A crowd of corporate, non-profit and academic leaders attended our 11th SM& Presents Panel on June 22 to hear from our esteemed panelists and discuss the evolution of corporate philanthropy toward a “new normal.” To provide a foundation for the discussion, The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI) shared initial findings from an ongoing survey of CEOs and corporate leaders across the country. Following are some highlights from the discussion:

“Nearly every CEO interviewed talked about the importance of authenticity in corporate social responsibility and corporate giving and embedding philanthropy in the core of their corporate culture as part of its brand identity,” said Ellen Remmer, president of the Boston-based TPI and author of the study.

“In this economic environment it is particularly important that CEOs be direct and transparent in their communications with stakeholders about changes in giving strategies,” said panel host and Solomon McCown CEO Helene Solomon. “It is the only way to maintain trust in the brand.”

“We have an ethic that is deeply embedded in our DNA. You need to switch to a different currency, not just the ability to write checks. You need to speak out in the issues of the day and share the rest of your platforms, there are under utilized assets in so much of what companies do,” suggested Bob Glassman, Co-Chairman of Wainwright Bank and Trust Company.

“You don’t need to take out big ads to talk about what you do,” said former Chairman and CEO of Young and Rubicam Brands, Ann Fudge. “Do great work with local nonprofits and make it visible at the community level – you can then save your advertising dollars to support those nonprofits.”

Moderating the panel was Renee Loth, Editorial Editor for the Boston Globe.

Panelists left to right: Ellen Remmer, President & CEO of The Philanthropic Initiative, Ann Fudge, Former Chairman & CEO of Young & Rubicam Brands, Robert Glassman, Co-Chairman of Wainwright Bank & Trust Company, Helene Solomon, CEO of Solomon McCown & Company, and Renee Loth, Editorial Editor, The Boston Globe