Corporate Social
Responsibility Part Four

Invest long-term for lasting results

SERIES by Jennifer Kiwala

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is when an organization recognizes that its long-term interests are best served by ethically sound practices. Companies that embrace CSR are seen to be more innovative, productive, and competitive.

In the October 2007 issue, Jennifer Kiwala highlighted the benefits of integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) into the workplace culture. She outlined five key steps to ensure program success.

1. Overview of corporate social responsibility (Oct ‘07)
2. Create a CSR policy (Nov/Dec ‘07)
3. Make the structure flexible (Jan/Feb ‘08)
4. Focus on long-term projects (March/Apr ‘08)
5. Communicate (May/June ‘08)
6. Give employees time off (July/Aug ‘08)

Why Long-Term

Long-term projects are a priceless training program for skills such as leadership, time management, interpersonal communication, financial planning, and event planning to name a few. Getting to know the organization or team with whom you are partnering will form deep relationships, create areas for potential synergy, and will have a powerful impact on both employees and the cause. As with any long-term project, it will take time to see results.