Five talented graduate students have been awarded attendance grants to attend the CSR Performance Summit, the only event where corporate social responsibility meets performance management.  Hosted by the Global Strategic Management Institute (GSMI) and taking place in New York City May 11-13, 2009, the CSR Performance Summit will feature case studies, panels, and networking sessions with executives from some of the top responsible companies, including Dell, Jones Lang LaSalle, Campbell Soup Company, Sodexo, Office Depot, Seventh Generation, FedEx, and Waste Management. 

"These students will have the rare opportunity to meet and learn from top professionals in CSR, and to learn from real examples of the challenges and successes of those in the field," said GSMI President Luke Vinci. "They will come away with cutting-edge strategies, tools, and best practices at the cutting-edge of the field."

The attendance grant recipients are: Zoe Robins, Darden School of Business, who has focused on sustainability and environmental metrics in her studies and extracurriculars; Mike Wallace, University of San Diego, who seeks to play a leading role in the organic food or renewable energy sectors; Mary Beth Snodgrass, University of Texas, who is currently working on a white paper about CSR, socially responsible investing and mining; Marla Ann Absteter, Interamerican University of Costa Rica, who is focusing on communications and CSR; and Shannon Mullins, Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, who has worked on a self-designed CSR curriculum and looks forward to work with a philanthropic consulting firm next year.

Made possible through Dell's sponsorship of the event, the grants provide valuable opportunities for the leaders of the next generation to share in current conversations. "The CSR Performance Summit offers learning opportunities that will help the five students attending build their CSR skillset into the future. By taking this step to include attendance grants, we are investing in that future," said Janice Little, senior manager, corporate responsibility operations, Dell Inc.

The CSR Performance Summit will provide timely, practical information that CSR professionals can't afford to miss.  Participants will solidify their CSR foundation, refine communications strategies, and arm themselves with ideas to maximize their efforts, creating better, stronger programs and companies. Participants will leave with the tools to:

• Maximize budgets
• Align strategy and practice with the core values of the company
• Calculate the ROI and SROI of their programs
• Assess metrics and evaluation methodologies
• Implement strategically-focused, financially efficient CSR programs that last

To register for the event or for more information, go to http://www.csrperformancesummit.com/