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By: Tay Tian Wen
Long gone are the days where Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was seen as a passing fad - with today’s socially conscious employees and consumers, companies are increasingly realising the importance of corporate sustainability and giving back to society. CSR activities not only provide opportunities for companies to give back to society, but also serve as a platform for companies to create creative solutions to everyday business issues.
Yet, while companies acknowledge the value of CSR, many struggle at forging mutually beneficial partnerships: small-scale projects offer little tangible benefit to either the company or society, while corporate donations often leave the donating company out of the benefits equation. Even worse, CSR activities designed primarily to enhance a company’s reputation are not only dismissed as advertising gimmicks, but also potentially risky for the company’s public image.
Forging a mutually beneficial CSR partnership is a challenging task, but with the right partners and efforts in place to ensure sustainability, both companies and beneficiaries can accrue significant gains from CSR activities. Here are 4 ways how CSR activities can be mutually beneficial!
1. CSR activities generate better operations sustainability of the donor company and the receiving beneficiary organisation
Many studies have shown that effective CSR activities promote stronger employee engagement and performance in companies, motivating greater employee loyalty and productivity. On the other hand, beneficiary organisations on the receiving end gain a boost to their financial health, enabling them to sustain current operations and expand their scope of giving. Donor companies fret less over high employee turnovers or lacklustre employee performance, while beneficiary organisations can focus their efforts beyond securing more funding.
2. CSR activities provide a platform for both beneficiaries and donor companies to devise innovative solutions which are otherwise sidelined in normal everyday operations
As initiatives which are designed to benefit both the company and society, CSR activities call for strategies which take the interests of both the donor company and beneficiary organisation into account. Effective CSR activities should maximise financial returns for the donor company while fulfilling the social mission of the beneficiary organisation, and conventional business or nonprofit solutions fall short of meeting these two objectives simultaneously. From business models such as “Buy One Give One”, “Goodwill Banking” to customer or operations-driven CSR strategies which shift the equation to a more equal balance between social impact and profit maximisation, Effective CSR activities not only connect the social sector with the private sector, but also motivate intra-sector change which would have been otherwise impossible with conventional routine.
3. Well-executed CSR activities encourage greater investment in both the donor company and beneficiary organisation
Successful CSR activities are powerful signals to investors. Done on a consistent basis, they demonstrate commitment and long-term vision; as innovative solutions which adequately accommodate the interests of both the donor company and beneficiary organisation, they indicate creativity and inclusiveness. For beneficiary organisations, successful CSR activities also provide a boost to financial health and even the prospect of expanding the scale of their operations. All these indicate healthy prospects for growth and strong sustainability — ideal conditions for investors looking to make sound investments.
4. Well-executed CSR activities which are conducted consistently have a positive effect on the public’s perception of both the donor company and the beneficiary
Just as successful CSR activities are powerful signals to investors, they are also particularly effective in positively shaping public opinion of donor companies and beneficiary organisations. Long-term commitment to a mutually beneficial CSR activity resonates with consumers’ demand for authenticity and social consciousness, and consumers will be better persuaded to stick to a particular brand they feel meets these demands.
Beneficiary organisations in effective CSR partnerships also demonstrate that funds given to them are used for productive and ethical purposes. Plus, doing so proves that beneficiary organisations are consultative rather than unilaterally imposing their interests on the community — potential donors are more likely to support, rather than be intimidated by, beneficiary organisations which pay attention to the needs and wants of others in the larger community.
About the Author
Tian Wen aspires to connect communities one story at a time. He believes words are more than proverbial bridges to everyone's little island, and is always on the lookout for the best tales told around the world.
While not racking his brains on his next writing assignment, Tian Wen muses about everyday affairs and pens his reflections at awayintent.me.
About Make The Change Pte Ltd (MTC)
Make The Change believes in doing good, well. For more information regarding our partnerships and Corporate Social Responsibility projects, do visit https://www.makethechange.sg/projects or drop us a mail at info@makethechange.sg