There is more to CSR than climate change or green initiatives. However with the dominance of those issues on the radar screen, it might be easy to forget that. One of the concepts I’ve tried to introduce this year in our decision making and communications is the ability to measure social impact.
There may be other terms for it. For example, HIP Investor uses the term Human Impact – but the concept is the same. Basically, is there a way to measure the impact CSR initiatives have on the community which they are intended to serve? I can measure aspects such as $ spent, energy saved, emissions reduced, teachers trained, volunteer hours or even products donated. The next step, measuring results such as improved quality of life or increased learning or a change in per capita income, becomes exponentially more difficult due to the multiple factors that enter the equation.
Regardless, I think it’s important to think about those impacts when considering today’s actions. Intel’s Malaysia site considered those impacts when they decided to focus on growing their employee volunteer program. The site employees set out to make tangible improvements in the local community. Instead of being content with “simply” volunteering, they challenged themselves to find issues that not only interested employees, but served critical community needs.
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