Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

You must have seen companies going back to the communities to lend them a hand in many activities, most commonly being digging of dams and boreholes in dry areas. This is what corporate social responsibility (C.S.R) is all about. There is no common definition of C.S.R but can be referred to as "giving back to the community". Since all companies operate in the midst of communities, they ought to give back to them. The communities are the customers that keep these companies in existence. C.S.R takes many forms, among them being sports and sponsorship. In Kenya, most companies have taken the lead in giving back to the communities. For example, Equity Bank is well known for its university sponsorship programmes for the needy students; Safaricom is well known in sports. It sponsors football (Sakata Ball Live), Rugby (Safaricom safari 7s) and marathon (Safaricom Lewa marathon to cater and care for the environment); Kenya Power and Lighting Company (K.P.L.C) is known for constructions of dams and digging of boreholes in dry areas; Kenya Cooperative Bank (K.C.B) is known for hosting safari rally events, last but not least, Standard Chartered holds marathons, an initiative dubbed "seeing is believing" to help raise fund for blind children below 9 years old to re-gain their sight. You may wonder  why C.S.R is important. It creates a positive perception of the company in the mind of the consumer, hence a good reputation. In turn, the reputation will keep the company in business for long, hence more profit is earned. It does not require a company to have millions of shillings so as to participate in C.S.R. Activities like putting rubbish bins in the estates or sponsoring the local team in your area can make a difference. Again I'll say this, "the little things we do make a difference in the future".