THE last time I joined an outreach program was when I participated in a clean-up drive to clean a portion of the Pasig river, and making mud balls which we threw later in the river that supposedly would help improve the water quality. We never went back to the community again, leaving me to wonder whether our actions had any impact at all.
Many organizations today have a Corporate Social Responsibility program, the main purpose of which is to improve the organization’s impact on the social and environmental aspects of their communities. Responsible organizations see CSR programs as a means to promote sustainability in their operations by ensuring their community also benefits from them. It makes sense considering that organizations are part of the larger community where they are located.
And though there are multiple causes organizations can support, the bottom line of any CSR program is the enrichment of the shared values between the organization and the community. This shared value creates a dynamic where consumers and organizations are mutually dependent on each other—one creates the goods and services that resonate with the values and aspirations of individuals in the community.
But for any CSR program to work, it needs to start as an internal motivation to employees as their own advocacy so that when they go beyond the walls of the organization, they take those values with them and disseminate it to their immediate spheres of influence. As Sir Richard Branson once said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your clients.” Understanding your employees’ motivations will help you determine the issues in your community that your employees will willingly endorse.
Next, find out what your customers support and the causes that are close to their hearts. Not only is it good business to understand what drives your customers, but it also helps you understand how to position yourself, so that you continue to be relevant to their needs. Much as organizations want to create profit, what better way to do so than echo customer sentiments with your products and services.
A word of caution though: Not all organizations have altruistic reasons for espousing a CSR program. Some use it as a means of reducing cost or even as a publicity stunt for clout. Take the case of organizations who go paperless to reduce paper usage and to save the trees. I am all for green processes and reducing the carbon footprint, but when organizations use it to reduce cost without giving back to the community, it just becomes a cost-reduction program. But when the money saved from reducing paper usage is used for, say, building a community garden for employees, or supporting a non-profit organization, or providing scholarships, it becomes a true CSR program because it gives back to the community.
But as mutually beneficial CSR program goes, organizations need to ensure that they maintain, or even improve, profit. It would be unwise to venture into a CSR program if they are financially unable to fund one, much less sustain it. And even if they do create a CSR program, they need to be prepared to let the money go as an expenditure and expect returns to come in the form of customer loyalty, and improved public relations and brand reputation. And while profits form a significant part of the CSR program agenda, it does not take away its value of becoming a significant contribution to the development of their communities.
Your CSR program should also align with your products and services. You do not expect a candy store to be advocating for diabetes awareness or proper dental hygiene. Your CSR program has to resonate with your customers in a way that will make them rethink how your products and services actually benefit them. I remember a soap brand who launched a beauty campaign before where they asked women on certain parameters of what it is to be beautiful. It increased brand recall and at the same time triggered discussions on what should be socially-accepted standards and norms of what it is to be beautiful and inspired countless women to be comfortable in their own skin—of course, by using their product. But it worked. And they reached more customers and expanded their target market. When a CSR program is aligned with an organization’s product, it becomes more influential.
And talking of aligning with an organization’s products and services, what better way for those in the supermarket and wholesale food distribution to be relevant to their communities today if they participate in the community pantries. Imagine if supermarket and grocery owners contribute a part of their products to the community pantries all around the Metro and in the provinces. I am sure they have their own CSR programs as well, but now is the best time for these companies to actively support and meaningfully participate by providing community pantries not only to their employees but also to their immediate vicinity.
There are measures and indicators to determine if your CSR program is effective. But one of the best indicators of the success of your program are the stories of how customers benefited not only from your products and services, but also from a change in mindset in how they view the world and others. Effective CSR programs have a way of inspiring and enjoining others to do the same. Much like what Ana Patricia Non did with the community pantry she established which sparked other communities to do the same. I guess the need to take action was far greater than being just resilient, or, worse, apathetic. And the best thing about it is that her work inspired others to do the same.
The passion and purpose behind your CSR program stem from shared values with your community. Your organization’s influence in the community helps you to not just make a profit, but also ensure both the sustainability of your operations and foster a mutually dependent relationship. When you see your organization as more than just a means to an end, but a vital and enriching part of the community, you become more invested in its success and the community it belongs to. After all, we are all in this together.
Image courtesy of Ben White on Unsplash