Overall spending growth has remained strong and can stay strong in 2019 as long as a strong labor market and consumer confidence remain in place, and policy surprises like dramatic changes to trade policy are kept to a minimum.

Too many events and experiential marketing campaigns are conducted without measurement designed into them and funded from the beginning, leading to misunderstanding of results. Budget for measurement doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need to be included, because leadership will also want to know the cost effectiveness of your results.

Data privacy regulations challenge the growth of virtual volunteer technologies, but companies that can navigate these challenges stand to improve employee engagement opportunities. At the World Volunteer Conference and Global Corporate Volunteer Council in Germany, companies discovered how technology can help them respond to the demands of their employees for meaningful volunteer engagements.

The recommendations in the NACD’s Blue Ribbon Commission report on board oversight of disruptive risks are relevant and should be considered a “must-read.” Unfortunately, what it doesn’t say as bluntly and strongly as it needs to say it is that the information many boards receive today from senior management isn’t what’s required to meet these new expectations.

In Part 3 of a special podcast series, Jason Saul, Founder and CEO of Mission Measurement, and Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, President of the Moody's Foundation, explore where new technologies, priorities, and thinking are likely to take corporate citizenship in the years and decades ahead.

In Part 2 of a special podcast series, Tim McClimon, President of the American Express Foundation, and Dan Cardinali, President and CEO of Independent Sector, survey the current corporate citizenship landscape—and the growing need for partnership across the corporate and non-profit sectors.

In Part 1 of a special podcast series, Martha Herrera, Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at CEMEX, and Jenny Lawson, President of Points of Light, reflect on the rapid evolution of corporate philanthropy in recent decades—and what these past transformations portend for the future.

For most businesses in China, including foreign firms, directly addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is unchartered territory. Many companies are still in the early stages of their sustainability journey in China, and existing programs often lack strategic intent or deep commitment. We see a tremendous opportunity for foreign firms to exploit areas of Chinese policy and SDG alignment to raise the impact and relevance of their sustainability programs in China.