CSR is everywhere

You’re confronted with Corporate Social Responsibility every day, even without noticing it. It’s everywhere.

Not only when your customers enter your supermarket and choose products with a good reputation but also when your investors put money into a company with an exemplary social record. Or when you invest in the future and training of your employees, and you gain loyalty and commitment in return.

In corporate terms this makes good business sense. It gives you every reason to smile. It’s what the future of business is all about.

Under the definition of sustainability, companies have three kinds of responsibility: economic, environmental and social.

Corporate Social Responsibility is an integral part of this, with the focus on the social aspect. It is about integrating the issues of the workplace, human rights, the community and the marketplace into core business strategies.

Why CSR?

Rewards are enormous!

Corporate Social Responsibility is demonstrably a business strategy that works. In a world where brand value and reputation are increasingly seen as a company’s most valuable assets, CSR can build the loyalty and trust that ensure a bright sustainable future. In a complex society, drawing closer together, organizations are increasingly open and visible. They are not just judged on their results but on their behavior too. This can also be an opportunity for companies.

By integrating Corporate Social Responsibility as a core value in your business, you are not only making a significant contribution to a better society but, just as importantly, you are recognized for doing so.
And this has obvious benefits for the company.

Corporate Social Responsibility can and should govern every aspect of business life.
The rewards, both for the corporation and society at large, will be enormous.

Society isn't changing It has already changed

Skills acquisition and workforce development are vital for a nation to compete and grow, particularly in an ever-changing era of economic integration and technological advances. The need for IT and Professional Development skills is widespread in most developing countries and can help nations, regions and communities improve economic growth, reduce poverty and achieve sustainable development.

E-learning (Web-based training) has become a widely adopted training alternative for human resource development in large corporations. However, this development has not yet cascaded down to local organizations in many of the developing nations due to high-entry costs, infrastructure (bandwidth) problems, lack of awareness, etc. To address these issues ICWFD has formed a strategic partnership with a leading E-Learning solutions provider to offer the highest quality IT & PD courseware to the underprivileged of the developing countries at negligible costs. The same courses that are available for hundreds of US Dollars in the Industrial countries will now be available for just a few US Dollars in the developing countries!

This “e-skills360⁰ program also gives foundations and companies an opportunity to fund and sponsor the skills and offer them FREE of cost to the under-privileged of the poor countries.

The courses can now be taken from anywhere through a PIN based branded scratch-card system which lends itself very well to sponsorships by Multinational companies under Corporate Social Responsibility acts. Using our system the companies can very easily show CSR in their local markets and bridge the digital divide at the same time! Following are some benefits:

Benefits for corporations:

	Be seen as an organization committed to the welfare of the society.
	Demonstrate  “corporate responsibility” in a multi-stakeholder context.
	Good relations with governments, communities & the media
	Leverage the UN's global reach with other elite stakeholders to do well for the masses.
	Enhanced brand value and reputation
	Share good practices and learning's.
	Improve local corporate image.

Benefits to the Society

	Universal access to high-end skills & 21st. century employability and self sustaining training courseware
	More productive and efficient societies through better-trained work-force
	Embedment of the culture of continuous self-improvement via lifelong learning/education

Embedment of the culture of continuous self-improvement via lifelong learning/education
The scratch cards are totally brandable with a company's or organization's logo and message and can be distributed free to the masses under a high profile CSR initiative. Sponsorship is also a  tax write-off for US companies and foundations that wish to sponsor the courses as ICWFD is a US based Non-profit 501-C3 public charity foundation.

This global education initiative for the DC's provides a tangible, auditable and high-profile opportunity for any organization to demonstrate social commitment and responsible corporate citizenship by addressing the digital divide and the lack of quality education issues in underdeveloped nations, and is an outstanding example of addressing all of the barriers to quality education for the underprivileged masses. Corporate partnerships are a vital component of community collaboration to strengthen education as their future employees are today’s students and in reaching out to them now, Multi-national companies will continue to strengthen their ability to attract and recruit the very best later!

To see how your organization can participate – download the PowerPoint Presentation here
OR download the two page information sheet.