Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (often referred to simply by its acronym, CSR) is the term frequently used to describe a company's commitment to operating in a way that takes account of not only the financial implications of the business decisions it makes, but also the social, economic and environmental impacts.

It is often used interchangeably with other terms such as Corporate Citizenship and is also linked to the concept of Triple Bottom Line Reporting, a framework for measuring an organisation's performance against economic, social and environmental parameters.

The Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership

The Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership acts as a 'think-tank' on matters of corporate social responsibility, to promote mutual obligation and to encourage and foster the development of partnerships. It provides useful resources for both businesses and community organisations seeking to form partnerships, and links to information on corporate social responsibility.

A number of Australian forums deal with promoting and encouraging greater CSR and collaboration between the business and community sectors. The Positive Outcomes website at http://www.positiveoutcomes.com.au provides useful resources on these areas.

Community and Business Partnerships Brokerage Service

This service is for community groups and businesses, particularly small to medium sized organisations who want to connect, make a difference and who want to find out more information about forming a partnership-all with the aim to create and inspire more community business partnerships.

The service is an initiative of the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership, administered through the Australian Government's Department of Family and Community Services. The Brokerage Service has many features and a range of many helpful resources.

The Australian ICT Industry and CSR

The Australian ICT Industry is actively engaged in CSR. ICT Industry and Professional bodies such as the Australian Information Industries Association (AIIA), the Internet Industry Association (IIA) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS) contribute towards greater CSR by the industry.

AIIA Digital Divide Forum

The AIIA encourages a range of CSR activities through:

The Digital Divide Forum
Encouraging Indigenous Australians to participate in ICT careers
Collaborative industry projects to address environmental issues, such as computer recycling.
The AIIA annual iAwards, which featured in 2004 the inaugural Involvement award to acknowledge outstanding corporate social responsibility.

AIIA member companies give generous donations of cash, equipment and services to charitable organisations and to educational institutions across Australia. These companies give awards and sponsorships, equipment and software grants, work experience placements, and other types of assistance. Examples of the work of these companies can be seen at: http://www.aiia.com.au/wppuser/aiia/es/case_studies.html .

IIA Digital Bridge

The IIA is active via its Digital Bridge initiative, which addresses issues and provides support around website accessibility.

ACS Foundation

The Australian Computer Society's ACS Foundation receives funding from leading ICT organisations and Government bodies and offers financial scholarships and grants to Australian students.

ICT Firms' CSR Activities

Individual ICT firms are demonstrating their CSR through:

Providing hardware, software and training for schools and universities
Establishing dedicated programs to assist students and the community with ICT training and support
Funding scholarships for ICT study and training for students

Specific examples include:

Microsoft's Unlimited Potential Programme, an international philanthropic program for increased computer literacy. In Australia the program is a collaboration with nonprofit organisations. The Smith Family is the lead agency in this project, which has generated further partnerships with organisations such as the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association (ASCCA), Inspire Foundation, WorkVentures and Yarnteen. The major initiatives in Australia include software donation, refurbished computers, community technology learning centres, disaster relief and community partnerships in education, training and technology access.
Companies such as Microsoft Australia, AMP, Coca-Cola and Com Tech Online supported the Inspire Foundation's Reach Out! project, an Internet-based youth suicide prevention initiative.
Cisco Systems Australia assisted The Smith Family to upgrade to state-of-the-art voice and data facilities for more efficient service delivery, particularly to clients living in rural and regional Australia. This also enabled The Smith Family to provide ICT access and training for students in low income families through pilot computer clubs in selected Melbourne suburbs.
IBM Australia has developed a range of community programs with an emphasis on using information technology to expand learning opportunities and on accessibility support.
Samsung DigitAll Hope program, run in 2003 and 2004, to provide financial assistance to nonprofit organisations for projects aimed at using technology to improve the lives of young people and to help bridge the digital divide.
BP Australia supported Computerbank by providing surplus computers for recycling to people on low incomes and community groups.
Perth based IT company WiredCity donated services to the Fairbridge community organisation to help establish an online training facility for young people.
Australian industry and the nonprofit sector are engaging in innovative CSR programs using or providing access to ICT, for example:

The Hume Global Learning Centre was established with support from the Victorian Government, The Age, Ford Australia and The Pratt Foundation.

eTree is a Computershare initiative with Landcare Australia, giving an environmental incentive to shareholders of Australian companies to elect to receive shareholder communications electronically. Saving paper and preserving the environment.

Social Ventures Australia is a venture philanthropy organisation, established in 2002 by the Benevolent Society, The Smith Family, WorkVentures and AMP Foundation. Its aim is to integrate the Australian public, corporate and social sectors to create entrepreneurial, innovative and results-driven solutions to Australia's social problems.