-CSR Spotlight on Innovation-

We hope you enjoy this informative interview with Alex Fernandez-Garita at Johnson & Johnson, who describes his innovative Social Acceleration Marathon program. Like an accelerator for a start-up, the SAM program works to accelerate the impact of a non-profit, by deploying resources and expertise that a non-profit may not have access to. It is a great way to combine community engagement and volunteerism, fostering a culture of CSR across your organization!

DHR: We often hear about large companies donating to nonprofit organizations. We also hear about large companies “accelerating” startups. But it seems that you have merged these two concepts in the Social Acceleration Marathon (SAM) program, where Johnson & Johnson accelerates nonprofits and NGOs. Can you tell us a little more about the genesis or original idea for the SAM program? 

AFG: In 2017 we decided to turn our social impact approach, moving from a traditional path to a more innovative way to create a broader social impact. We thought, “How we could mix the ‘aggressive’ growing mindset of a startup, the third sector, a framework like design thinking, and at the same time create a professional development experience for the volunteer?” That’s how SAM was born. We found an NGO´s accelerator called Phomenta, who helped us create the model, and that is how the first program was implemented in Brazil in 2018. After this deployment, we made adjustments during the road, scaling it up to all Latin America. Now, we have four major SAM events during the year, engaging around 350 employees and impacting 52 NGOs from all over the region each year.

DHR: We’ve heard about your work with Fundacion Nuestros Hijos, where the SAM program helped the organization implement a volunteer program. Can you share another example or two of how the SAM program helped an NGO or nonprofit organization?

AFG: In Mexico in 2021, we worked with TecSalud, an organization supported by the Monterrey Technologic Instituto, local Medical Schools, TecSalud Foundation, and regional hospitals. The organization focuses on healthcare services, education, and research. They reached out to us with a challenge in managing inventory and storage. We assigned a J&J team (volunteers) with the skills and expertise needed to solve the challenge. They created a tech tool where TecSalud could efficiently track the metrics related to inventory inputs and outputs. Also, the personnel were trained by the consulting team.

Also, in Argentina in 2021, our J&J consulting team worked with Fundacion Brincar, to do a strategic assessment of the Fundacion, giving recommendations from financial aspects to facilities matters. 

DHR: Do you find there is typically a common area of need for an NGO or nonprofit organization? Do they all need help in the same areas, or are there very different needs for each organization?

AFG: Usually it is about how to get more donors and funding resources. Also, how to better use communication channels like social media to engage more people, like future donors, partnerships and organizations. Although we have seen an evolution of the challenges and requests during the last four years, now we deal with challenges from Business Strategy, Supply Chain, Human Resources, Finances, and others. 

DHR: Do J&J employees volunteer to participate in the SAM program, or is their participation required? 

AFG: Employees volunteer to participate, but at the same time, we have tried to promote SAM as a developmental opportunity together with the element of making a social impact.

DHR: You’ve mentioned nearly 12,800 hours have been spent helping NGO’s through the SAM program. How is this time tracked/measured at Johnson & Johnson? How is time balanced between the employee’s J&J responsibilities with time spent with the NGO?

AFG: SAM has created good results for last 4 years.The program has an agenda with time length clearly defined, where each week, the teams have weekly meetings facilitated by an expert in the methodology of the SAM. The time dedication of the program is 16 hours for six weeks. At the beginning of the year, we let our employees know the Volunteer Programmatic Agenda for the current year, which allows them to identify which programs are more aligned to their interests and personal agenda.

DHR: In terms of advertising the SAM program, do you approach NGO’s one-by-one to see if they would like to participate or do the NGO’s approach you? How do you identify or select which NGO to work with? 

AFG: We use different channels, we go one-by-one, through the Phomenta network, and our Global Community Impact network. Some of those organizations are partnering with us in other social impact areas, but without the J&J volunteerism element involved, so the SAM becomes an evolution of the partnership. Also, we do calls through different social platforms like LinkedIn, and this year for the first time we are opening the possibility to our employees to submit their NGO suggestions. We believe this element will increase the engagement of our employees and let us to know about NGOs that sometimes are outside our radar.

It’s important to say that our Global Community Impact strategy focuses on championing and supporting the people on the frontline, so we tried to partner with NGOs whose focus is around health.

DHR: How do you determine the scope of work to be performed through the SAM program? Are there any limits or boundaries that need to be set with each NGO?

AFG: Yes, first we clarify with the NGOs that our consultants will deliver a proposal about how to solve the challenge; the implementation is under the client’s responsibility, in this case, the NGO.  Second, we perform a scoping process where we meet with the NGOs to fully understand their needs and see if they fit with the SAM model.  After we select the NGOs, we spend some time working with them to ensure the scope of work is clearly defined before our consultants start the conversation with them.

DHR: Your focus is primarily in Latin America - based on the success of the SAM program, do you see it expanding to other regions? 

AFG: Our volunteerism strategy called Talent For Good is integrated by a vast group of volunteerism programs that mostly have a global presence. Probably in the future, SAM could be a global program.

DHR: Do you have any advice for other companies that may be interested in “accelerating” their NGO and nonprofit partners through a similar program?

AFG: Know your corporate social responsibility strategy and tie it to your programs by using your strengths as a company. We are a company in the healthcare space, integrated with talent with different professional backgrounds and interests, so we try to design programs aligned with those elements. Second, working with an implementation partner is always an excellent way to start these new practices—someone with expertise in accelerating startups or social business.

To learn more about J&J’s Talent for Good, go to https://www.jnj.com/global-community-impact/engaging-employees-with-company-purpose.

Want more information on innovations in CSR and ESG business models and strategies? Subscribe to the Diamond Head Research Newsletter…its free!