Organizational Governance

Corporate Purpose in a Post-Election US:
A Call for Continued Leadership

Companies that continue directing their resources and influence to create meaningful impact will not just survive but grow during the upcoming administration. Our research shows that the US public are ready for this leadership — now, it's up to business to deliver.

Brand Provided | By Carol Cone | Published 4 weeks ago | About a 5 minute read

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As I reflect on our latest research in the wake of the 2024 presidential election, one thing is abundantly clear: The US public is not backing away from their expectations of corporate leadership on critical social issues. In fact, they're doubling down.

The data — from a survey conducted by my firm, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, with The Harris Poll — tell a compelling story. Nearly half of US adults surveyed (46 percent) are calling for businesses to take on a much larger role in addressing social issues under the incoming Trump administration. This isn't just a liberal perspective — while Democrats lead this effort at 61 percent, 45 percent of Independents and a third of Republicans agree. Certain demographics are more likely to look to companies to fill gaps when it comes to social issues — particularly, Democrats (61 percent), Gen Z (58 percent), Hispanic (52 percent) and Black Americans (51 percent), and urbanites (51 percent).

So, what exactly does the US public expect from companies in this next era? When we asked, the mandate for business was clear: 83 percent of respondents said organizations should focus on the issues that matter most to their employees. This isn't surprising to me — a company’s employees are its most important stakeholders. They're the economic engine of an organization and bring its purpose to life every day.

Respondents next expected business to focus on the major challenges facing the nation as whole, including healthcare and jobs (82 percent). The same percentage want to see businesses direct more attention and resources to the local issues affecting their communities, such as affordable housing to quality schools. 81 percent said they feel companies have an obligation to specifically bolster jobs, housing and education in rural areas.

We then asked respondents to prioritize 23 distinct social issues, both conservative- and liberal-leaning, which we categorized into themed areas — including health/wellbeing, family/social support, environment/sustainability and education/digital literacy, among others. What strikes me most about our findings is the emergence of clear priorities that transcend political divides. Health/wellbeing issues and family issues emerged as shared areas that unite us, even in these politically charged times.

Health and wellbeing is the top priority area across political affiliations, with 72 percent ranking these issues (which span mental health support, hunger relief, curing and treating diseases, care for seniors and healthy eating) at the top. These are fundamental human needs that resonate with most people, regardless of party lines. Family and social support issues — think access to childcare, military/veterans, fathers/families and vulnerable population support — are the second-most prioritized area, at 45 percent.

Next comes what I call the “environmental chasm.” While overall, 42 percent of Americans prioritize environment and sustainability issues, there’s a 27-point gap between Democratic (56 percent) and Republican (29 percent) support for environmental issues — from protecting the environment, ocean cleanup and plastic reduction to cleantech innovation. This puts many companies in a precarious position: Faced with a mounting climate emergency and increasing sustainability regulations, corporations must take decisive action while maintaining sensitive stakeholder support.

The fourth area, quality education and digital literacy issues, found a more narrowed gap — with 40 percent of respondents overall supporting action on these issues. Here, Republicans (44 percent) led Democrats (35 percent) by 9 percentage points.

As I look ahead, I'm both optimistic and pragmatic. In my 35+-year career, companies living their purpose through corporate responsibility has never been so crucial — especially with anticipated cuts to critical government programs and departments. The path forward requires companies to be equally strategic and authentic in their approach. That won’t be easy, but my advice would be to start by:

Making your corporate values work harder. Embrace the ones that are lived daily. Utilize them to provide guidance for company operations, employee behaviors and societal investments. Decide which ones are most important and lean deeply into them. Is it time to revisit the understanding/living of your values with employees? Are there too many? Do they need to be simplified?
Align social impact commitments with your organization’s competencies and growth plans. Living company values provides a long-term view for societal and environmental commitments. Companies we’ve talked with are being attentive to the language of their current actions yet will support core commitments beyond political cycles.
Focus on issues that matter to employees. Create two-way communications for ongoing listening, to understand needs and areas for program adjustments, and share progress.
Do less. Go deeper for greater impact. Focus social impact resources — funds, people and products/services — for enhanced results by doing what is most important to your employees and growth, and carefully sunset unaligned initiatives.
Communicate results (we call them “proof-points”), both good and sometimes not-so-good, transparently. Your stakeholders want to know about your sustainability efforts — yet, no chest pounding. Let your most genuine storytellers — program recipients and employees — share your impact.
Language does matter. “Lightning-rod” descriptors such as ESG and DEI can undo a company’s deep commitments to society, the environment and diversity/inclusion and belonging. It’s ok to change terms — yet maintain your authentic and growth-oriented actions, carefully segmented by storyteller and place.

Companies that lead with authenticity and purpose, directing their resources and influence to create meaningful impact, will be the ones that not just survive but grow and remain resilient during the upcoming administration. Our research shows that the US public are ready for this leadership — now, it's up to business to deliver.

The truth is, purpose isn't partisan. It's about creating value for stakeholders while contributing to a better world. The question isn't whether companies should engage in social issues — it's how they can do so most effectively while staying true to their core purpose and values.

That's the challenge and opportunity ahead of us. Let's rise to meet it.

Carol Cone

CEO

Carol is internationally recognized for her work in Purpose and CSR. Carol Cone ON PURPOSE is the return to her entrepreneurial roots and life’s passion: to educate, inspire and accelerate purpose programs and impacts for organizations, nonprofits and individuals around the globe.

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