Social responsibility - what drives you?

Yesterday, I listened to an interesting talk by Chit Juan of Philippine Coffee Board, during the Public Relations Society of the Philippines 2nd general membership meeting, about the subject of corporate social responsibility or CSR.

There are key take-aways in her talk that I'd like to note in this blog post:

• CSR is not limited to big enterprises
  Even SMEs and individuals can undertake social responsibility efforts. A good example will be about hiring local talent and not taking advantage of their situation by paying them reasonably.
  
• It must outlive the CEO or initiator
  As an individual, I think that is easier said than done on my part. I have founded an organization in the past and have let go for continuity. Apparently, when things got quite hot, and the pioneers started checking, seeking for transparency, we got cut off. That experience brought a lot of lessons learned and saw how people change the moment they are given power. It makes me wonder whether DigitalFilipino will outlive me or die with me.
  
• Customers choose responsible companies, those with CSR, and recommend them to peers
  I think becoming top of mind is more than just skill and portfolio. It is also what you are about. Are you all about money or you have a purpose that is bigger than you? It is not just blogging about it or putting a badge on your site. It is actually living it without any complaints. I noticed as well that for the clients I've worked with, a lot of them note of the various extra-curricular activities undertaken that is not directly related to the service being offered. Subconsciously, it plays a big role indeed.


• What differentiates you? Quality? Price? CSR?
  For me, I think all the above applies. Services are being offered that is worth more than what one pays for. Pricing was done in such a way that is affordable to the budget. A big chunk of revenues goes to CSR (such as funding of writing projects, awards, free seminars/roadshow, free books and reports). Everything else that remains is profit.
  
• Doing good and telling it well
  This makes me wonder how do you tell it without appearing to be boasting or overselling what you are doing? Most of my undertakings did not have much stories written about them as they are advocacies and not intended for media mileage.

Chit Juan's talk was very insightful and made me reflect on the advocacies I have been undertaking lately and the one put on hold last year - the Philippine Schools Cyberfair project.

My goal for that project was simple. To encourage elementary and high school institutions to come up with web content that talks about their community. I started it in 2001 and have been sustaining it since. Last year, decided to put it on hold and realigned limited resources to other things.

However, the past two weeks have been quite interesting as I get contacted by young people who used to be high school students that have participated in the project. Some of them studying in college while others began working already. They kept in touch just to share how are they doing or in need of possible help.

That made me reflect on how that project, despite having limited number of participants and hardly any sponsors, have touched some of the students who joined it.

At the end of the day, it is not the glitz and glamor that makes a project great, its impact and how it touches those who participated mattered the most. With that and after listening to Chit Juan, I just made the decision of jumpstarting the Philippine Schools Cyberfair 2010.