ABSTRACT

Many professional sports organizations’ corporate social responsbility (CSR) initiatives are part of a broader movement of corporate community involvement (CCI) where companies are moving toward strategically investing in community projects aimed at addressing a social problem. Strategic CCI typically involves aligning an organization’s social initiatives with their core competencies and long-term strategies. Major League Baseball’s Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) is an example of such an initiative. Organizational partnerships (i.e., boys’ and girls’ clubs, city parks and recreation departments, and local sport associations) are formed to assist with program delivery. However, various challenges in terms of managing these RBI partnerships and delivery of the program can occur. Drawing from the partnership literature we aim to raise students’ and practitioners’ awareness of certain challenges organizations and their partners might encounter in developing and managing CSR programs delivered via partnering with service organizations. Specifically, we highlight challenges relating to program management, developing and writing effective partnership agreements, effective program marketing and branding; and, in terms of addressing barriers to participation, recruiting and retaining minority male volunteers. Recommendations are also offered where practical considerations in developing partnership plans delineating partnership roles and responsibilities, marketing strategies, program branding with multiple brands, and volunteer recruitment and retention practices.