Developing World Connections CSR Program

WE BELIEVE TH E WO RL D IS E V E RYONE’S BU SINESS

“ Ethics is the new competitive environment.”

Peter Robinson, CEO Mountain Equipment Co-op

A volunteer and a member of the local community work together to build a home in Cambodia.

“ To build and sustain brands people love and trust, one must focus – not only on today but also on tomorrow.”

Irene B. Rosenfeld, CEO Kraft

WELCOME TO THE AGE OF CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Once upon a time, a photo with a big cheque or a well-attended charity golf tournament was enough to convince people that your company was one of the good ones. Like it or not, the world has changed.

A volunteer group in Tanzania works on a medical facility.

Employees, shareholders and, most importantly, customers now expect companies to engage in more thoughtful, substantive efforts to help make the world a better place.

As a result, a lot of companies are taking a long, hard look at themselves and asking two simple questions: Can our CSR program make a real difference in the world? Is there a way our CSR program can help improve our company? In short, we believe the answer to both questions is “Yes.�

CONNECT WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES People today want to work for employers who share their personal values.

As a result, companies are developing CSR programs that not only contribute to the community, but also demonstrate their own corporate values. These brandintegrated CSR programs are helping companies talk about their social causes

and reinforce, through real actions, what they stand for. Many companies are seeing the benefits of these CSR programs as they form stronger connections with their current and prospective employees.

Not surprisingly, these companies typically find it easier to attract talent, minimize turnover and inspire productivity.  A group builds a small dam in India.

IN COMPANIES WITH STRONG CSR PROGRAMS

EMPLOYEE MORALE 55% BETTER

BUSINESS PROCESSES 43% MORE EFFICIENT

EMPLOYEE LOYALTY 38% BETTER

PUBLIC IMAGE 43% STRONGER

The Society for Human Resources Management, 2012

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT Over the years, customers have changed their expectations of brands.

People are looking for brands to stand for something more than their products and services. These brands are being evaluated on a deeper level, with a considerable focus falling on corporate social responsibility.

For brands to grow and succeed in this environment, companies need to engage in CSR programs that match their corporate values. Time and time again, integrated and genuine CSR programs are helping brands stand out from their competitors and win over new customers. And, in the end, these brands are doing better business.

Volunteers connect with a group of students inside a newly renovated primary school in Kenya.

“ In the next decade, the most successful companies will be those that integrate sustainability into their core businesses.�

Jim Owens, CEO Caterpillar

“ We believe that our footprint should be gentle, our friendships great and the memories we bring home should have a positive impact on our lives.�

Wayne McRann, Founder Developing World Connections

WE INSPIRE RESPONSIBLE BRANDS We were established in the aftermath of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami that struck Sri Lanka. At the time, we wanted to help restore the infrastructure lost in the disaster. We’ve since continued to broaden our focus and create sustainable change throughout the developing world.

Ten years later, we’ve become sector leaders in creating international development projects that make a positive difference in the world. Our approach is much different than that of a strictly volunteer organization.

We focus on sustainable development. The projects we conduct are aimed at creating long-term growth for our host communities.

We collaborate with companies of all sizes to develop unique, brand-specific CSR programs directly related to these development projects. Whether these CSR programs are based on donations or volunteer participation, they allow our partners to take part in real, substantive CSR efforts that also help strengthen their brand. And they provide our partners with the opportunity to become true global citizens.

A team member puts the finishing touches on a water harvesting structure in India.

Since 2009, over 1300 volunteers participated on international volunteer experiences and more than $4 million have been invested in community development projects across the developing world.

GUATEMALA

Donations

*

Volunteers

CAMBODIA

292,927

405,152

PERU

166

78,866

209

TANZANIA

PHILIPPINES

102

521,882

32

138,881

39

SRI LANKA

INDIA

219,854

62

KENYA

409,996

760,229

NEPAL

153

RWANDA

117

554,377

150,530

49

SWAZILAND

145

159,982

50

*Donations include any contributions made towards an international development project paid through Developing World Connections.

OUR PARTNERS SEE HOW OUR INNOVATIVE CSR PROGRAMS HAVE HELPED COMPANIES SUCH AS SOFTCHOICE, EMBASSY BOSA AND M ac LAREN M c CANN DEVELOP THEIR BRANDS. A volunteer group poses with a local program director in front of a newly built primary school in Sierra Leone.

“ CSR 2.0 is different. It’s a deeper, more meaningful experience that helps the development of an organization.”

Nick Foster, SVP of Business Development Softchoice

SOFTCHOICE

INTEGRATING A CSR STRATEGY WITH A BRAND’S SERVICES. Softchoice takes a slightly different approach to their business. Unique from many other big players in the Information Technology industry, they put a large emphasis on corporate social responsibility. They’ve even turned CSR into a corporate pillar. However, there was still an opportunity for Softchoice to align their CSR strategy more closely with their brand.

When they approached us about organizing an international volunteer experience for a Softchoice team, we collaborated to further integrate their CSR efforts with their business model.

Softchoice’s mission is to help organizations use technology to become more productive, competitive and, ultimately, successful.

We offered them an opportunity to take this philosophy and apply it to the developing world.

In their words, we helped them “bridge the digital divide.” We organized a trip to Rwanda focused on building a women’s livelihood centre and installing a fully internet-ready computer lab in a primary/secondary school.

Softchoice has since gone on to conduct even more impactful IT and development projects in Sri Lanka, Bali and Kenya.

Softchoice employees teach children in Bali about a new technology resource centre.

EMBASSY BOSA

CATERING OUR CSR PROGRAMS TO THE NEEDS OF AN ORGANIZATION. Embassy Bosa is a property development firm operating in Vancouver. Above all, they consider themselves a team of individuals, working together to make a direct and honest impact with every aspect of their business.

In collaboration with our host communities, we arranged a project that allowed Embassy to use their development expertise in an entirely different way. That trip provided a community with the vital infrastructure needed to prosper and grow into the future.

Embassy looked to create an equally impactful CSR program that helped support their vision and extend their impact. They decided to partner with us and focus their CSR efforts on an international development program where they could participate with a hands-on approach.

The project was a success. Embassy’s support made a real impact on both their host community and their employees locally.

Embassy, however, couldn’t guarantee a volunteer-based commitment each year.

So rather than cancelling their program, they

opted to transition towards a donationbased CSR program. Their new program was based on annual donations in support of our international development projects.

With the added flexibility of the donationbased program, Embassy has been able to make an even stronger impact on our organization than before. Their contributions have allowed us to plan larger, more impactful projects for our host communities.

Proudly, we maintain a strong relationship and continue to work with Embassy Bosa.

Volunteers rebuild a village market in Tanzania.

“ As a team building effort, it’s amazing.”

Ryan Bosa, President Embassy Bosa

“ It’s amazing how a little grunt work does so much for individual, team and company growth.”

Hagan Ainsworth, Senior Vice President, General Manager MacLaren McCann Vancouver

M acLAREN M c CANN CREATING REWARD-BASED CSR INITIATIVES TO STRENGTHEN EMPLOYEE RETENTION. MacLaren McCann is one of Canada’s largest full-service advertising agencies. And in a talent-based industry such as Advertising and Marketing, where personnel are often on the move, employee retention is typically a point of focus and concern.

Working with MacLaren McCann, we helped the agency develop a CSR program meant to reward employees who showed loyalty and hard work.

The program was simple. It was built around annual international volunteer experiences,

allowing MacLaren McCann to send select personnel on short-term trips.

In total, we’ve sent six MacLaren McCann employees on international volunteer experiences since 2005. Each of these employees has continued on with MacLaren McCann for at least a year after their trip.

Many stayed for considerably longer.

MacLaren McCann provides an excellent example of how an employee-oriented CSR program can play a major role in talent retention.

A group in Rwanda continues work on a women’s livelihood centre.

Your corporate social responsibility program can help you stand out as an employer and a brand. With our experience creating customized CSR programs, we can help you showcase your core values and connect with your employees, shareholders and customers.

Depending on what works best for your organization, we can arrange either a volunteer or donation-based CSR program.

Both are instrumental to the success of our international development projects and, moreover, the success of our organization.

Your donations fund our projects and your volunteers help bring them to life. Without both avenues of support, our international ventures wouldn’t be possible.

A volunteer connects with a local community member during the construction of a medical facility in Rwanda.

For more information or to start building your CSR strategy, contact us at

1-866-458-8209 visit us at

developingworldconnections.org or email us at

csr@developingworldconnections.org

YEARS

WE’VE

OUR IMPACT IN THE FIRST RVED SE

COUNTRIES ON THREE CONTINENTS

VOLUNTEERS

HAVE PARTICIPATED ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

VOLUNTEER HOURS

HAVE BEEN INVESTED

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:

2,600

STUDENTS NOW HAVE ACCESS TO A LEARNING CENTRE BUILT IN GUATEMALA

PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED FREE

DENTAL CARE IN PERU

200

HOME-BASED WATER FILTRATION SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN CAMBODIA

THREE WATER HARVESTING STRUCTURES BUILT IN INDIA NOW SUPPORT 120 FAMILIES

DEVELOPINGWORLDCONNECTIONS.ORG