Introducing the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility

The Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG) announces the launch of the Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility, a comprehensive certificate program for corporate social responsibility (CSR) professionals that will begin classes in January 2014. This new certificate program is a partnership between Advanced Academic Programs at Johns Hopkins University and WRAG. 

 

“The Institute for Corporate Social Responsibility is an exciting step forward for philanthropy,” said Tamara Copeland, president of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG). “By learning together and developing a common skill set, CSR professionals from companies of all sizes will become equipped to maximize the impact of their philanthropic dollars at a time when our country needs them the most.” 

 

Over the course of the year, participants will learn a robust set of new skills and best practices from some of the nation’s leading CSR practitioners. Coursework will focus on a wide range of topics, including CSR strategy, trends in philanthropy, ethics and sustainability, measurement, and communications. 

 

“This professional certificate is an important new resource for the field of corporate philanthropy. Johns Hopkins University’s Advanced Academic Programs is pleased to partner with the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers to offer this program,” said Kathleen Burke, associate dean for graduate and professional programs at Johns Hopkins University. 

 

The curriculum for the Institute for Corporate Responsibility was developed by a diverse group of CSR professionals, including leaders from American Express, Booz Allen Hamilton, Capital One, Freddie Mac, the Hitachi Foundation, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, Pepco Holdings, Inc., and Washington Gas. 

 

The Institute’s faculty is led by Timothy J. McClimon, president of the American Express Foundation and vice president of corporate social responsibility at American Express, who notes, “Corporate social responsibility has become an intrinsic part of the modern business world as customers, employees, and society as a whole place more pressure on companies to be socially responsible. Having highly-skilled professionals who can navigate the ever-growing and changing CSR landscape is becoming increasingly important."