Communicating the Social Responsibility of Cross-Sector Collaborations (2014)

Scholars have increasingly been studying the impact of corporate social responsibility as a business strategy in for-profit institutions, and results frequently indicate benefits to the organizations such as increased reputation, sales, and reduced reputation damage during crises. Little is known about the impact of corporate social responsibility on organizations from the nonprofit sector, however. Using in-depth interviews with nonprofits sponsoring festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2013-2014, this study examines how nonprofits representing agriculture, arts and culture, and sexual health view corporate social responsibility as it affects their communication efforts. Results indicate that nonprofit communicators downplay the corporate social responsibility behaviors in which they are engaged. When these efforts are communicated to external stakeholders, preference is given to less formal media channels.