Your social commitment to education

CSR stands for corporate social responsibility. It describes the voluntary actions of a company performed for the common good, sometimes going far beyond minimum legal requirements. Companies acting in the spirit of CSR systematically conduct business activities in line with ethical goals. They feel responsible for their business activities, which they take seriously in terms of social, environmental and economic impact. CSR takes into account how the operations of a company affect employees, local communities, customers, the environment, human rights and, if necessary, other areas.

Customers and business partners are becoming increasingly conscious of CSR issues and want to know the facts before they enter into business relationships. When there are very few differences between company offerings, actively managing a CSR programme can deliver important competitive advantage to a company. The more interest customers and business partners show in the social and environmental engagement of companies, the more important it is from a commercial standpoint that companies fulfil CSR expectations.

Many companies are hesitant when it comes to engaging in CSR activities, because the main impression they gain at the beginning is that it will raise costs and tie up personnel. Engaging in CSR can actually bring immediate financial benefit to companies, however. This is because turning the spotlight on all processes unleashes potential to innovate and frees up creativity. Often, different and previously undiscovered ways to save resources and thus cut costs become apparent. For example, it may be possible to improve energy efficiency, find ingenious ways to manage waste, or recycle more materials.

Young people have high expectations when it comes to ethics and sustainability standards, particularly if they are currently embarking on a career or will be entering the employment market in the coming years. They want answers to the burning issues of modern times, many of which relate to sustainability. Given current skills shortages and demographic changes, they are in a position to choose which company they want to work for. Firms with a strategy that focuses on their responsibility to society, the environment and human rights are at a clear advantage when it comes to attracting and retaining highly qualified employees. To put it bluntly: CSR has become an integral ingredient of employer branding.

Deciding to pay more attention to the social, environmental and commercial impacts of a company’s actions, in all areas, is a management responsibility. To successfully enshrine CSR within the core business activities of a company, all employees must be involved. This entails developing a CSR strategy, defining goals and capturing how specifically actions will be implemented. Working with experienced, not-for-profit partners allows companies to add important impetus to CSR goals, because firms also benefit from the know-how, reputation and existing set-up and systems of those partners.

If you are interested in entering into a CSR partnership with the PATRIZIA Foundation, feel free to contact our CSR expert, Katrin Halboth. Together, we can develop a concept to match your CSR and brand strategy. We will also ensure both parties derive long-term benefit from the arrangement. Whether we work jointly on a new concept or pool resources in an existing project, together we are certain to determine and design the right way forward for your CSR partnership. You will be assigned a direct contact at the PATRIZIA Foundation, who will be happy to provide you with individual support throughout the entire duration of our partnership. We can also enable you to benefit from comprehensive CSR communication support. In addition, it is possible to arrange visits to our project sites as part of a CSR partnership. This will allow you to see with your own eyes the difference you can make by helping.

As a CSR partner of the PATRIZIA Foundation, you invest in international education projects, thus supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly its education goals (SDG 4). This is because our projects focus on establishing the education systems and processes required to build long-term, self-reliant communities. As well as boosting your reputation, customer loyalty and client acquisition, this also enhances employee retention and recruitment. To enable you to derive the best possible benefit from your commitment to a CSR partnership, particularly to the outside world, we provide you with comprehensive marketing materials.