6 CSR initiatives for good corporate citizens

The business world has come to terms with the fact that making a profit isn’t the only thing that matters.

It’s their responsibility to contribute to the growth and well-being of the communities where they find themselves. Operating ethically and in compliance with legal requirements makes organisations good corporate citizens – a highly beneficial status.  

There are numerous kinds of ventures your company can undertake to display its dedication to society. Below are some examples of effective CSR initiatives that your company can execute as a good corporate citizen. 

1. Improve employee welfare

Charity begins at home. Companies interested in operating ethically can begin within their own walls. A CSR initiative that achieves this is the enhancement of employee welfare. Brands need to take the necessary steps to ensure their workforce is treated well.

One such step your company can take to guarantee employee well-being is compensating your workers fairly. Paying your employees well and on time proves that you value their services and contribution to your venture. Enhancing their welfare also demands that you enforce diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in your organisation. People from different backgrounds and with varying perspectives and ideologies should be treated equally and all made to feel welcome. 

Another way to boost employee welfare is to provide career advancement opportunities. Avail your team of workshops and seminars that will help them sharpen their skills. When due, promote your staff to higher positions and expand their workload. 

Additionally, a company policy that supports a healthy life is essential. This will encourage your team to make healthy life choices and strive for work-life balance. As a result, they’ll give sufficient attention to other areas of their life. Attaining such equilibrium will boost their mood and productivity.

HubSpot is big on employee welfare; its employees enjoy wellbeing perks, countless holidays and flexible work arrangements. In addition to the generous parental leave, the workers also relish tuition reimbursement.

2. Help reduce poverty and illiteracy 

Do you know that 1.2 billion people in the world are multidimensionally poor? To make it worse, poverty is reducing at a sluggish pace of only 2% yearly according to the World Bank. While the global literacy rate is more than 86%, more than 75% of the world’s 781 million illiterate adults are in developing countries. 

Businesses can contribute to the reduction of poverty and illiteracy. Empowerment and basic human needs should not be out of the reach of people. To help combat poverty and illiteracy, your company can

• Partner with programs to help build schools and training centres to teach high-paying skills
• Provide educational opportunities for the community
• Donate food products to communities in need or those otherwise affected by natural disasters

Samsung is a great example of a company committed to the CSR initiative of illiteracy eradication. The Samsung SMART School program has improved the educational environment for students living in disadvantaged areas while its Tech Institute championed self-reliance among youths through systematic vocational education.     

3. Curb food waste

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, a third of all the food produced globally is lost or wasted. In America particularly, the USDA estimates food waste to be between 30-40% of the nation’s food supply. These statistics are proof that food waste is a real problem in today’s world; it’s also a waste of the resources that went into the production of food products. 

A CSR initiative your company can engage in is stopping – or, at least, reducing – food waste. One way to curb food waste is to turn unused food products into profit by selling them to local biogas companies. Also, if your company is in the hospitality or food and beverage industries, you can strive to buy products more conservatively. Buy only what your organisation needs.

What’s more, there’s always a chance to do good. Excesses can be given to shelter homes and people who don’t have enough. Besides that, the food products can also be used to produce other food items. Toast Ale uses surplus bread from bakeries as a substitute for barley in its beer. Interestingly, the company didn’t stop there; it donated more than $48,000 to accelerate the march against food waste.        

4. Support social initiatives by partnering with local nonprofits

Being a good corporate citizen implies being sensitive to the needs of the community where a business operates. 

Your company could assist the community by holding fundraisers or bringing attention to problems they are facing.

A great way to help get involved in the community is to partner with local nonprofits already working for social change. This helps your company get involved with established efforts and helps your employees get involved easily in broader initiatives.

For example, Uber partnered with No Kid Hungry to drive out hunger. The cab-hailing service made it easy for passengers to donate $5 to the nonprofit after their ride; the seamless donation process helped raise $5 million for the nonprofit. Likewise, Rise Against Hunger has partnered with multiple companies such as Zambrero, AIG, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and more – along with their employees – to support their mission to end hunger.    

5. Reduce carbon footprint 

The ravaging effect of climate change is felt all over the world but mostly by communities that are least responsible for it. It’s expedient for everyone to work towards a cleaner healthier environment for the present and future generations. To reduce its carbon footprint, your organisation can begin by opting for renewable sources of energy. 

Your company can also minimise waste while reducing its carbon footprint by enforcing recycling. This sustainable practice of converting waste into reusable material ensures that the negative impact on the environment is reduced, thus conserving natural resources and protecting ecosystems. 

Nike has made bold strides in this aspect of environment protection. Its Reuse-A-Shoe campaign and Nike Grind program encouraged athletic shoe owners to return their athletic shoes from Nike or other brands to designated Nike stores. The shoes were then recycled and made into other sport products such as accessories, clothing, shoes and even gym floors. 

To truly demonstrate its commitment to a cleaner environment, your organisation could insist on eco-friendly means of transportation or pivoting to remote work.    

6. Source ethically 

One of the best CSR initiatives in the world is ethical material sourcing. This corporate social initiative encourages companies to to purchase products from responsible and ethical suppliers, therefore considering the effect the products have on both the people and communities that manufacture or cultivate them. As a responsible approach to supply chain management, it recognises the broad impact of the procurement process and involves sourcing materials from vendors that comply with sustainable practices.

A company that implements the CSR initiative of ethical sourcing ensures that

• Suppliers don’t exploit their workers in the form of child labour, human trafficking, modern-day slavery or poor pay
• Vendors involved in unethical practices are reported to relevant authorities 
• Hazardous environmental methods aren’t used to source the products
• Its suppliers don’t resort to extreme and unfair competitive practices

An example of this is the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, which uses third-party metrics from the International Labor Association to assess the practices of its suppliers.  

These CSR initiatives above are all excellent ways for organisations to display good corporate citizenship. They’ll help your company boost its reputation and help engage and inspire your employees to get involved on a larger scale. If you’re eager to kickstart a targeted CSR program, these ideas can help you hit the ground running.