here - Tamarack CCI

Appendix A: Stories of Business Engagement
There is evidence of a growing business involvement in social change initiatives. A presentation
by Canadian Business for Social Responsibility indicated that close to half of the top 100
companies in Canada produce a Corporate Social Responsibility report along with their annual
report. It further indicated that 85% of Canadians have said they would respect a company more
if it collaborated with non-profit organizations to achieve social transformation. Slightly over
half of all Canadians have at some point or other punished a company that they thought was
irresponsible. 11
Clearly the social impacts of corporations’ activities are under scrutiny, and those corporations
have much to gain by helping to improve the communities in which they operate. Following are
some stories that demonstrate the involvement of the corporate sector, and the types of roles
they are playing.
WoodGreen’s Homeward Bound
http://www.woodgreen.org
http://www.tridel.com
WoodGreen's Homeward Bound is an innovative program designed to help women and their
children transition from shelter life to independent housing and to have employment with
family sustaining incomes within 3 years. The program provides supports through employment
training, transitional housing, on-site childcare, one-on-one counseling for mothers and their
children, and many other vital services.
This innovative program is supported by all three levels of government, in collaboration with
The Counseling Foundation of Canada, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Sun Life Financial,
T D Canada Trust, Seneca College, East York Rotary Club and the United Way. A defining
feature of the program is the involvement of an industry council, made up of representatives
from T D Bank Financial Group, Bank of Montreal, RBC, CIBC, Scotiabank, Microsoft and
IBM. The council provides full-time career track positions to graduates of the program. Tridel, a
high quality condominium builder in Toronto, also donated $100,000 to the Homeward Bound
Program to provide graduates who qualify with most of a down payment for a condominium.
The corporations in this program each offer valuable funds, expertise and, perhaps most
importantly, employment. The industry council helps the women who go through this program
find hope that they will be able to support their families in the long term. Many women in
transition have difficulty securing work due to a lack of work history, which in turn is often due
to a change in identity to ensure the safety of their families. Tridel also helps give them hope for
additional accommodation, by providing most of the down payment for a condominium.
Through the combination of these partnerships, funding is provided to support WoodGreen’s
program, and hope is given to families in transition.
Collaborating with Business for Social Transformation
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