The nonprofit sector’s mission is to make the world a better place, and improve the lives of Canadians every day. Our purpose is well-defined, and what’s expected of our sector is clear. But when it comes to the private sector, what role should companies play in making our society better? Earlier this year, we surveyed nonprofit professionals on their perceptions of and expectations for corporate social impact, highlighting what companies could do better. This time, we wanted to ask the general population more broadly: what are your views and expectations related to the responsibility of businesses in supporting healthy and resilient communities? 

To find out, with the support of BMO, we conducted a public poll in collaboration with Abacus. We asked the public a series of questions on topics related to corporate social responsibility, in addition to probing Canadians’ sense of community and sentiment towards the state of our country and the world. In this blog, we explore some of the most interesting findings from this survey.

Canadians believe businesses have social responsibilities. 

Canadians believe that companies are part of the social fabric of our communities and accountable to the population on a number of fronts. Supporting their communities tops the list of responsibilities, closely followed by minimizing their environmental impact, and committing to equity, diversity and inclusion. It is also interesting to note that donating to charities and nonprofits and partnering with community organizations come fourth and fifth respectively - these are also about supporting communities, through organizations. 
  
Question: Do you believe that businesses in Canada have a responsibility to… 
    
Responses: (percentages include respondents that selected ‘definitely’ or ‘somewhat’)

• Support the communities they operate in (87%) 
• Minimize their environmental impact (85%)
• Commit to equity, diversity and inclusion within their own organizations (80%)
• Donate to charities and nonprofits (79%)
• Partner with community charities and nonprofits (78%)
• Have diversity and inclusion commitments (77%)
• Actively participate in reducing polarization in our communities (73%)
• Reduce profits to advance social and environmental efforts (71%)
• Offer a volunteer program for employees (66%)
• Commit to advancing truth and reconciliation recommendations with Indigenous communities (64%)
• Speak publicly on societal issues (60%)

Canadians believe that businesses have a positive impact on communities.

When asked about quality of life and sense of community, Canadians’ views are not negative, but there is room for improvement. Fifty-nine percent of Canadians rated the quality of community life as good and 42% rated the sense of community in Canada the same. So the sense of community in Canada isn't as strong as it could be. But the good news is, to improve our communities, Canadians believe small businesses and larger corporations (albeit to a lesser extent) have a positive impact. Additionally, Canadians express high to moderate levels of trust in companies.

Question: Would you say [these institutions] make your communities in Canada better or worse?

Responses:

• Small businesses (better 69%)
• Charities and nonprofits (better 59%)
• Large businesses (better 41%)
• Governments (better 31%)

Question: To what extent do you trust…

• Small businesses (73%)
• Charities and nonprofits (63%)
• Large businesses (44%)
• Governments (41%)

Companies’ actions impact Canadians’ decisions to support them.

Not only do Canadians believe that companies have social responsibilities, but they are also more likely to have favourable views of businesses when they see them supporting and building resilient communities. Actions of companies in the social space influence Canadians’ decisions to support them - they prefer to choose socially responsible companies with their purchasing decisions, careers, and investments. In other words, supporting communities is a crucial business imperative for companies. 

Question: Do the following statements describe you…

Responses: (percentages include respondents that selected ‘always’ or ‘sometimes’)

• I prefer to support businesses that give back to their communities (82%)
• I like it when businesses support nonprofits/charities/programs in my community (80%)
• I prefer to support businesses that have clear social values (75%)
• When searching for a new job, I consider the potential employer’s reputation and whether they support their communities (58%)
• When I invest, I consider the social impact of the business (55%)

Canadians are hesitant to fully trust companies’ commitments to social issues.

Although Canadians appreciate companies that do good, they are not sold that their intentions are pure. There are some widely held beliefs that businesses do good to look good. Companies have work to do to convince Canadians that their actions are genuine and truly reflect their values.

Question: Which of the following best describes how you feel?

Responses: 

• For the most part, businesses give back to their communities because it makes them look good (63%)
• For the most part, businesses give back to their communities because they truly care about supporting their communities (37%)

Corporate social responsibility certifications help build authentic trust in businesses.

Another area we probed Canadians on is their familiarity with corporate social responsibility certifications (such as Imagine Canada’s PRISM Certification that recognizes companies that give back 1% of their pre-tax profits in support of communities) and how these certifications affect their perceptions of companies. Notably, those who say corporate social responsibility certifications are a good idea are more likely to say companies give back to do good, not look good. CSR certifications are a powerful tool to help companies build trust with Canadians.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with the following?

Responses: (percentages include respondents that selected ‘strongly agree’ or ‘somewhat agree’)

• I feel better about supporting a business when I see they have a corporate social responsibility certification (74%)
•  I am more likely to trust businesses that have a corporate social responsibility certification (73%)

These results clearly indicate that Canadians expect companies to be socially responsible, and a vast proportion will pick and choose the businesses they support based on their actions. Companies can and should make our communities stronger through community involvement, but their intentions must be genuine. And to truly convince Canadians, CSR certifications can help show and communicate accountability.

Special thanks to BMO for supporting this project.

Survey methodology

The survey was conducted with 1,500 Canadian adults from September 6 to 11, 2024. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.53%, 19 times out of 20. The data was weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada’s population according to age, gender, and region.