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How To Track CSR To Prove Your Social Value

When an organisation is able to track CSR effectively, it brings a plethora of benefits that they can showcase to attract employees, engage their audiences, and intrigue investors. Successful sustainable businesses track CSR to improve their CSR performance, plan their future endeavours, and to optimise their actions.

 

A business which knows how to track CSR efforts efficiently can use their statistics and findings to approach new stakeholders and consult their existing investors confidently and impressively. We’ll go through how to track CSR in this blog, highlighting what to look for and how you can then showcase your social value to build business.

 

Track CSR Easily and Efficiently

There are a number of ways a business can track CSR, the main ones being assessments, audits, and surveys. To determine the impact your business is having on the community, a survey is a surefire way to pinpoint how positively your organisation is perceived. An evaluation of your work towards your corporate social responsibility by the members of the community you’re working in will allow you to directly discover the impact your organisation is having.

 

Another way to track CSR is through external agencies who can impartially monitor the effectiveness of your CSR efforts through monthly, quarterly, or annual reporting. Alternatively, organisations can appoint a committee who will track CSR and evaluate the impact and performance of each project. Full audits should be undertaken to ensure that the full potential of the project is being reached. Since the importance of tracking CSR has come to light, a number of software programmes have also been developed to measure the impact of CSR programmes.

 

With Investors In Community, our platform allows you to track CSR effortlessly and effectively. Each project and individual task is monitored, measured and rewarded through Community Credits, which can then be used to showcase your social value and track CSR.

Track CSR

What to Look for

There are many criteria to consider when you track CSR, such as whether your efforts are achieving your aims, how well-executed your activities are, how efficiently your resources are used, and how much longevity your projects have. In order for your CSR efforts to have optimum impact on your organisation, your projects need to be aligned with your company culture and values. The more relevant your CSR projects, the more impact you’ll have on brand awareness, the more engaged your employees will be, and the more meaningful your CSR tracking will be.

 

When tracking CSR, in order to see your progress and the increased impact you’re having, benchmark your organisation against companies with high-flying corporate social responsibility. Before you set out on your CSR mission, decide upon key performance indicators that you can continually monitor and strive for, letting you tick off your targets as you achieve them.

 

As you track CSR, you should notice cost savings, as well as increased customer acquisition and retention. More and more consumers are drawn towards CSR-driven companies, and so being able to track CSR and showcase the results will attract attention, as well as footfall. Brand awareness will also be on the up, as members of the community demonstrate the power of word of mouth marketing. The hassle of recruitment will also ease as you track CSR improvements. Candidates of today are usually on the lookout for a company that does great things, is sustainable, and focused on their CSR impact, and so showcasing your social value through tracking CSR will bring only the best CVs to your company, whilst keeping hold of the top talent already flourishing in your organisation.

 

Showcasing Your Social Value

It’s essential to track CSR to clearly and coherently demonstrate your social value to investors, with CSR and Environmental Social Governance now becoming key factors in investors’ preferences and decisions. What’s more, it’s not just investors looking for responsible businesses; consumers, clients, and potential recruits are increasingly insisting on sustainably and socially responsible businesses to involve and associate themselves with.

 

When a business can track CSR and showcase their social value, they’ll win the buy-in from employees, customers, and investors alike, especially when they provide transparency surrounding their goals and their progress. CSR-focused businesses are also less likely to face lawsuits and boycotts, when they’re able to showcase their ESG and CSR efforts.

 

Your organisation should measure and track CSR to guide your choices moving forward surrounding which projects to get involved in, to enhance the efficiency of your current CSR efforts, and to encourage investors and stakeholders to take action too, as part of your organisation.

 

Investors In Community is the home of CSR projects, with initiatives spanning the breadth of the country, working towards all kinds of different, important causes. Using our platform allows you to handpick the projects that are most relevant to your team and your business objectives, allowing you to track CSR and showcase your social value in the most impactful way. Once you and your employees sign up, you can begin to earn Community Credits. These gems of opportunity allow you to put an actual number on your CSR impact; clearly showcasing your social value and your care for the community, and putting your company in the spotlight when it comes to recruitment, investments, pitching, and applying for tenders.

 

Demonstrate your social value and track CSR and your achievements with Investors In Community. Simply click here to discover the benefits of showcasing your CSR and ESG, and sign up for your free demo.

Investors In Community Newsletter – Issue Three

Julia Goodman Joins IIC Board of Directors:

“Our work supports and creates a white light of courage and truth in everything that we do” – Julia Goodman

Julia was an actor, producer, and director for 27 years. She rose to fame on shows such as Coronation Street, EastEnders, Those Glory Glory Days, The Brothers, The Lotus Eaters and many more. She also founded the British Actors Theatre Company with Kate O’Mara and played leading Shakespearean roles all over the world.

Julia stepped out of the acting world in the late 80s and discovered a new passion: helping people find their truth and their ability to project that. The idea came (as all the best ideas do) while lying in the bath after having played Lady Macbeth across Europe and London, and feeling unsure what the future had in store for her as a divorced, single mother of two, living on less than £90 a week social security when not acting. Julia started her company ‘Personal Presentation’ and in just three years, turned over her first £1 million.

Julia has been on the development board of Dyslexia Action for 17 years and has raised money for ovarian cancer through The Eve Appeal. She is on the board of BAWE (British Association of Women Entrepreneurs) has helped form major corporate companies’ ability to communicate such as KPMG and has continuously raised money, volunteered, and supported charities throughout her career but felt she could do more. Her business helps people find themselves through discovering their personal brand, their passions and to become the best versions of themselves and their ability to communicate and perform that. She is sure to have truth and transparency at the forefront of her business and wants to ensure that everyone feels able to talk about their own truth in a healthy and constructive way.

When asked about why she was keen to join IIC, Julia said “Anything that has a pragmatic realistic truthful and courageous element to it, I’m attracted to and I will bring whatever I can bring to it. IIC simply aligns with my feelings that if you don’t stand up and speak out and do things, then what are you doing?”

We are delighted to have Julia’s skillset and experience coming to IIC as we continue to grow our movement to unite purpose.

A Word from a Business On IIC, The Family Business Network, Sue Howorth:

Sue Howorth, Co-Founder & Co-Director of The Family Business Network is currently undertaking the Wainwright Challenge for The Lake District Calvert Trust. Sue has used IIC as the fundraising platform for her challenge, saying  “I found the process of setting up my fundraising page simple and easy to do. The Lake District Calvert Trust were also keen to create a profile on IIC having spoken to them about it. Tracey of IIC was very helpful at guiding us through setting up the project.

“The challenge and fundraising has been a real team effort and it’s been wonderful to have the support of IIC”.

Sue is currently part-way through her 12-month challenge to raise vital funds for the Lake District Calvert Trust.

The Lake District Calvert Trust deliver challenging outdoor adventure experiences for disabled adults and children. The charity was one of many that was forced to suspend their activities as the country went into lockdown early last year.

Sue described how she felt after having seen an article in the media about the impact of Covid on the charity and its visitors, saying, “Having worked in the outdoor industry for a time in my earlier career, I knew that Covid would have a huge knock-on effect for the sector.”

“When I heard the Lake District Calvert Trust talk about how badly their funding had been hit by the pandemic and how it was threatening their survival, it really affected me.  The centre delivers amazing experiences for disabled people and I knew I wanted to support them and give something back to their community.”

When deciding how to go about fundraising, Sue turned to her local environment for inspiration.  She says, “As a resident of Windermere, I’m no stranger to the Lakeland fells but I’d never challenged myself to climb the higher peaks. I always knew I would walk some of the Wainwrights and decided that this would be the perfect challenge.”

For Sue however, this challenge will be no walk in the park – not least because of the sheer number of fells involved. Alfred Wainwright documented 214 fells in his pictorial guides and Sue will be aiming to summit each and every one in just 12 months! Combined with this, Sue does have a fear of heights and coming down steep descents, so this adds to the enormity of the task ahead.

Having completed 35 Wainwrights so far, Sue says her toughest moment to date was descending Ill Bell, a part of the Kentmere Horseshoe. She explained, “We tackled the horseshoe and the winds were high, it was cold and I was losing my nerve. Luckily, my experienced walking companion coaxed me down and we carried on.”

Community Litter Picking on IIC.

Are you wanting to start a Community Litter pick but just can’t figure out where to start? Look no further, Investors In Community’s ‘groups’ feature lets you connect with individuals in your community to create your own community litter picking group!

Here individuals can collect Community Credits for their generous volunteering time and see who from their community is getting involved.

If you’d like to set up your own individual litter picking group, all you need to do is create your own Investors In Community account, create your group in less than 5 minutes and then invite everyone in your community to join!

IIC Abseiling For Support Dogs

On the 22nd May, three members of the Investors In Community team took to the Peak District to abseil 80 feet off of the Millers Dale Bridge! In total, the IIC team raised £250 for Support Dogs.

Roundabout Scotland 500 Challenge!

Roundabout would love to invite you to a brand new event:

IT’S time to rev up and hit the road as Roundabout heads for the Highlands with a major new fundraising challenge in September 2021!

The Scotland 500 is a new Roundabout event that will take motorbike enthusiasts on a 500 mile journey, starting from Inverness and riding off into the rugged splendour of the Highlands.

After a year without travel, it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy the freedom of the open road and some of the UK’s most spectacular scenery.

What’s included:

• A key member of the Roundabout crew to help you every step of the way
• A fun list of challenges to complete
• An opportunity to win some competitions such as most fundraised or most challenges completed
• A photographer/videographer to help capture the special moments
• A mechanic to support you on the route in case things get a little sticky
• Dinner Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• A Roundabout t-shirt
• The Scotland 500 medal
• A chance to really make the difference to the lives of young homeless people through fundraising

This is a rally, not a race, so there will be plenty of opportunity to take in the incredible views, whilst completing fun and challenging tasks along the route. We will all be getting together each day for a meal so you can join your fellow fundraisers to talk about the day’s ride!

In addition to a deposit of £150 to secure a place, participants are also asked to raise a minimum of £500 each in sponsorship to help support young homeless people across the South Yorkshire region. Roundabout works with over 250 young people every single day who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

We would love to invite you to take part in what is set to be an incredible challenge. If you would like any more information please do not hesitate to ask or if you would like to sign up, you can do so here and then start fundraising on Investors In Community!

A Word From Our Ambassador, Valentina Hynes:

“Giving, in whatever form is a way to boost mental health and happiness.”

“It creates ripple effects that make for a much more sustainable society. It is the bridge that links Empathy to Compassion. Unfortunately, it is easy to lose track of the good we do, because of the increasing problems in the world and in our society. This is what excites me about Investors in Community. The fact that it is a virtual Happiness/Kindness jar that measures the impact we make through amassed community credits. As a Happiness at work specialist, being an Ambassador for Investors in Community helps me create bonus situations that guarantees everyone wins through increased awareness of social value and corporate social responsibility.” 

Valentina Hynes is an Employee Holistic Wellbeing & Happiness at work Event Planner & Speaker. She provides Continuous Professional Development certified trainings through Away Day Experiences that promote Learning, Mental Health Wellness and personal development for individuals, teams and executives, including DISC Profile and Group Dynamics Assessments. She’s also an Associate Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth Society and she co-owns [SVH Inc.]

Join Our Event: Exploring Social Impact of Purpose-Driven Family Business. 

An online family business event by The Family Business Network in partnership with Investors in Community.

The event will explore the concept of ‘Social Impact’ and how this is identified, measured, valued and demonstrated by family businesses and their teams. Discussions will also consider how family values relate to business values and purpose.

Hear from keynote speakers Tom McGinness (Global Leader of Family Business -KPMG Private Enterprise, UK), Philip Webb (Founder and CEO of Investors in Community) and Ivan Baldwin (Marketing and Business Development at Bechtel Corporation), listen to family business leaders sharing their stories and insight, and a group of next gens explore their vision and aspirations for the future.

Time: Thursday 17 June 2021 at 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Book your place.

We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!

Roundabout

Working to end the cycle of youth homelessness in South Yorkshire. Offering advice, support, mediation, short term housing, and support into independent living. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

They are committed to creating a Yorkshire rich in wildlife for everyone. From saving our wildlife and wild places to bringing people closer to nature, they have a vision of a wilder future. For over 70 years, they have been protecting Yorkshire’s wildlife and wild places. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Skiggle

Skiggle facilitates and filters each request out to members within the closest geographical area to the SOS in the hope that someone can provide help from their own surplus supply of disability care products. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Kineara

They support people to recognise their strengths and resilience in the face of challenging times. They do this by listening to what matters, reconnecting people to their passions and exploring how they might make the most of opportunities. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Join Investors In Community today to deliver your social impact and align with your purpose.

Julia Goodman Joins Investors In Community Board of Directors

Julia Goodman Joins IIC Board of Directors:

“Our work supports and creates a white light of courage and truth in everything that we do” – Julia Goodman

Julia was an actor, producer, and director for 27 years. She rose to fame on shows such as Coronation Street, EastEnders, Those Glory Glory Days, The Brothers, The Lotus Eaters and many more. She also founded the British Actors Theatre Company with Kate O’Mara and played leading Shakespearean roles all over the world.

Julia stepped out of the acting world in the late 80s and discovered a new passion: helping people find their truth and their ability to project that. The idea came (as all the best ideas do) while lying in the bath after having played Lady Macbeth across Europe and London, and feeling unsure what the future had in store for her as a divorced, single mother of two, living on less than £90 a week social security when not acting. Julia started her company ‘Personal Presentation’ and in just three years, turned over her first £1 million.

Julia has been on the development board of Dyslexia Action for 17 years and has raised money for ovarian cancer through The Eve Appeal. She is on the board of BAWE (British Association of Women Entrepreneurs) has helped form major corporate companies’ ability to communicate such as KPMG and has continuously raised money, volunteered, and supported charities throughout her career but felt she could do more. Her business helps people find themselves through discovering their personal brand, their passions and to become the best versions of themselves and their ability to communicate and perform that. She is sure to have truth and transparency at the forefront of her business and wants to ensure that everyone feels able to talk about their own truth in a healthy and constructive way.

When asked about why she was keen to join IIC, Julia said “Anything that has a pragmatic realistic truthful and courageous element to it, I’m attracted to and I will bring whatever I can bring to it. IIC simply aligns with my feelings that if you don’t stand up and speak out and do things, then what are you doing?”

We are delighted to have Julia’s skillset and experience coming to IIC as we continue to grow our movement to unite purpose.

The Difference Ethical Construction Can Make

Ethical construction is a hot topic within the industry at the moment, as builders, suppliers, and clients are realising the impact of demonstrating their social value and CSR efforts. With supply chains, manufacturers, and operations under scrutiny, ethical construction is becoming the far more appealing choice for domestic and corporate clients.

 

Being a revenue-rich industry, construction is often seen as an easy target for fraudulent, disruptive, and unethical activity. Unfortunately, construction companies can often be accused of cutting corners, causing environmental damage, or having a disregard for the noise and inconvenience they put on their neighbours and communities. The average person is acutely aware of the reputation of some construction companies, and that’s why ethical construction is becoming increasingly important.

 

In this article, we will cover what exactly makes an ethical construction company, the impact that has on growth, business, and reputation, and how these companies can strive to improve their social value.

 

What Makes Ethical Construction?

Ethical construction largely comes from relationships; be they with partners, developers, subcontractors, clients, colleagues, or the public. Nurturing each of these relationships, ensuring safety, society, and sustainability are paramount will not only maintain the reputation of construction companies, but significantly improve it.

 

Being an ethical construction company means prioritising your obligations and commitments to your clients, your profession, the environment, and the public. Whilst the environment is one of the biggest players in ethical construction, having a regard and respect for the public is tremendously important as well. Consider the disruption caused to the community when a construction company pulls up to work. Projects are not always for the benefit of the local area, and so keeping the community on side throughout the duration of the works will make each step of the operation seamless and therefore, more productive. What’s more, a construction company never goes unnoticed, so when it’s seen to have a positive social value it will be remembered by residents and businesses when they next have a project in the pipeline.

 

ethical construction

 

Why Is Ethical Good For Business?

Quality is directly impacted by the ethics of a business, no more so than within the construction industry. Ethical construction ensures the quality is noticeably better, meaning the company’s clients have more faith in them, investors have more confidence in them, and ultimately, beautiful and safe buildings are carefully and creatively constructed for the benefit of the clients, and the wider community.

 

Ethical construction companies who treat their employees well will welcome higher levels of productivity too, ultimately saving money and resulting in an even better outcome. Ethical business practices improve the transparency and trust of the company, which spreads into that of the industry, meaning ethical construction has the opportunity to become the norm.

 

Reputation is a huge factor for the success of construction companies, and being seen as an ethical company will naturally boost reputation. What’s equally important to note is that behaving in an unethical manner will not go unnoticed, and this will result in suppliers and subcontractors being less inclined to collaborate, and of course, clients and potential recruits going in another direction. Being ethical and showcasing social value immediately lets your clients and contractors know the way you work, building trust and allowing the relationship and project to progress smoothly.

 

Being an ethical construction company will also improve relationships with society in general, which will gradually improve the relationship between the public and the profession. What’s more, building a good reputation through ethical construction will naturally make the company well-known in the community, for all the right reasons, meaning we can begin to wave goodbye to all of the mistrust within the industry.

 

How To Be More Ethical

Being an ethical construction company requires a conscious effort, but one that will become second nature as it embeds itself into your company values. Start at the top by displaying an ethical leadership approach, and this will soon cascade down each and every employee. Caring for the environment should be a top priority, through the materials used, the supply chain chosen, the efforts to reduce noise pollution, and the contributions to improve the local environment. If a construction company displays their commitment to the environment, it seems more likely that they’ll care for their colleagues, their clients, and the community, showing a level of respect that will positively impact reputation.

 

Construction exists to improve the community through building new businesses, making homes more habitable, and giving a sense of renewal through renovation. Unfortunately, due to past unethical practices, it’s not often seen that way, but now we all have an opportunity to change the way the construction industry is seen, attracting new business and improving the reputation of the sector as a whole. Ethical operations come from an open door policy, displaying reviews and testimonials, internal audits and feedback sessions, and of course, external efforts to appease and improve the local community.

 

As an ethical construction company, you should focus on each community in which you work, giving back to charitable causes, social enterprises, and community projects. This is where Investors In Community comes in. Our platform costs only £10 per employee each year, and offers you and your team the opportunity to easily and effortlessly give back to the communities in which you pitch up to work. Through donations, volunteering, or fundraising, your ethical construction company will stand head and shoulders above the rest, showcasing your social value, winning the buy-in of the public, and piquing the interest of potential prospects.

 

Simply click here to request your free demo and discover just how easy it is to become the hot new topic in the neighbourhood.

Business leader steps into the shoes of Wainwright for a charity challenge

Sue Howorth, Founder and Co-Director of The Family Business Network has donned her hiking boots to take on the mighty ‘Wainwright Challenge’ to fundraise for the Lake District Calvert Trust.

 

The Lake District Calvert Trust deliver challenging outdoor adventure experiences for disabled adults and children. The charity was one of many that was forced to suspend their activities as the country went into lockdown early last year.

 

Sue described how she felt after having seen an article in the media about the impact of Covid on the charity and its visitors, saying, “Having worked in the outdoor industry for a time in my earlier career, I knew that Covid would have a huge knock-on effect for the sector.”

 

“When I heard the Lake District Calvert Trust talk about how badly their funding had been hit by the pandemic and how it was threatening their survival, it really affected me.  The centre delivers amazing experiences for disabled people and I knew I wanted to support them and give something back to their community.”

 

When deciding how to go about fundraising, Sue turned to her local environment for inspiration.  She says, “As a resident of Windermere, I’m no stranger to the Lakeland fells but I’d never challenged myself to climb the higher peaks. I always knew I would walk some of the Wainwrights and decided that this would be the perfect challenge.”

 

For Sue however, this challenge will be no walk in the park – not least because of the sheer number of fells involved. Alfred Wainwright documented 214 fells in his pictorial guides and Sue will be aiming to summit each and every one in just 12 months! Combined with this, Sue does have a fear of heights and coming down steep descents, so this adds to the enormity of the task ahead.

 

Having completed 29 Wainwrights so far, Sue says her toughest moment to date was descending Ill Bell, a part of the Kentmere Horseshoe. She explained, “We tackled the horseshoe and the winds were high, it was cold and I was losing my nerve. Luckily, my experienced walking companion coaxed me down and we carried on.”

 

Despite a delayed start due to Covid travel restrictions, Sue remains optimistic that she will complete her challenge by the end of the year and aims to reach her fundraising target of £3,500 for the Lake District Calvert Trust.

Jennifer Scott, Fundraising Manager at Calvert Lakes said, “What Sue is doing for Lake District Calvert Trust is amazing and we cannot thank her enough. It’s not just the fundraising but also how much awareness she is creating through all her social media activity with the photos and stories of each Wainwright she has walked.”

“At Lake District Calvert Trust we have been hit very hard. This has been the toughest 12 months in all our history. We are so reliant on fundraising and are hugely grateful to each and every person that helps us.”

“The pandemic has given people a taste of what it can be like for people living with disabilities and the loneliness that they can face every day of their lives. Now more so than ever, our work is vitally needed. Monies raised can help us to buy equipment, for example, £1000 would purchase 10 ghyll scrambling kits or a specialist profiling bed. As a centre we subsidise every stay by £30, so the monies Sue is looking to raise would help over 1000 people to come and stay overnight with us.”

Visitors to the Lake District Calvert Trust benefit in so many ways – it is so much more than a place to have fun in the outdoors – visitors also develop personal skills that they can apply in everyday life and that allow them to grow and flourish.

 

For anyone wishing to support Sue in her challenge, you can visit her fundraising page via the Investors in Community platform: https://app.investorsincommunity.org/charity/645/project/1451

 

One hundred percent of the donations raised will go to The Lake District Calvert Trust. The Investors in Community platform helps to connect organisations and individuals with charities and community groups to demonstrate that by working together, powerful and evidenced social impact can be created. The platform is a growing movement to facilitate the improvement of the lives of people and communities by recognising human social value.

 

To find out more about The Family Business Network, visit www.fambiznet.co.uk

To find out more about Investors in Community, visit www.investorsincommunity.org

To find out more about the Lake District Calvert Trust and their work, visit www.calvertlakes.org.uk

 

Is there Humanity in the “Thousand Year Decade”? – By Philip Webb

As we approach 2020, some theorists and futurists believe that this next decade will be known as the “Thousand Year Decade.” As innovation, technology and social impact changes will be so great, as to equal the same advances in the previous thousand years of human evolution on this planet.

Advances in medicine, technology, AI, nano-tech, computing power, and above all, access to these to the ordinary citizen, will provide such changes as to render the previous decade the same way that we view the Dark Ages. With this blistering pace of change, it worries me that the disconnect between the technology “elitists” and the people in our community will reach breaking point. We already see the post code lottery of social and medical support, and the rift between the wealthy and poorer parts of our society, causing unrest and social upheaval. If we view the former strides forwards in humankind’s ability to shape the world, then we may become excited and energised by the potential; but through the lenses of social commentary we may feel less confident of our ability to bring our communities with us on that journey. Maintaining our communities, our sense of values for the ordinary person, or those who are disadvantaged by this “1000 years of progress”, is not just essential to our success as a species, it is critical.

In scrolling through LINKEDIN, I am surprised and enthused by the number of people who describe their job roles as “CSR”, “Responsible Business Leaders”, “Community Liaison”, or in some way linked to the desire to maintain or increase community connections. We have 167,000 charities in the UK alone, and many thousands more of “Social Enterprises”, and then hundreds of thousands more of “Community Groups.” I see businesses and individuals, who aspire to help in some way, through cash donations, volunteering of their staff’s time, and gifting at all levels of products and services. Yet nowhere do I see a strategy, a joined-up thinking approach to this dilemma, of how do we efficiently connect those who give, with those who need help?

Of course, there are organisations who perform some of these functions. Charity fundraisers, who connect with companies and try to elicit a long-term relationship. But this just adds cost to the charity, as does a team of people within businesses, who manually connect their business to the community. We have fundraising platforms various, who provide a conduit to individuals who want to give money, but then both they and the charities are charged for the privilege. There are volunteering platforms and organisations, who exist to find opportunities for company staff to offer free time, but again, they charge either the company or the charity. So, to cover the costs of this giving, we need to think about who gives, and who benefits.

It has become clear in the last 24 months, that many aspiring and forward-thinking businesses, have identified the need to align themselves as “socially responsible”. They understand the values of giving as a means to attract and retain staff, reach out to their customers with values-based positioning, and conclude that “Giving is the New Marketing.” Consumers and Customers are attracted to those who demonstrate the qualities of giving and supporting those less fortunate, or supporting a cause that has meaning.

Once in a while, in our history of progress, we find solutions to problems that disrupt the current markets, providing simple, yet effective, answers to guide us forwards. In 2019, we have such a disrupter:

Investors In Community has just been announced to the market.

Investors In Community (IIC) quite simply takes the needs of the charities, not for profits, and community groups, and provides a service, to broker cash donations, volunteering, and gifting, completely free of all costs and charges.

IIC takes the needs of businesses, to create an efficient and effective way to give, and show their values in the community, in such as way as to save them money, reducing internal costs, and providing a platform upon which to showcase their efforts. And it puts these two models together, in an eloquent and neat way.

Businesses join as members. They pay a nominal annual fee to use the sophisticated platform, reducing their internal costs, showcasing their efforts and amplifying their giving. Good causes of all genres, join and pitch for help, free of any and all costs, due to the support from business membership. It’s a win-win.

I’m hearing comments from businesses, who say, “Why wouldn’t you?”

I listen to Millennials, who say, “Finally.”

I receive comments from the good causes, who say, “Brilliant.”

Above all, I hear the comment: “Why hasn’t this been done before?”

So, as we embrace the innovation, the changes to our working and living world in the decade ahead, let us not forget the people, the ordinary citizens, our vulnerable and deserving.

Join Investors In Community, it’s easy to do, and requires just one decision.

Www.Investorsincommunity.org

Sheffield Chamber & SCCCC’s 2019 Success Story On Investors In Community Platform!

“We are thrilled to announce that Sheffield Chamber raised £500 for SCCCC’s!”

Sheffield Chamber is one of 53 Accredited British Chambers that make up a group of businesses who can network and connect through membership to their local Chamber. Sheffield Chamber is just one of the Chambers that IIC has onboard our platform and we are thrilled to be bringing this number up every day!

When Sheffield Chamber of Commerce first began searching for their latest CSR project after deciding that SCCCC would be their charity of the year, they came across the Investors In Community platform and instantly thought it to be a fantastic idea. The fact that there was no sign-up fee for charities and also no transactional fees from donations encouraged them to join almost immediately.

The platform made it so easy for their staff to get involved and after a few meetings and onboarding sessions, everyone was up and running and their first project was well underway. They encountered a few issues, with this being a fairly new platform, but were very pleased with the help and close attention provided by the team at IIC, if there was an issue it would be fixed as soon as possible. The fact that IIC is a local business meant that we were always easily contactable and we encouraged discussions about how we could improve our platform in the future, we always find that speaking to our users is the best way to find improvements and keep our platform on the rise.

SCCCC is a fantastic organisation who offer many exciting opportunities for the elderly, such as; Good Neighbours Scheme, Hospital To Home Scheme, A&E to Home, Temporary Key Safes and High Seat Chair Loan. A truly deserving organisation who Sam Christmas and Reece Farndale competed in a 10k ASDA foundation run for, their efforts did not go unnoticed and we are thrilled to announce that They Raised £500 For SCCCC’s.

We can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Sheffield Chamber and SCCCC’s whilst working with Investors In Community!

Here’s what the people involved had to say about Investors In Community:

“I would definitely recommend using the IIC platform, it provided a great introduction to businesses and made everything so easy!

I love that this platform offers charities the chance to make a really beneficial introduction to businesses who are excited to fundraise with them. It also makes businesses aware of their local charities and the really great projects that they can be involved in. I often find that whilst businesses are really keen to join in and help their community, they often don’t know what is it they can do, Investors in Community makes this process so easy.” – Ericka Hill at SCCCC

“Yes we would recommend IIC, it’s an innovative way to bring businesses closer to charities in their local community. We believe that with IIC starting out as a local business this means closer relationships can be formed and it feels more personal this way. We appreciate being included in decision making and find that IIC are always willing to take our ideas and suggestions on board! 

We also love the fact that every donation made goes straight to the charity, there’s no sneaky percentage cut, £10 donated is £10 to your chosen charity.” – Elliot Richards & Reece Farndale at Sheffield Chamber of Commerce

10 Little Ways You Can Help Others During The Covid-19 Pandemic.

  • Give your neighbours who may be isolating alone your phone number.

This is such a simple but effective way of helping, all you need to do is listen and talk to them, they will appreciate it.

  • Put rainbows and colourful pictures up in your windows.

I don’t know about you but when I walk past houses and see Rainbows and the words ‘stay safe’ splattered across all the houses I feel as though I’m not alone in this.

  • Organise a game night for your street.

Have you seen the masses of people playing bingo with their whole streets? Or the pubs that have been doing live quiz nights? Why not get involved and encourage people out for a bit of fresh air!

  • Write a letter to your relatives.

Is it just me that finds receiving a Handwritten Letter a real treat? It helps you stay connected to the real world and it keeps you focused on something if you know a letter is coming. Write one to them and I guarantee they’ll appreciate it!

  • Shop for your vulnerable neighbours.

This is the easiest, you’re going out to do your own shopping anyways so help them out and pick up a few bits for them!

  • Start a traffic light scheme on your street with neighbours.

This is the red, yellow and green system, this is a way to know how your neighbours are doing. Red means they are not doing well, please call and check on them. Yellow means they’re ok, it’s a difficult day but they are coping. Green means they are doing well. Mental health is now more important than ever, be sure to stay safe!

  • If you are young, healthy and not in a high-risk category consider getting a job in your local supermarket or as a delivery driver.

Right now, key workers such as warehouse workers, supermarket staff and delivery drivers are struggling and they need help more than ever, consider helping out and Getting A Job if you are safe to do so.

  • If you can cook, play an instrument, sing or do anything else, consider starting an online class to share your skills.

Right now we have a lot of time on our hands and there are people who want to Learn Some New Skills, so why not help them out and share yours! This can be applied to so many roles such as photography lessons, singing lessons, drawing lessons, cooking lessons, musical instrument lessons, language lessons and many more.

It’s easy to forget to stay in touch but now it is so important; facetime them, call them, plan a quiz night, plan to cook together and all sit down for a meal, download Netflix Party and watch the series you’ve been meaning to, play Animal Crossing or the Sims through all hours of the night, clear out your wardrobe and do a fashion show with them, start a book club. Try to live as normal as you can, try to stay positive and just remember that when all this is over, you will be able to hug your friends and family so tight, that day will come don’t lose hope.

Finally, one of the easiest options to help is to join Investors In Community, it’s completely free and we have Hundreds Of Charities Just Waiting For Your Help. ‘IIC’ is a digital platform that enables businesses and individuals to donate, volunteer and gift to charity and community initiatives that matter to you. It provides access to many good causes, empowers you and your friends, and brings a wider choice to your giving. As a business, it gives you the power to measure; report on and deliver positive marketing messages to each and every one of your audiences. Quite simply, it’s a tool that will manage your giving.

Investors In Community Newsletter – Issue Two

IIC Platform See Increase in Charitable Giving in 2021.

Whilst 2021 has seen the continuation of the pandemic, the need to give back is stronger than ever. Whether local businesses are helping to support people with disabilities or donating laptops for home schooling children, there’s nothing quite like knowing your small act of kindness can have a positive impact on the world.

Many more businesses are recognising the value of giving back and Investors In Community, a digital platform which enables businesses to connect with charitable projects in their area and measure the impact of their Corporate Social Responsibility activities, has seen an encouraging start to 2021 as donations via the platform have grown by 18 per cent.

“Businesses have responded to charities in crisis by offering various kinds of support including volunteering and donating gifts in kind, and this is continuing. Those still looking for support locally include SCCCC’s, who are looking for people to keep in touch with our local older population. Mums in Need is appealing for old tech donations and we are hosting four fundraisers for Support Dogs’ Charity Abseil in May.” said Lisa Newton of IIC

“We also helped to make a success of Liniar’s Easter Egg project – collecting donations to support Derbyshire WISH, a supported housing project which provides emergency short term refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.”

Get Your Tickets to the IIC & VNXD Event!

Now is the time to talk in a little more detail about Social Value through some peer-to-peer group sessions.

Who’s Speaking:

1. Supply chain transparency & social value – Louise Richardson

2. Empowering purpose-driven staff – Philip Webb

3. The challenge of measuring social value – Lisa Newton

4. Leading a team post-COVID – Dave Clarkson

5. How to market your purpose-driven business – Johnny Pawlik

6. How do I get a return on human social value – Richard Collins

Book your place now!

We’ve also seen success in our company growth after welcoming five new Ambassadors to the IIC team including; Johnny Pawlik, Chris Arnold, Jeremy Taylor, Valentina Hynes & Ian Straw.

How To Make Giving a Habit.

  • Make It Easy – it’s important when trying to create a habit to make it easy. Using online giving platforms like ours ensures that donating regularly is as hassle free as possible.
  • Find What You Care About – take a moment to write out a purpose statement, ask yourself what motivates you and what are you interested in. If you love animals, perhaps a wildlife sanctuary is the charity for you. If you’re passionate about helping kids stay active and have access to sports equipment then maybe look into your local community sports clubs and donate to them. Find what interests you and then start from there.

  • Focus On The Reward – “habits are reinforced by rewards, and the good feeling of helping others is a huge reward.” Make sure you can see the impact of your donation, you can do this by following your chosen charity on social media or getting in touch to discuss what each donation enables your chosen charity to do.

Small Donations Can Make a Difference – ‘small actions x lots of people = big change’ any donation is appreciated, by donating whatever you can to your chosen charity, your small contribution is going to make a huge difference in the long term.

  • Don’t Just Donate Money – giving back doesn’t always have to be donating money, on Investors In Community, we facilitate the 5 forms of giving; funds, volunteering, skilled volunteering, pro bono & gifts. So if you’d prefer to donate your time, or even gifts, it’s so easy to get involved!
  • Start Small – any donation is appreciated no matter how small, If you’re worried about how you’re going to add giving to your routine (especially during a pandemic) make the decision to donate £5 each month. Soon it will become an exciting routine of picking a charity or cause you want to help and you’ll see the impact so often that each month you will find yourself wanting to donate more and more!

A Word From Our Ambassador, Stuart St V Fitzgerald:

“For me, the opportunity to volunteer with Investors in Community as its first global Ambassador, covering the NW of England in June 2020, was a total no-brainer.”

Investors in Community offers a way for every family, street, neighbourhood, community and council area to not only track but direct and manage the full engagement of businesses, employers across all sectors, their employees and the resultant investment of donated time, funds, gifts, skills and voluntary efforts into charities and community organisations which in the end delivers the true social impacts a civilised society needs to realise and from which its people can benefit. 

It’s been a privilege and an honour to be so involved in the development not only of the platform but also the design of the imperative business cases that can be used to bring local; authorities, employers and citizens on this crucial journey as we create a really game-changing social movement.”

A Word from a Business On IIC, East Midlands Chamber & Lucy Robinson:

Director of Resources Lucy Robinson commented: “We were attracted to the platform initially due to its innovative use of bringing businesses & charities together. We particularly loved how easy the platform made giving back in our community and we’re very excited to use IIC more in the near future for our own fundraisers.”

EMC are the leading business representation organisation in the East Midlands region, the voice for business and the 2018 British Chambers of Commerce Chamber of the Year.

With a growing membership of more than 4,300 businesses –  start up to scale up, local to global – the Chamber is renowned across the region for enhancing Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire businesses and communities.

The Chamber’s activity is so diverse and multifaceted that thousands of businesses from across the East Midlands and beyond put trust in the Chamber to help their businesses flourish and grow – irrespective of size or sector.

5 Simple Steps For Accessible Social Media – From Sense on The IIC Platform:

“Making social media more inclusive is easier than you think. Small changes can make a big difference for blind and/or deaf people interacting with your posts!

In this quick 5-step guide, we’ll help you understand how people with visual or hearing impairments use social media, and what you can do so that your posts are accessible.”

Sense recently launched their ‘Left Out Of Life’ campaign aimed at tackling social isolation and loneliness amongst disabled people.

“Loneliness has increased by a quarter over the last year, with nearly two thirds (61%) of disabled people feeling lonely always or often, rising to 7 in 10 (70%) of young disabled people.”

If you’d like to support this terrific cause, please sign their pledge and play your part in making society more inclusive.

We thought we would share some amazing charities with you as well!

Share My Telly Job

Thier mission is to promote a practical solution to hiring and crucially, retaining, experienced industry talent. They are advocating job-sharing to help all freelancers achieve a better work-life balance and continue to thrive in an industry they have dedicated their working lives to. If you’re interested in helping this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

The Peter Pan Centre

There is no statutory support for pre-school education for disabled children, yet research shows that providing effective early help is the best way to improve their lives and life outcomes. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Weddy Friends

Weddy Friends are the PTA of Weddington Primary School, a group of parent and teacher volunteers who raise funds and put on events for the benefit of the children and parents. If you’d like to support this wonderful organisation, please follow this link.

Rainbows Hospice for Children and Young People

Since 1994 they’ve opened their doors and hearts to children and the people who love them most. And now more than ever, they need your help to keep on bringing care and happiness to children and families. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Skiggle

 The only disability charity of its kind in the UK dedicated to helping people with disabilities when they need it most. Skiggle facilitates and filters each request out to members within the closest geographical area to the SOS in the hope that someone can provide help from their own surplus supply of disability care products. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

SAYiT

SAYiT’s Vision – To create an environment that supports the sexual and emotional well being of young people and empowers LGBT+ young people and those affected by HIV to transform their own lives and that of their peers. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Wild Futures

Wild Futures is a registered charity founded upon five decades of experience as a leader in the field of primate welfare and conservation, environmental education and sustainable practice. They are committed to protecting primates and habitats worldwide, with the protection of non-human primates at the forefront of their work. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation, please follow this link.

Carlisle Youth Zone

Carlisle youth zone is a modern take on the Traditional youth club, with state-of-the-art facilities. It’s a safe and fun place where the potential of young people aged 7-18 (or up to 25 needing additional support) is developed and fulfilled. If you’re interested in helping this brilliant organisation, please follow this link.

Pursuit of Happiness

They are a not for profit organisation and here to make a difference for the black community. They are a Kirklees based organisation called ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ they have an ambition of making Huddersfield a more harmonious place in which the black community can thrive in. If you’re interested in helping this amazing organisation please follow this link.

We’re looking forward to the future of the platform and the future of giving with Investors In Community.

Tips and Tricks for Charities To Create A Great Project On IIC

Tip 1. Make your project relevant to COVID-19.

At the moment people are more inclined to donate to Projects Relevant To Coronavirus, it’s something that affects all of us so it’s very easy to relate to and find sympathy for peoples needs, so make sure you relate fundraisers and volunteering opportunities to this. This could be home working IT equipment, shopping for neighbours, asking for admin volunteers who can work from home or even adopting/fostering an animal whilst we’re all stuck at home!

Tip 2. Have realistic goals.

We find all too often that if someone sees a project on our platform that needs over £10,000 it seems far too unrealistic, we suggest advertising for small pots of money needed, £500-£1,000 sounds far more achievable than £10,000 therefore, people are more likely to donate as it provides a sense of accomplishment to see something completed that you have helped. It also feels far more useful to donate £20 to a project of £200 than to donate £20 to a project that needs £5,000.

Tip 3. Advertise on your social media.

IIC will happily advertise your projects and show them off to as many people as possible but it helps enormously if there are multiple different sources advertising the project, you also have dedicated followers on your socials who are more likely to donate through a link you post as it’s far more trustworthy and feels more personalised for them.

Tip 4. Give your project a purpose, not only to keep the charity running.

Whilst funds to keep daily charity needs running are vital right now people are more inclined to donate to something when they know what exactly their money will be used for, we suggest saying that £5 will get you this, £10 will get you this etc. It’s good to be able to see what your donation will do, you should also post on your socials about thanking people for donations, it feels good to be appreciated so make sure your donors know you appreciate them.

Tip 5. Appeal to people & businesses you already know.

This also goes hand in hand with social posts, your followers tend to be the people most dedicated to your charity and will be More Inclined To Help if they see you need it, this can be done through phone calls, emails, letters etc to all your contacts.

Tip 6. Set a minimum goal of £1.

Be sure to set your minimum goal as £1 on the IIC Platform, this means even if a project is not fully completed you can still get what is remaining of the donations. If you don’t remember to do this you could lose the donations you have if your project completes and you don’t have enough funds!

Also, remember that whilst it’s hard right now, this will all be over soon and everything is going to be okay!