We wanted to bust ten commonly held mysths about LBG

"LBG is resource intensive"

Resourcing the data collection can be a challenge so we make it easier.  LBGOnline offers you an end to end data collection, management and reporting system that uses the latest cloud based technology. That way you can share the task with any colleague in any part of your business. You'll no doubt have to collect data in some other way so by using LBGOnline you can collect, manage, report, benchmark and verify your data.

"I am too busy to do the data entry"

Leave the work to us! You can purchase an add-on to basic membership whereby a member of the team will assist in collecting, analysing and entering your data into LBGOnline. Speak to us about 'LBG +data'.

"Our community investment program isn't advanced enough for LBG"

Quite the contrary! By joining LBG a company gains access to support and guidance to better manage their program to support continual improvement. It's very much a 'journey' with LBG members at so many different points on that journey and all willing to share and collaborate to support others on theirs.

"We are not ready to join"

Whether that readiness is about resourcing or not feeling your program is of sufficient size or quality, it doesn't matter. LBG membership will get you ready to better manage and build your program.

"We are concerned how we'll look"

LBG does not publish any members' individual data. There are no league tables or 'naming and shaming'. Each member receives an annual, tailored report regards their program and how they compare with peers and competitors both locally and globally. This data is totally confidential and to be used for members to make more informed decisions to improve their program.

"We don't care about benchmarking"

Benchmarking is only a part of what being an LBG member means. LBG membership brings logic to your social investments, it allows them to be valued appropriately, it allows for your data to be independently verified and shared with key stakeholders and it allows for you to learn from thought leaders and best practice in the industry.

"LBG only measures inputs"

The LBG framework enables any community activity to be assessed consistently in terms of the resources committed and the results achieved. It breaks down the elements of the activity into: the inputs (what's contributed), the outputs (what happens) and ultimately the impacts achieved (what changes). However individual members can decide the extent to which the activities they support are assessed through the framework. For small one-off donations it may simply be a matter of correctly recording the inputs. For larger, long-term partnership projects a more comprehensive application of the framework may be more appropriate.

"We'd prefer to give the cost of LBG directly to the community"

LBG membership will enable you to better manage your program and provide confidence to management and stakeholders that appropriate value is being derived. In turn this would mean your program and the quality and quantity of community contributions will grow. LBG membership is an investment in the community and in your business.

"LBG won't allow foregone revenue to be counted"

This is not correct! Any revenue a company may forego for community benefit can be counted and captured as an output within the framework to reflect the value to the community. In 2015 a working group of interested members will be refining the guidance in this area.

"We already report under GRI/DJSI/other indices or frameworks"

LBG is compatible with both GRI and DJSI and the data collected using LBG transfers across, so LBG membership will save you time. In addition, LBG is the only global standard for measuring corporate community investment.