By Ganesh Gupta
With many astounding events in 2011, CSR has gained top priority in corporate portfolio. Many of these organizations have realized the value of strategic partnerships to achieve their goals. They partner with wide array of nonprofit beneficiaries whose mission aligns with your CSR goals, vendors who help them to run program smoothly, or even like-minded companies and associations to collaborate with. The key mantra lies in the fact that CSR challenges need not to be tacked alone. Large collaboration with communities is indeed desirable. So this year stop and think about others in the community you can engage to make your efforts more impactful. Here are some CSR resolutions to help you plan for your most sustainable, responsible and impactful year yet:
1. Transparency: 2011 was a year of scams and financial dodge for Indians. Now citizens demand that companies and governments should practice transparency. Take this to heart in 2012, and re-evaluate your program to ensure there is a commitment to sharing your CSR intentions and results in a transparent manner to those who care.
2. Public Alignment: There’s no better way to get employees, consumers and other stakeholders excited about your CSR program than to ask them what they want to see in the mix. Question people what motivates them to volunteer or donate to a nonprofit partner and then determine your program objectives. Align your objectives with societal needs. Build loyalty by demonstrating care and considerate values.
3. Turn Swadeshi: Involve with people at grassroots level (e.g. rural & urban people) and ask them to share their views on the issues. Innovate your sustainability program to meet their local conditions, aim for smaller footprints but more accountable actions. Consider local markets for sustainability rather than supermarkets.
4. Go Green: Recycling is the first mandate of the church of green. Hence, it becomes obligatory for each person at commit at personal level to save the exhausting resources. Project the idea of using products which can be easily recycled and disposed off in appropriate container making it easier to recycle bottles, cans, and paper.
5. Earth Hour: Celebrate Earth Hour by switching off the light on March 31. However, the action has to be well inculcated in one’s life and should turn off the lights when not in use.
6. Promote Health: Recent study has showed up that 47% of India Young population is malnourished. Therefore, eradicating hunger, malnutrition, better healthier concepts and maintaining diet is the single most effective sustainable action. Endorse the notion of “Health is Wealth” and encourage mass participation.
7. Be an Ambassador: Mark something diverse in society and serve as a catalyst of change. Educate people on Social responsibility and persuade them to contribute.
Ganesh Gupta is Marketing and CSR Professional working in the field of Hygiene, Health Care, Nutrition and Food Safety. He can be reached at gupta.ganesh@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author in this feature are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of INDIACSR.
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