Pauline Philip

Speech Today I want to talk to you about community investment. I am saying to those of you gathered here today that if you run a business, big or small in a community, even if it a one man show, if you want that business to be sustainable, you must give something back to the community that supports you. Most organizations and businesses today engage in some sort of community outreach. They actually have entire community relations departments dedicated to it. You might say that what the large organizations do can hardly be called charity because they just do it for the Public Relations and the tax breaks. While that may be true their motives do not matter to the community that benefits from their largesse. The community knows only that it is getting help while the organization sees it as an investment. These days it is no longer enough to give money away, community investment in 2012 requires more imagination than that. Companies have to make an impact on the community they are attempting to assist and that impact should be measurable. The question you need to ask is what skills and services can you provide that are unique to you and your organization and that are needed in your community? And often the second question is how can this benefit your business? That’s why it’s called investment and not charity; organizations expect returns. That way everyone wins. The returns can range from a more positive profile such as free advertisement for your organization through advertorials in the paper outlining the contributions you have made and the NGOs you have partnered with to actual increased profits through new business. If you are going to invest in the community that sustains your business, and let me say right now, you should, you have to consider the specific needs of that community and work out at what point their needs and yours intersect. Of course the best way to find out what the community needs is to ask the people who live there so before you choose an idea to invest in, you need to consult with representatives of the area to find out what their priorities are. Once they are allowed to be part of the decision making process they are more likely to be fully onboard with the programme It is also important to know what you want to achieve from your investment. Set objectives. If it’s houses you are building, how many do you want to build? How much are you willing to spend and most of all what do you hope to achieve by your actions? How many young people do you intend to give free training to over the next five years? When the training is over, what should they be able to do? Make your objectives public so everyone knows the plan and you have to follow through. Investing in the youth would be a good example of community investment because if you train them when your older heads start retiring in a few years you will have a young trained workforce ready to replace them and who already have established a relationship with your business. Since the global financial crisis, unemployment is a very real problem in many communities. Young people can’t get jobs. A free training programme would be very welcomed. Helping children and young people is an investment in the future of the community and your business. There are options to the way you go about implementing projects in your community. You can do it all yourself, have your people liaise with the local representatives, or you can work through a recognized and established charitable organization or NGO. There are hundreds of recognized organizations who can actually implement the project while you provide the funding. The advantage of doing it this way is that these organizations already have all the systems in place. They have staff that are trained and have experience in the administration of such projects. They also know who to contact and about what. The benefit of doing it yourself though is that you have more control over how the money is spent and it can be used as a team building exercise for your staff members, one I am sure that they will enjoy. They will get the satisfaction of seeing their efforts come to fruition and this is really good for morale as your workers will feel they are making a difference in their community. Helping others builds camaraderie between departments which will work to the benefit the organization later on. Now those of you who run small businesses, the mom and pop store, the dentist, the lawyer, I know you are listening to me and thinking what do I have to offer the community, I am only one person and times are hard; I can’t afford to give too much away. Well you don’t have to break the bank to make a difference. You have your skill, your time, your knowledge; these are all things that you can share with the community that supports you. Without these people you would have no business so it is only fitting that you should give something back to them. It would allow them to see you as part of the community, even if you don’t live there and this will encourage people in your area to patronize your business even more. Running a small successful business is very difficult these days in the age of the big mergers and online shopping so you need all the support you can get from the community in which you find yourself. Community investment can be the difference between success and failure for your business. Giving of yourself is also very good PR. When you volunteer to work at the soup kitchen or give free dental one day a month to the folks at the retirement home, it looks good in the local paper. Some of you may think true altruism should not be publicized and if you want to remain anonymous in your good deeds, that are okay too, but if we are talking about investment, and we are, people need to know what you are doing. It’s also a way to challenge other businesses to follow suit and get involved and all this is to the benefit of the community. Another way you can help is to join one of the charitable organizations that we spoke about before. NGOs are always looking for skilled professionals who are willing to volunteer their time and their talent to make the community better. It is a great way of meeting new people who might have skills that your business needs. It is also a new way of getting in touch with potential clients for your business and let’s face it also makes you feel really good about yourself. This way you are giving back and improving your business at the same time. Volunteer work is also a good way of attracting likeminded people to your business. There are many talented and committed young people out there who would choose one employer over another because of his record of volunteerism, so any angle that you look at it from community investment is a good idea. In closing I want to say, although so far we have been speaking about community investment as a way of helping your business as well as the community and that is important but along with that there are the little daily examples of charity on a personal level that make such a difference in the lives of others. Don’t forget to buy a meal for the homeless guy who hangs out outside your office door or to take some clothes that your kids have outgrown for the family that lives next to train tracks on the edge of town. Give to the poor and needy, help out the helpless. You may not feel that you are doing all that well at the moment but believe me there are many, many others who are much worse off. You all sit here today clean, fed and well-dressed while there are many in our communities who do not have water or who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. In the world today there are so many who are suffering and who would appreciate whatever little you have to give. One of the great Jewish scholars and historical leaders Rabbi Hillel said “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?” Every major religion speaks of the need to help your fellow man. Helping out in way that grows your business and the community makes good sense but there is a greater goal that we all have to aspire to and that is just to be better human beings and there is no better way to begin that journey than by helping others.