The CSC recently sent a team each to Vietnam and the Philippines. In Vietnam, the team collaborated with the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Danang, and helped produce a program for small and midsize businesses to do market analysis, financial forecasting and operations management. The goal was to strengthen community and economic ties, and enable global growth.
In the Philippines, the CSC team partnered The Australian Business Volunteers to evaluate the needs of government agencies and NGOs in Davao, Mindanao. One project involved the Davao Tourism Association, which needed help to develop marketing, strategic and communications plans to promote tourism in the Philippine city.
R. Selvi, IBM Singapore's communications country manager, told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail, her visit to Davao was "truly enriching". "I have seen the power of perseverance despite all odds," she said. "The people of Davao have many challenges. Despite it all, they are constantly striving to raise their living standards. I admire their spirit and passion. I have also learnt the true meaning of sharing without any expectation of return. Dabawegians are warm and their hospitality peerless."
On a professional level, Selvi said the experience helped her develop a deep understanding of conditions in an emerging market.
"I experienced the importance of being passionate about all that we do, collaborating with people who are widely different in terms of culture and the ways of doing things, and the significance of patience in dealing with people with different perspectives and mindsets," she said.
Employee involvement encouraged
At EMC, getting more staff involved in the community is also a key initiative.
Gary Baty, human resources vice president at EMC Asia-Pacific and Japan, said the storage vendor earlier this year formed its own CSR team, dubbed The APJ Guidance Team. His team works closely with CSR teams in each of EMC's business regions.
For 2008 and 2009, the company is focusing its community involvement around the theme "Youth Education", Baty told ZDNet Asia in an e-mail. It supports projects that facilitate and drive employee volunteerism in local communities, employee contributions for special appeals, and planned funding for local community projects.
"A requirement for funding is that there needs to be employee involvement," he said. "We believe it is relatively easy to give money, but it is when you give of yourself that you receive the greatest benefit."
EMC currently funds over 14 projects across India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Australia, Korea and Japan.
Its employees are involved in various volunteer work including tutoring programs for pre-teens in Singapore, and training on basic computer applications to underprivileged women and children in Bangalore.
EMC and its volunteers also provide "special experiences" to children who would otherwise not normally enjoy these activities, such as hosting them in a movie or a visit to a science museum.
During the company's "Need-for-Speed Go-Kart Power Race 2008" held in September in Singapore, 26 boys from Boys' Town--a Singapore-based charity for children from challenging home environments--were treated to a go-kart demonstration. The event included an autograph-signing session by Panasonic-Toyota Formula One drivers Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, and an auction that raised S$12,000 (US$8,000) in funds to support Boys' Town's operational expenses.
"Through EMC's CSR initiatives, not only would employees be able to make a significant difference in the lives of people in the local community, they would also stand to gain a life-changing experience for their personal development," Baty said. "This would then create a culture of goodwill and teamwork within the organization."
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