshiba Corporation
• Toys "R" Us, Inc.
• Unilever
• United Parcel Service (UPS)
• Verizon Communications Inc.
• Visteon Automotive Systems
• Wal-Mart
• The Walt Disney Company
• YUM! Brands

Contact details

111 Sutter Street, 12th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94104 USA
Tel: 1.415.984.3200
Fax: 1.415.984.3201
Web: http://www.bsr.org/index.cfm

External links

• Capital Research Center, "Business for Social Responsibility", accessed November 2005.
• Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, "Everything Else Is Propaganda", Corporate Crime Reporter , November 3, 2005.

Resources and articles

Related Sourcewatch articles

• MAALA
• Michelle Lapinski
• Matt Jeschke
• Doug Paxton - former Director of People and Organizational Development
• Claudia Welss