The world isn’t getting smaller. Our reach is growing longer, our
connections are forming faster, and our values are getting clearer.
Doing business today means establishing partnerships across the globe and finding common ground between cultures. In the increasingly multinational marketplace, corporations that effectively communicate their social values across borders inspire their employees, empower their stakeholders, and solidify their foreign partnerships. We do well by doing good.
We propose to use social storytelling as means to build a bridge between people and institutions from distinct cultures but with common interests: improving the lives of families and communities around the world. Using interviews, photographs and personal narratives, we will introduce American corporate audiences to the families and communities of their foreign partners. These stories form the centerpiece of a program that designed to build awareness and encourage direct participation.
We will focus on a handful of families in a foreign community where the corporations has an established or growing relationship. Through these personal stories, the audience will learn the names and faces of these communities as well as those efforts in place to improve their lives. This promotes cultural understanding among all stakeholders while fostering social responsibility.
 These stories will be presented on corporate websites, printed communications, and through interactive exhibitions. Additionally, employees and citizens will have the opportunity to engage directly through company sponsored activities and through partnering development organizations.

The process will begin with understanding the existing corporate communications goals and defining the program's message and audience that fits within those goals. An experienced creative team anchored by a an award-winning writer and photographer and a veteran marketing/communications specialist experienced in working with Fortune 100 corporations, will oversee all phases of the project including; budgetary responsibilities, gathering the stories in-country (photographs, interviews, writing, ect.) and production and delivery of materials (collateral, electronic).

Photos courtesy of Jim Daniels.

The JJ Hill Library in Saint Paul has setup a number of free resources to help you develop business plans and engage other volunteers. If you are a new volunteer looking to learn how to develop a business plan, marketing plan, etc, these are resources you should be sure to check out:

 VolunteerResource.org
 The Biz Info Library
 Biztoolkit.org

 The library also permits you to stop in in-person.

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