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If corporations are to be successful over the coming decades, they need to ensure the resilience of their local communities. That’s the sentiment of Lynda Gratton, writing for The Guardian. She cites companies that are successful partly due to their willingness to support local initiatives that help build “more vibrant, economically sustainable neighborhoods.” People used to think that you had to sacrifice profits to be involved in the community. In fact, companies that do “good” works in the community can do “well” financially. When a business has a reputation for engaging in the welfare of the community, it attracts good press and high-quality employees. Harvard Business Review’s Umair Haque believes that being a good corporate citizen is the wave of the future. He says that great companies need to launch good initiatives to stay relevant to their consumers. Making a mark Locally, there are some great examples of companies that walk the talk of community engagement than Citizens Union Bank (CUB) and Passport Health Plan. CUB and Insider Louisville CUB shares its stories of community involvement and transformation with Insider Louisville’s audience every month. This past Columbus Day, dozens of CUB employees volunteered their time at Cedar Lake Lodge, Open Door of Hope, Serenity Center, a backpack program offering food to children, Dare to Care Food Bank, Colonial Hall and Feeding America. Overall, 150 employees volunteered their time at 11 different organizations. Kim Dodson, Senior Vice President of Treasury Services at CUB, says some of the recipients of CUB’s attention are customers, but some of them are not. “They don’t have to be customers. We look at it as a way of giving back to the community we live in and work in.” CUB also showed its commitment to diversity by reaching out to and lifting up women business owners. They are empowering members of the Louisville community to be successful. Insider Louisville is helping to share their good works with an audience that takes notice of that kind of thing. Passport Health and Insider Louisville Passport Health Plan is a provider-sponsored, non-profit, community-based health plan administering Medicaid benefits to more than 300,000 Kentuckians. Passport’s mission in the community is two-fold: to keep people healthy by informing them of preventative health measures (as covered in the monthly Health Reports content on Insider Louisville) and to highlight people in the community who make a positive difference (as illustrated by the monthly Compassionate Louisville sponsored content featured on Insider Louisville). CUB and Passport Health Plan are doing good work in the community and Insider Louisville is helping them spread the word. Reasons to tell your story We know you don’t help your community just for the attention. But the fact is, making people aware of what you’re doing in the form of thoughtful content marketing, can draw attention. That attention has some tangible benefits: •People shop their values. If your company practices a value that a person believes in, that person is more likely to buy your product. •Positive buzz helps your talent strategy. Having a good reputation escalates your recruitment and retention efforts. When you’re on the radar, top talent wants to work for you. •What is being said about your brand by a third party such as Insider Louisville is more impactful than anything someone representing your company could say in an interview. •Stories create meaningful engagement – not just clicks on an obscene display ad. Readers of Insider Louisville sponsored features spend nearly three minutes on each story. The features also garner hundreds of social media shares, likes, and comments. Via Insiderlouisville.com