15 Amazing CSR Activities To Boost Employee Engagement

CSR Activities are versatile and adaptable to the needs of every organization. These activities are mostly undertakings by organizations to give back to the community. It is not required in every country. But, it is seen as a responsibility for industrialization's effect on the environment.

Let's look at some definitions of CSR. They can be adapted to boost employee engagement and also give back to society.

What Is CSR?

UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) describes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as:

"A management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders."

Corporate Social Responsibility is not a legal mandate in every country. But, it is seen as a social responsibility for organizations. So they can do their part to give back to the community and work toward environmental sustainability.

The proactive steps to incorporate CSR into the company's business strategy and culture shows its commitment to the cause.

A business plan that focuses on lowered carbon emissions, acute environmental responsibility, and renewable energy investment is a good step.

Businesses with CSR initiatives, philanthropy, and volunteer work benefits their brand and society.

15 Ideas For CSR Activities For Your Organization

There are several ways to give back to the community. Looking around, we can see several opportunities we can improve with just a little help.

Organizing a cause everyone believes in is the key to a more engaging and successful CSR program. Concentrating effort on issues that the employees care about will increase their involvement.

These efforts need not be restricted to company-sponsored activities. It can branch out to individual efforts with your organization's support.

Let us look at a few CSR activities. These can help form a more engaging work environment while doing your part to give back to society.

1. Community And Virtual Volunteering

When it comes to volunteering, passion and positivity are the only requirements. Volunteer in an area of interest or try to gain experience in a new field. This flexibility is why volunteering is one of the most popular CSR activities.

It is engaging. Besides, it offers the employees a chance to gain experience in new fields without any long-term commitment.

• Employee volunteerism has been proven to reduce a company's employee turnover by approximately 50%

• Work productivity is increased by approximately 13% by volunteering employees.

• 93% of employees who volunteer report being satisfied with their current employer

2. Charitable Giving

A convenient way to engage in corporate social responsibility donating to charities. This makes a positive impact without requiring companies to sacrifice time or resources.

Many companies will match employee donations to encourage employee giving. This shows that the company's C-suit is prepared to "put their money where their mouth is."

In a research report by Big Give, 84% of survey respondents said they were more likely to donate if the organization matched the amount.

We here at Vantage Circle know how crucial CSR is to the company, its culture, and its people. Because of this, we make it simple for your company's most fundamental unit, i.e., your employees, to engage in CSR activity. Employees can use Vantage Rewards to redeem their reward points for gift cards that they can use to donate or support deserving causes.

3. Environmental Practices

A positive impact on the environment is one of the main goals of CSR. Investing in and using renewable energy are two proposals to increase environmental and sustainability CSR. You can also look into the Cool Biz Campaign in japan as an initiative to decrease carbon footprint.

Allowing volunteers to choose their CSR projects is a great way to show trust in the employees. It gives employees the chance to be at a leadership level. They can also explore the autonomy and accountability of the position.

4. Public Area Cleanup

Everyone likes to live and work in an area that is clean and well-maintained. Yet, we often see acts of vandalism by delinquents. It leaves the surroundings in a less-than-perfect condition.

Get your organization to organize a local community area cleanup. Even a tie-up with the local authorities can be organized to help with the community service programs. This will also let your employees help make a visible difference. And it will help reform misguided youths serving community service for their misbehavior.

5. Workplace Policies

The social impact outside the workplace is one aspect of corporate social responsibility. Enhancements made within your company can also be a part of CSR.

Implementing new workplace policies shows social responsibility towards your employees. By focusing on their needs and rights and making them feel valued and cared for. These policies range from emergency employee funds that any employee can dip into when in trouble, mental health week offs, or providing daycare services for working mothers.

6. Volunteering In Animal Shelters

CSR need not be limited to just the environment or fellow human beings. Animals deserve and want as much care. Additionally, more interaction with animals has been known to reduce stress. These shelter animals are abandoned or stray in need of medical attention and care. Volunteers can offer their time or funds to these shelters.

Encourage employees to volunteer their time and efforts to these shelters. They can even adopt a four-legged friend to take home. You can even set an example by adopting an office dog.

7. Mentoring And Tutoring Programs

This volunteering opportunity offers a one-on-one interaction. It will help your employees connect and help others. This volunteering opportunity can be continued uninterrupted, even without physical proximity.

Mentoring and tutoring programs are a great way to transfer knowledge between generations of workers. They help us understand the expectations and thinking of the future workforce. Learning from the experience of the mentors will produce better leaders. They will have a hand in not just sharing their knowledge but also helping guide the new employees.

8. Repairing Local Ecosystem

Every area has its own ecosystem that is unique and has a delicate balance that is easy to upset.

Planting sea oats, removing invasive plant species, regular cleanup of local parks and beaches will turn participants into citizen scientists. They will be charge of fortifying the best local defenses. Be it hurricanes, or preserving the natural habitats of endangered animals.

Helping the local ecosystems is an excellent CSR strategy for every organization. This opportunity allows employees to engage in new fields. They can also gain experience without any long-term commitment.

9. Skill-based Micro-volunteering Opportunities

Every skill, no matter how insignificant, has its demand. Let your employees use their hidden skills to help the community.

Employees with teachable skills can volunteer to impart their knowledge. They can set up classes or help organize fundraisers or donation drives. Giving their time to help out is also valuable in volunteering.

At Vantage Circle, we know how important a good recognition culture is for your employees. Reward your employees that volunteer their time with Vantage Points. You can also share their helping journey on the Vantage Circle social feed.

10. Organize Fundraisers

Fundraising is another good idea that helps raise funds for worthwhile causes. Although organizing a fundraiser is a lot of work, the ROI is worth the effort.

The coordination and effort needed to organize fundraisers is an excellent employee engagement opportunity. It also improves the organization's social credibility. It is a win-win situation for the organization.

Organize a fun, engaging fundraiser for a worthwhile cause that makes your employees care enough to take part willingly.

11. Volunteering Leave (VTO)

You're on the wrong track if you want your employees to actively volunteer but also expect them to cover the lost productivity by working overtime.

Giving your employees mandated volunteer leaves makes balancing work and volunteering extremely simple for your people. It says, "this organization is committed to giving back to the community and allows its employees to choose how to do so."

When you make volunteering a part of your company policy, it gives your employees the freedom to explore, give, and connect with the community in whatever way they see fit.

12. Natural Disaster Relief

Natural disasters are no strangers to us. Every year we witness several natural disasters all over the world. Floods, landslides, forest fires, earthquakes, famine, etc., to name a few.

Each of these disasters leads to loss of life and property and often displacement. Assisting disaster victims in time can bring ease and a sense of accomplishment to those who help. Organize donations of daily necessities that will bring relief to the disaster struck people. For those of your employees that want to take a more active part in volunteering, make sure to allow them adequate VTOs to help.

Organizations that are quick to help in a crisis tend to have a better social presence and reputation. These organizations are more likely to attract and keep employees that share the same values.

13. Cook For The Homeless Community

You can help improve your community by volunteering at homeless shelters or organizing food drives. Think about how much more fulfilling it can be to use your barbecue or company lunch to feed the needy.

One in ten people in the United States cannot access affordable, nutritious food. And, about 10.5% of people in the US don't have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Volunteering in homeless shelters or organizing food drives is a great way to help people in your community.

14. Blood Drive

Donating blood is one of the noblest ways to give back to your community, as one donation can save up to three lives.

Your organization can host a quarterly or yearly blood donation drive. They can also encourage employees to participate in an established event. Organize an awareness campaign to encourage your employees to donate during the blood drive.

15. Knitting Clubs To Keep People Warm

Knitting has always been a popular hobby. Knitting clubs nowadays are made up of not just white-haired grandmas but people of all genders and ages. It's worthwhile to use this popular hobby to help keep less fortunate people warm during winter.

Employees who cannot knit can help by donating clothes or other necessities. To make it more efficient and on track, set aside a day for all employees. They can come in, assign someone to handle and package the donations, and decide how the distribution process will work.

When it comes to donating, ensure that every item is washed and cleaned and that any repairs needed are seen. A handwritten note also adds a personal touch, making the receivers feel the sincerity of the gesture.

When it comes to CSR, it is not only implementing new and innovative ideas that make an impact. You can also look towards organizations that have a successfully established CSR program for inspiration.

Companies Recognised For Their CSR Efforts in 2022

Many well-known brands have embraced CSR with open arms and partnered with nonprofits to drive change. Following is the list of socially responsible companies that are strongly committed to CSR:

Adidas: Adidas is working with Parley to turn plastic waste into high-performance sportswear. They're also partnered with Greenpeace for a DETOX Campaign to eliminate dangerous chemicals from global supply chains.

Starbucks: Starbucks supports Ethos Water in a campaign to bring clean water to 1 billion people worldwide. The Ethos Water Fund is part of the Starbucks Foundation. A percentage of the sales of bottles of Ethos Water goes towards the campaign.

The Starbucks Foundation has been investing in local communities for over 20 years — both in the US and worldwide. This includes a strong focus on organizations that help people overcome barriers. Additionally, they can engage in job and training opportunities.

Marc Jacobs : Marc Jacobs brand focuses on supporting organizations that are localized to their stores. They also collaborate with The Sato Project, a nonprofit rescuing abandoned and abused dogs from Puerto Rico. Over 3,500 puppies have been rescued and rehomed in the US.

Indigo Reach : Indigo Reach social responsibility focuses on children/education, female empowerment, environment, and heritage. Their partnerships have helped empower over 64,000 women, educate more than 47,000 children, and plant over 40,000 trees.

IKEA: IKEA CSR efforts and activities comprise supporting local communities. They educate and empower workers, and addresses the issues of gender equality and minorities. Moreover, the global furniture retailer works to reduce energy consumption. They derive energy from alternative sources. Sustainable sourcing represents an additional CSR issue that IKEA aims to address within its operations.

**Bosch **: "We act responsibly in the interest of our company, also taking the social and the ecological impact of our actions into consideration."- Robert Bosch, Founding ideology

The CSR project portfolio for Bosch can be broadly divided into three domains- education, environment, and tech for CSR. The Social Responsibility charter of Bosch outlined is "Extending 'Smart Solutions' that create long-lasting value to the society."

Ben and Jerry's : Their mantra is, "Business has a responsibility to the community and environment," and even after the acquisition by Unilever, this mantra has not changed.

Some of the CSR activities of Ben And Jerry's include-

• Use of fair trade ingredients
• Engaging the Community through Community-based Projects
• Corporate Philanthropy
• THE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE PROGRAM
• THE NATIONAL MOVEMENT BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM (INVITATION ONLY)
• THE VERMONT CAPACITY BUILDING GRANT PROGRAM
• VERMONT ECONOMIC JUSTICE GRANT PROGRAM
• THE VERMONT COMMUNITY ACTION TEAMS GRANT PROGRAM
• THE EMPLOYEE MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM

Apple: Apple is notorious for the secrecy of its products and internal policies. But, since the last decade, its CSR programs have expanded, emphasizing greener and more fair business practices.

Coca-Cola: They focus on waste management and water preservation as most of their packaging is done through plastic components, which are hard to collect and dispose of. Arwa's "Price of Water" campaign has provided clean drinking water for refugees in the Middle East since 2014.

Alaska Airlines: At Alaska Airlines, people are at the heart of their business- their employees, partners, customers, and community members. They are committed to giving back to them, which is why their focus is on the following areas of work:

• Passengers' and employee's safety
• Diversity and equal opportunity
• Employee engagement
• Supplier engagement
• Community giving

BMW: the CSR goals of BMW are promoting diversity, inspiring the next generation of engineers, social mobility and inclusion, and teaching road safety which they achieve by working with several organizations.

They also encourage their employees to support projects and organizations that matter to them.

Dell: Dell wants to use its technology and expertise to drive global change. In 2019 their staff dedicated 5 million volunteer hours to organizations in their community which were mostly skill-based.

Dell's technology has also been used to provide faster treatment to children and help educate them around the world. Their technology has also revolutionized the Indian government's preventive healthcare system.

Walt Disney Company: The Walt Disney Company focuses its CSR efforts on bringing happiness to children and making them feel inspired. So far, they have fulfilled the wishes of over 130,000 sick children and have supported Girls Who Code since 2015 and Snap the Gap (a pilot program aimed at boosting confidence and skills for girls).

Microsoft: Microsoft focuses on improving skills, employability, and environmental sustainability through its CSR initiatives. They have partnered with nonprofits, organizations, and schools to improve computer science education and make a greater impact through technology. They also champion organizations that aim to improve the quality of life for people in Washington.

Microsoft is also known to match their employees' donations for financial and time-based contributions.

Conclusion

Establishing a good CSR program works in favor of your company's credibility, improving its brand image and reputation. The current working demographic is made up of millennials and zennials who want a balance of community involvement and self-development besides work-life balance. An organization with an active CSR program will be more attractive to them.

Corporate responsibility programs improve a company's bottom line by engaging staff and consumers rather than squandering time and money. Employee participation in CSR initiatives also helps the organization create trust and partnerships with the local community, and it is a win-win situation for the organization.

A dreamer and an idealist in a long-term relationship with food and sleep, Lopamudra is more than thrilled to be part of the marketing team at Vantage Circle. When she is not in the vicinity or thinking about food, you can find her curled up in a corner with a good book and music. For any related queries, contact editor@vantagecircle.com.