Corporate Social Investment is the right thing to do

Luvuyo Bangazi

The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic is till today the most significant event in our history that exposed the huge chasm between those who have and those with little Covid-19 lockdowns came at a time when funding for nongovernmental agencies operating in the social sector were already experiencing severe resource shortages

To make matters worse the economy is still not growing fast enough to give corporates room to move funds towards CSI but to rather keep their ships afloat It is a tough balancing act

With immediate effect businesses had to close shops for days on end no trade no income and suddenly even those who barely made it by month end couldn’t do so anymore The scramble by the Government to introduce all sorts of interventions such as the R350 grant was noble but in totality wholly inadequate

The pressure on NGOs grew overnight but the resources didn’t Entities like the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) jumped in along with the likes of Gift of the Givers The latter have been a savior to many distressed communities across the continent and beyond In Nelson Mandela Bay we not only faced Covid-19 but a debilitating drought compounded issues The effects of the pandemic are still with us and show themselves up in the level of debt unemployment business foreclosures and a growing population of homeless

In years past I was privileged to be a board member of the Community Chest of Nelson Mandela Bay and a crucial resource that links doners to where the need is great

The organisation had to pivot and adapt to a changing funding environment that was seriously under pressure The saying goes adapt or die The new leadership there has made great strides and they survived Covid-19 and are looking in better shape

At a recent event hosted by the CC earlier this year, the issue around funding for NGOs and the new reality they face was a topic by the guest speaker

The biggest point for me was that NGOs must start thinking about how they demonstrate impact when approaching funders or partners

The need to develop measurable impact will go a long way in fostering stronger and more sustainable funding relationships Companies, and entities want to know that the investment they give will go to cover the needs, and this is an awkward reality for NGOs The need often requires a human resource, and so who funds that resource becomes the sticky issue that is not difficult to overcome

NGOs need not be burdened by such requirements Almost every metro has a university campus where social scientists are trained annually

It is critical for academic institutions to produce a body of knowledge, business models, and practices that can support NGOs in keeping their doors open

The majority of NGO’s are led by passionate community members who might have no inclination or knowledge about the triple bottom line that corporates report on

To burden NGOs with statistical models and impact calculations is not ideal and this is where students and academics in social sciences can support

It is almost a chicken or egg situation The funder is reluctant to provide resources to entities that cannot demonstrate value to the satisfaction of funders The applicant is not able to provide such details yet the need remains

This stalemate can be overcome when both NGOs and funders approach it as a partnership The parties must meet somewhere in the middle because the needs persist Society cannot depend on government that moves at a snail’s pace Corporate South Africa must come to the rescue and support communities

It is in communities where corporate South Africa’s labour comes

HELPING EACH OTHER:

The Mandela Bay Development Agency has held several empowerment workshops for NGO’s, assisting them in developing skills to draft funding proposals and business plans The also support the community wherever the need is great from, and not just because Corporate Social Investment is the right thing to do

We must also commend initiatives by the media to honour those who step in when others fail The Herald Citizen of the Year initiative puts a spotlight on these unsung heroes, but they need more support to carry out their amazing, and often thankless work

The MBDA has in the recent past held several empowerment work- shops for NGO s, assisting them in developing the requisite skills to draft funding proposals and business plans

We hope to continue doing this work because the need is great We started in Helenvale and recently we were in Korsten to support young entrepreneurs and aspirant social entrepreneurs

We will continue this work in our mandate areas because we know the value it brings to society