A rise in many social entrepreneurs and enterprises, CSR can no longer be "good to have" to increase their corporate image or just manage brand image. For example, many financial institution launched volunteer, matching program, and other community giving programs available for employees.
However, corporations' CSR activities have to be an integrated to their business that is in fact part of their business operation to be sustainable, both the society and their business itself.
Corporations establish foundation to provide grants to support local NPOs (non-profit organization). This is another way to give back to society but unless foundations form strong partnership or provide a huge grant to NPOs, you cannot expect an effective community development and sustainability.
Today, I'm not here to discuss how a corporation should strategize its CSR activity but one example where the core business competence and operation is truly integrated with its community giving objective.
Google generate money when users like us click the AdWords and the subscribing company pay Google when users click its AdWords link.
Google smartly integrated their "grant" offering to their business model by providing NPOs up to approximately $10,000 / month AdWords support in form of grant to organizations with 501(c)(3) status (currently offered in the US only). The program is called Google Grants.
http://www.google.com/grants/
Although, as mentioned above, giving out grant is only a small portion to grow an organization or to develop each community, Google practically reaches out to everyone in the US and all the 501(c)(3) can access to Google.com, Google Grant ultimately has no limit in terms of market coverage, the net effect on the entire community is large.
Other corporations are in demand to strategize CSR that becomes the root of their business. They must turn "good to have" activity to a true business "core competencies."
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