The first time a client used the term “WIIFM” (pronounced whiff-um) in a sentence as though it were a real word, I thought perhaps she was speaking another language or using an industry-specific expression that I wasn’t familiar with.  I quickly learned that WIIFM is not only a part of the English language but also a concept that’s relevant to every industry and every project I’ve worked on.  WIIFM stands for “What’s In It For Me?” and it’s the question every business leader is asking his/her CSR team on a regular basis.

Surprisingly, the business-side WIIFM continues to be a foreign idea for many CSR directors and corporation foundation teams today.  This is a problem given the growing shift toward integration of business value and social investment.  Whereas in the past charitable works and corporate social responsibility programs were measured in terms of social impact at best and dollars donated at least, today’s CSR professionals must also demonstrate how their work saves cost, drives revenue or mitigates risk.

As CSR or corporate giving executives work to meet this measurement demand, many fall into one of two common measurement traps.  First, corporate philanthropy teams often try to “stretch” the value of activities to results that they are not designed to produce.  Second, there is a tendency to claim unspecific and lofty business outcomes as a result of social programs.  The result is what I call “fluff:” big numbers that are hard to directly link back to programs and that are easily dismissed by business leaders.

To avoid “fluff” and really address the WIIFM question, CSR professionals must adopt more specific, credible and meaningful metrics.   For example, companies often strive to improve company reputation through social programs and use “fluffy” measures such as changes in annual brand ratings.  Given the number of variables that play into brand perception, this metric cannot be credibly or specifically traced back to CSR programs alone.  Furthermore, it is difficult to gauge the dollars and cents associated with brand perception, making it a less meaningful number to some business leaders.  A stronger alternative would be to measure increased loyalty among a specific priority customer group that has been directly engaged by the company’s social programs.  This approach measures the direct contribution of CSR activities to an outcome that is meaningful to the business and can be quantified in terms of additional sales, expanded share of wallet, etc.

At this point, a savvy CSR leader would be asking, “What’s In For Me?”  The answer is: a lot.  By credibly demonstrating meaningful business value, CSR teams elevate their role in the company and increase the business’ interest in investing in social programs.  What’s in it for you is an opportunity to increase the breadth and sustainability of your social impact by creating a mutually beneficial relationship with the business.  And that’s no fluff.