Being strategic

Community Impact refers to the immediate and longer term effect both, positive and negative, of a companies operation on a specific community which result directly from the corporate policies core products and services and individual initiatives of the business.

Strategic community investment should set out how a company will maximise its positive and minimise its negative community impacts prioritising those that are most relevant to its core business products, services, employees and customers both in the short and long term.

There are a number of recognised components that comprise community investment, including working in partnership with charitable organisations, employee engagement,  payroll giving, donating in-kind goods to charities, as well as using cause related marketing to raise funds and awareness about charities and good causes.