Anil BirlaCorporate Social Responsibility, while a mandate in India, mostly isn’t refined and improved according to the climate. While every organisation does it’s bit in contributing and helping society, they fail to incorporate an important element - an effectual system. Let’s learn from some of the tech giants and business leaders who have incorporated CSR in an impactful manner, while keeping it wholesome and beneficial.
LEGO
The world’s biggest most influential toy brand that has streamlined into amusement parks and other wings, focuses on teaching through what they know best – “PLAY.” Children learn so much more when they are spending time playing and their CSR revolves around developing young minds with the help of Play Agents (employees who are trained by LEGO). While the numbers have risen to over 3000 Play Agents today, all of whom have helped communities around the globe to take a step closer to experiential learning, LEGO looks forward to contributing more to children across the globe.
MICROSOFT
When organisations like Microsoft vow to become carbon neutral by 2030 and also to remove the carbon the company has emitted since its founding in 1975, the CSR contribution is colossal. While investing in climate solutions that could help achieve this goal, the company’s bold and public admission of their CSR goals instils more faith in their ethos and creates a transparent workspace for the employees as well. And that adds up to make space for effective CSR policies.
Google has been taking huge strides in helping children across developing nations to gain access to learn and educate themselves. The multinational tech giant helps organisations that focus on improving education in developing countries and has so far contributed millions to such organisations. By clubbing with organisations like Learning Equality, Google does its bit to close the educational gap.
Note: Here’s what their collaborations brings to the world. To watch, visit their YouTube channel.
XEROX
Corporate philanthropy isn’t new to XEROX. With student-centric community outreach, they believe in STEM education being the primary key to a better future for the younger generation. By partnering with organisations like FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) students have gained a lot by getting hand-on science and engineering experience.
Note: To learn more about this beneficial partnership, you can visit the XEROX website.
BOSCH
This multinational engineering company set out with ambitious goals like reducing it’s ecological footprint and the efforts paid off when 400 of its locations were announced to be climate neutral. Moving on to focus on vocational training for the under-educated youth in India, to holistic village development and helping below poverty line children with food and healthcare supplies, Bosch focusses on giving back to those who have no means to receive.
Note: You can visit the Bosch CSR page to know more about their contribution in CSR for India
OUR TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE GIANTS
- It takes more than the incorporation of a CSR, we have to build it and reinvent it
- Contribute in your field of expertise and do it with all your heart
- There are many others who are working on the same goals - partnering with them works wonders too
- We must build CSR programs in a fashion that allows it to evolve over time
- A good CSR program helps keep the organisation afloat with happy employees
- Transparency is the key of any good CSR program
To sum it up, many organisations, tech giants and multinational companies are breathing examples of these takeaways. From the implementation to fruition, it all starts with a though, to do good and be beneficial to the society by giving back. Let’s strive to be better with smart and constructive Corporate Social Responsibility!