Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Presented via Website

Developing a website with the sole purpose of sharing CSR reporting data, taps into the popularity of the Internet and reduces waste.

Traditional Corporate Social Responsibility reports are presented in document form, often prepared for an internal audience. While the number of companies presenting CSR reports online is growing, other companies, like the Gap, Inc. are developing CSR reporting websites. Making the information available in website format widens the audience for the information and makes it easier for interested parties to find needed information.

Why Build a Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting Website?

A recent study, the 2010 CSR Perceptions Survey, found customers are often willing to pay a small amount more for products and services linked to socially responsible companies. The study also found a disparity in the number of companies providing information about their CSR efforts.
Much of the same information is covered in both the digital documents available online and the websites used to communicate CSR policies. The biggest differences are, the ease of accessing Internet-based information, the amount of interactivity available to readers, and the ability of those providing the data to update information in a timely manner.

The Benefits of a Website Promoting a Company's Social Corporate Responsibility?

• Interactivity - Readers get to follow links to the specific sections without reading unwanted portions of the report.
• Speed of providing information - New information can be added almost instantly without changing the flow of an entire report.
• Earth-friendly format - Providing the information digitally rather than in printed form is more environmentally-friendly than distributing printed reports.
• Cost effective - While there is cost associated with developing and maintaining the website, printing and distribution costs related to traditional printed reports are removed.

Information Included on a Social Corporate Responsibility Reporting Website

A CSR reporting website provides a public relations function, by presenting corporate ethics information to the site's visitors. The same information that goes into a CSR report, belongs on a CSR reporting website. The landing page of the website should state the purpose of the site and should describe the organization's mission as related to business ethics.

The site should ideally be easy to navigate with clearly labeled links and tabs going to any socially responsible endeavors utilized by the organization. Commonly included reporting areas include:

• The organization's environmental initiatives
• Energy efficient products created or used by the company
• Participation in community or worldwide programs
• Donations to charitable funds
• Labor policies, describing fair treatment of workers
• A link to the document version of the full report for readers preferring that format
• Enough details to provide a sense of accountability and transparency

Benchmark reporting websites, like the site established by the Gap, Inc., offer detailed descriptions of "who" the company is, how the leaders and laborers work toward greater social responsibility, future goals, and information about each of the organization's individual divisions.