Webinar on CSR and Employee Volunteering

Introduction

• Speaker: Aarti from Connect4
• Colleague: Kritika
• Purpose: Discuss tough and unaddressed questions in CSR.
• Reminder: Participants to remain on mute; questions can be asked in the chat.

About Connect4

• Volunteering platform connecting volunteers with NGOs.
• Curates customized engagements for individuals and corporates.
• Over 450 NGO partners and 20,000+ volunteers across India.
• Focus areas include Environment, Community Development, Education.

Importance of CSR in COVID Times

• Corporate organizations seeking to aid COVID relief through CSR.
• Mandatory CSR has pushed companies to focus on social and environmental responsibilities.
• Aim: Identify unanswered questions regarding CSR and volunteering.

Panel Introduction

• Ashwini Saxena: 30+ years in various sectors; CEO of JSW Foundation.
• Rohit: CSR and Diversity Inclusion professional; leads CSR at JL India.
• Balaji: CEO of Toolbox India Foundation; founder of Social Lens Consulting.

Discussion Highlights

1. Employee Volunteering Spend as CSR Expense

• Rohit's Perspective:

  • Volunteering spend can be quantified depending on the project.
  • Employee salaries can count towards CSR but must follow specific rules (admin overhead max 5%).
  • Important for organizations to understand what qualifies as CSR spend.

• Aswini's View:

  • Employee volunteering should be assessed for its impact rather than its qualification as CSR.
  • Engagement in volunteering leads to employee well-being and company values.

2. Integrating Volunteering into KRAs

• Aswini:

  • Align volunteering with employee passions for better engagement.
  • Volunteering should be seen as a way to enrich HR practices and integrate feedback from community interactions.

• Rohit:

  • Employee volunteering should remain voluntary and not be tied to performance metrics.
  • Encouragement through providing opportunities rather than setting goals.

3. Measuring Impact of Volunteering

• Importance of measuring volunteering's impact similar to CSR projects.
• Distinction between one-off activities vs. long-term projects.
• Need for third-party intervention for impact measurement in CSR.

4. Challenges in Virtual Volunteering

• Virtual volunteering became popular during COVID-19.
• Challenges in rural areas include connectivity and resistance to virtual engagement.
• Organizations need to adapt and explore blended models of volunteering.

5. Employee Engagement and Development Sector Professionals

• Importance of having development sector professionals in CSR teams to motivate volunteers and enhance CSR activities.
• Mixed backgrounds among volunteers can lead to innovative solutions and partnerships.

6. Social Stock Exchange and CSR Ecosystem

• Discussion on the implications of the social stock exchange on CSR practices.
• Currently in the early stages, requiring more clarity and understanding.

Conclusion

• Invitation for feedback and questions via the feedback form.
• Connect4 offers support in creating virtual ecosystems for NGOs and corporate partnerships.
• Next meeting: Corporate partners meet and greet scheduled with further details to be shared.

Closing Remarks

• Thank you to all speakers and participants for their engagement.
• Encouraged to continue the conversation on CSR and volunteering.