A time for giving
Artur Ptak is the coordinator of the Benefactor of the Year Competition at the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland.
Today, as I do on any given day, I am searching the Internet for articles on the economy, and I find the following: "Poland attractive but investors go away," "Unemployment down in March," "Will the taxman get farmers?" Some of them are optimistic, some pessimistic, but all the news is equally important.
Are we interested in the condition of our country's economy? Do we know what determines the level of economic development of cities, regions, and the countryside? Many, no doubt, possess a wide range of economic knowledge and keep up-to-date on exchange rate fluctuations, stock exchange trends, inflation indexes and interest rates. Among them are many entrepreneurs who use this sort of information in their decision-making processes.
Economic entities active in the country include foreign companies, domestic companies and mixed-capital companies of all sizes. Sadly, many of them are experiencing financial difficulties. Yet, in defiance of the dismal national economy, businesspeople are still supporting social programs and organizations and are taking an interest in creating conditions favorable to social and economic growth.
This fact was proven by the number of nominees for the "Benefactor of the Year 2002" competition, organized by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy. The competition promotes corporate social responsibility and rewards those companies that provide the most help to social organizations.
The 419 nominees that met the formal requirements for last year's competition gave more than €4.7 million (zł. 20 million) to social organizations in the form of goods, services and financial support. The number of entrants, who are nominated by NGOs, increased by a third compared with the previous year, while the value of aid rendered by the benefactors doubled.
It can therefore be said that the number of companies that invest in local community development is growing along with increased expenditures for social programs, but only among companies that can afford to do so. Such activity is likely a response to the impoverished members of our society, their increased needs and their insufficient access to the labor market, education and consumer goods. It is becoming increasingly obvious to entrepreneurs that their investments are not limited to making outlays for increasing production capacity, expanding and building new outlets and purchasing new machinery, equipment, real estate, and shares or bonds, but also to fulfulling a role of "corporate social responsibility;" that is, supporting educational programs for the young, meeting social requirements and creating a positive image of their company in its community.
Such social sensitivity, awareness and responsibility can be said to characterize those companies that have received awards in the "Benefactor of the Year 2002" competition. The list includes Levi Strauss Poland, which in 2002 provided zł. 100,000 for five scholarship schemes that benefited 144 students from poor families.
Two other companies engaged in social schemes were Ernst & Young and Carlsberg Okocim, where more than 450 employees of these firms contributed money from their own wages to support educational and rehabilitation programs. The companies matched the resources provided by their employees.
Food processing company Pudliszki distributed more than 370 tons of food, worth more than zł. 2 million, to food banks and other organizations for poor families, pensioners and retirees. The company also created an efficient model for working with the needs of NGOs.
The Warta Foundation, created by the insurance and banking group of the same name, contributed zł. 380,000 to projects related to health, education, culture, sports, charity and the environment, which were implemented by nine separate NGOs. Thanks to the donation, seven scholarships for exceptionally gifted children were awarded, the pediatric units of seven hospitals were painted as part of the "Butterfly Hospital" project and several children were sent on holidays as part of the "Open the World to Children" scheme.
Some of the companies nominated for "Benefactor of the Year 2002" also funded cultural events. The Economic Cooperative Bank in Barlinek, for instance, supported the development of the band Halka and dance company Roll-Dance by purchasing sound equipment and promoting the companies in the press. The bank also supported the organization of the "Bierzwnik 2002" National Workshop of Antique Music Groups.
There were also companies whose employees directly participated in charity events. One such company was the Municipal Transport Company of Kraków (MPK), which organized 14 charity events in the city for children with special needs, flood victims and the poor. The company's employees also organized a public collection on trams where passengers received free rides in exchange for donating their fares. MPK also helped collect three tons of food and cleaning products for flood victims and underprivileged children. The company was honored with the title of "Benefactor of the Year 2002" in recognition of its activities.
These several examples of corporate social responsibility give credence to the idea that companies have a large role to play in meeting the needs and solving the problems of society. Building clear, lasting relationships with all interested parties - shareholders, employees, suppliers and partners, clients, other companies on the marketplace, local communities, media and municipal authorities - are an indispensable element of fulfilling this mission.
It has long been known that the country's economic development should go hand-in-hand with its social development. Let us hope that businesspeople will support the country's social development in the enlarged European Union on the basis of corporate social responsibility.
