Individual Social Responsibility (ISR)

Scholarships in Fundraising for Grass Root NGOs

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Very few scholarships are now available

for the very unique

Certificate Course in Fundraising and Communication

conducted by

SAFRG Institute of Fundraising

& Care and Concern Foundation.

Do not miss this opportunity. Call Ph: +91 11 25185110; Mob: (0)9540057641 (Vandana). Or send an email tocourse@safrg.org urgently. Scholarships available to deserving candidates registering within next 7 days only.

Highlights:

You do actual fundraising for leading NGOs in India. Therefore you leave the course with practical fundraising experience.
Course conducted by leading fundraisers who have raised funds for CRY, HelpAge, UNICEF, SOS Children's Villages, Charities Aid Foundation, Plan, Sight Savers and many other NGOs.
Leading CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) practitioners would tell you what they look for in an NGO.
You get the SAFRG certificate that is valued well within the NGO sector.
For people wanting to start a career in fundraising there could be job opportunities
Economical Paying Guest facility for outstation candidates

Course details:

Duration- 20 days, Sept. 5-27, 2011, Mon-Sat, 9 am to 5 pm
Course Fee: INR 27,000 (scholarships available for deserving candidates)
Address of the Campus: J-1, Udyog Nagar, Peeragarhi, New Delhi – 110041, INDIA (near Peeraghari Metro Station, easily accessible by Merto from all parts of Delhi)

"SAFRG is a think-tank on NGO sustainability. In the last 20 years thousands of people have benefited from courses conducted by it".

Smiling Hospital Foundation Of India

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Is happiness only about buying a new dress, going to an exotic location, splurging on material things? Take a pause …..there’s more to life …..happiness also comes from the smiling faces of these lovely , not so blessed , sick children . Thank God for the little mercies and the opportunity to put a smile on their sad faces . Thanks to Smiling Hospital Foundation of India for the magic show put up at Safdurjung Hospital , Delhi on 11^th June , 2011. ( Smiling Hospital Foundation of India) .

SHAREHOLDERS APPROVAL FOR CSR ACTIVITIES

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Wed, 25 May 2011 06:04:00 +0000

To check ad hocism and get more transparency in the system , companies may have to take approval from the shareholders for their philanthropic aspirations.The government has already initiated the process and the New Companies Bill may soon include this condition.

Follow the link below to know more on this

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2011/05/25/ArticleHtmls/Shareholder-approval-key-for-CSR-activities-25052011703002.shtml?Mode=1

Philanthropy in a Big Way

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Wed, 11 May 2011 05:47:00 +0000

One more Indian has joined the big league of Philontropists. Indian born Vinod Khosla and his wife Neeru have pledged half of their vast fortunes estimated at $1.4 billion (Rs 6,300 crore) to charity .The 56-year-old Khosla is Silicon Valley’s most prominent “green” venture capitalist and a dominant personality in the cleantech community. Follow the link to know more about this this link http://www.hindustantimes.com/Vinod-Khosla-pledges-half-his-1-4-bn-fortune-to-charity/Article1-695443.aspx

Giving Is Growing

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Wed, 11 May 2011 05:12:00 +0000

Indians since time immemorial have believed in giving , be it in kind or in terms of financial assistance. People have come up a long way moving from charity to philanthropy. Families and individuals are moving from a more traditional model, from large-scale gifts to schools, colleges and hospitals, to a more hands-on model of giving. It is more planned and done in a more professional way now . The mindset of leaving all behind for the next generation is also changing . Now the entrepreneurs are building trusts and happily pledging part of their wealth to charity. The movement is on and the day when India will be a super power in terms of both economic and philanthropic en devours is not very far. As per a 2010 study philanthropic donations in India amount to 0.6% of GDP vis-a vis 2.2% of GDP in U.S. To know more about this go on to the following link.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/ArticleBlog.aspx?art=11_05_2011_010_013&mode=1&PublicationID=47

Corporations also recognise ISR

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 16:45:00 +0000

Appeejay Surendra Group, an Indian business house has created an ISR- Individual Social Responsibility Portal. The portal mainly focusses on employee volunteering. Here take a look by clicking on the link http://isr.apeejaygroup.com/

Volunteering & Individual Social Responsibility

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Piece contributed by Archi Basu, Coordinator Volunteer Management, Udayan Care.

When 17-year-old Ruby opens a letter from her 'big' friend Zuleikha Gupta, 25, she is all smiles. Ruby, whose family income is barely Rs 7000 a month, has known Zuleikha, who works for Sesame Street, for mor e than six months now.
Zuleikha, Ruby, Akshay and Sanju, along with other 40 volunteers are part of the Big Friends Little Friends Programme in India that began in March 2010. The long term accompaniment programme was introduced by Udayan Care, a Delhi-based NGO in partnership with New Path Foundation, USA. The programme gives a young person (little friend) between age 12-17 years the opportunity to gain the friendship of a sincere adult (big friend) who is at least 6 years elder to the little friend.
“We are not telling them about what is right or what is wrong, we don't teach them either but we are just there to help them and at times they are there for us as well,” says a volunteer and big friend Nandini Sharma. Her little friend is 17-year old Manisha. When Manisha's elder sister was sick, Nandini was there to support the teenager.
Udayan Care, since 1994, have been supporting disadvantaged children women and adults reach their true potential and lead a life of dignity and self reliance. We nurture relationships that transform orphaned children in our long-term foster homes, disadvantaged girls in our education scholarships, underserved youth and adults in our IT & Vocational training centres, and children affected by HIV in our outreach programme. We have served more than 7500 people in 8 cities and advocate for children's rights and protection.
“12 to 17 years is a crucial age in a child’s life when they need proper guidance. Friendship and the sense of belongingness play a major role in that process. The adolescents find friends in the young professionals where both experience the true joy of sharing and a sense of contentment that comes with the bonding. Thus through this friendship both the big and the little friend brings positive change in each other’s life”, says Avik Swarnakar, Director volunteer Management with Udayan Care.
The programme is based on a long term one-on-one volunteer service. It is a voluntary and altruistic work without material payback. Unlike some other voluntary services (e.g. picking up garbage is a good service whether you do it once or you do it forever), there is a minimum time commitment of one year for this service. This is because it is believed long term and consistent caring is a very important factor in building confidence and happiness in people.
It is believed, in accompaniment, there is no purpose or expectation. Accompaniment neither necessarily means helping the other person in solving his problems, nor an intent to change the other person. Accompaniment shows itself through caring with equality.Accompaniment without expectation is wonderful but it is also hard to achieve. We can work towards not to expect appreciation from our beneficiaries, and not to expect approvals from the society, etc., and gradually, we will be closer to the state of accompaniment without expectations and closer to be ourselves freely.
“The idea is not for the big friend to be a mentor for the little friends but to treat each other as equal and honest friends who do not look at material gains but rather, a strong moral and emotional support, highlights”, Dr. Kiran Modi, Managing trustee of Udayan Care.
While the little friends gain their much needed support and encouragement from the bonding, the big friend experience personal growth and a feeling of contentment as they grow together with their little ones.
Udayan Care’s Big Friend Program in India is a group of idealistic people providing this little platform mindfully. As we walk together on this path of joyous service, we wish we can happily be ourselves, loving companions for the people we serve, and caring teammates for each other. May we often walk in the path of love, and may t his loving accompaniment brings peace, abundance, and joy to those around us.
“When I first came to know about this programme. I got really enthusiastic to learn more about this altruistic service that people do without any materialistic paybacks”, says Rupa Mahajan from Swati project. Realizing that the need of such programme among adolescents from our Kanak Durga community (in the heart of RK Puram sector 12 in South Delhi), we work in partnership with Udayan Care with an intention to reach out to more needy and disadvantaged children to foster such relationship.
Indeed it’s a joyous path and the Big Friend gets a chance to grow up once again with his Little Friend. And truly, we would all want to grow up once again!

ISR growing in India

noreply@blogger.com (Shweta Shukla) — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 04:18:00 +0000

The corporate honchos in India have actively started giving from their personal wealth than company coffers. This is what ISR is about. First it was Shiv Nadar, Co-founder of HCL; Azim Premji of Wipro followed the next. And now Vineet Nayar, Vice Chairman of HCL Technologies follows suit by giving from his personal wealth.

But the similarity is that all are putting their millions into family owned non-profits. This makes their contributions debatable. But it is a good start, I am sure some of this wealth would find way into supporting existing non-profits who are already doing the same work.

Click on the links below to read more about their ISR initiatives.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-company/corporate-trends/HCL-Techs-Nayar-divests-own-stake-for-charity/articleshow/7063225.cms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Premji-s-2-bn-gift-to-charity-individual-act-not-CSR-initiative/Article1-634769.aspx

Giving as a percentage of GDP

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Last evening there was this panel discussion on NDTV Profit on giving as a corporate culture. The participants, corporate honchos, did not have much to offer but one side view of the voluntary sector. Although, anchor rattled some figures that were interesting enough. He compared charitable giving as a percentage of GDP. According to him US gives 2.5% of its GDP. UK gives 1.75% of its. Amongst BRIC, India gives 0.6% of its GDP while Brazil and China languish at 0.3% and 0.1% respectively.Lots of catching up to do for the formidable BRIC.

Dun & Bradstreet CSR = sum (ISR of all employees)

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:57:00 +0000

D&B TransUnion has an interesting way of looking at its CSR. It defines the same as the "sum sigma of social responsibilities of all associates". As charity starts at home, according to them CSR starts with individuals. Quiet right.

More about their iDo programme is on the link http://www.dnbtransunion.com/Company/aboutus/iDo.aspx

If you are a CSR practitioner intrigued by this explanation of ISR, don't despair. It is much simpler than you may think. Just place employees at the center of your CSR. Create an environment that promotes:

1) Donating to social causes
2) Impactful and strategic volunteering
3) Campaigning for social causes that spreads the word in communities where they reside- in real life and virtually.

Happy ISR way to CSR !

Joy of Giving Week

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Yesterday saw the launch of a campaign that may unleash the real power of Individual Social Responsibility. Dubbed as the "Joy of Giving Week", the campaign aims to promote giving by branding a week (Sept 27- Oct.3) for the purpose in India.

Quiet exciting stuff, although website would need simplification with very clear links on how to give. Click on the promo video below, moving stuff this.

Contributory Theory of Existence

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:07:00 +0000

I came across this article in today's Hindustan Times that indicates that letting employees fulfill their Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) could be a potent tool for motivating them. Dr. Anil Sarin, an academic, calls this the Contributory Theory of Existence.
The link to piece is as below

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com//artMailDisp.aspx?article=12_05_2009_131_013&typ=1&pub=47

Perfect ISR- giving people chance to be activists

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:02:00 +0000

The new GreenPeace emailer is a perfect opportunity for people to answer their Individual Social Responsibility.

Executed in a campaign mode, it beautifully builds a case for people to give money for an advertisment. Yes, you heard it right. The emailer exhorts people to become activists by donating.

Such campaigns are true examples of ISR- Individual Social Responsibility. Kudos, a great act for all us to follow. Click below to see it for yourself

http://links.mailing.greenpeace.org/servlet/MailView?ms=MzIyNTQyNTUS1&r=ODU4NTAzMTYwS0&j=NDcyMDExODUS1&mt=1&rt=0

An innovative way to answer your ISR

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:23:00 +0000

There is an innovative way of answering your ISR (Individual Social Responsibility) now. Better The World, an organisation with a vision for creating the most innovative fundraising tool in the world, is just about to launch one such platform.

The organisation plans to raise $ 1 billion for environment, health and humanity by just appealing to people to surf on the Internet. Seems simply stupendous?

"In our model we do not ask you for donations or for your time and it can always be turned off if you no longer wish to participate", says Ken Rowbotham Partner, Chief Financial Officer, Better The World.

Too good to be true? So, in order to find more and join the same click on the adjoining link http://glimpse.bettertheworld.com/

Donor Stewardship Demystified

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:43:00 +0000

The power of individuals donors in bringing about social change is immense. The non-profits can create long lasting individual partnerships to sustain their programmes till the time they are needed.

Often, you would have heard people saying that Donor Stewardship is a way of keeping donors for ever and ever excited about your cause. Quiet true, but have you ever wondered what does Donor Stewardship actually mean?

Well the words are plain English and each one of us can explain it in our own way. Gordon Mitchie and his team from Relationship Marketing, UK asked several practitioners around the world the question.

The results are out. A comprehensive report that lucidly explains the concept.

Gordon has identified at least three distinct types of stewardship in this report- passive stewardship, active stewardship and proactive stewardship.

Passive stewardship is pretty much customer or donor care – making sure letters are address correctly and donors are thanked on time, that sort of thing – and is very DM-oriented.

With active stewardship, fundraisers begin an interactive, personal relationship with donors.

Proactive stewardship is very much like traditional major donor fundraising (detailed research on donor and one to one cultivation).

The full copy of the report is available at www.relationshipmarketing.org.uk

PS: Just in case this link does not work or you want to know more about Stewardship, please write to gordon@relationshipmarketing.org.uk

Should non-profits work with corporates?

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:42:00 +0000

Well the non-profits who partner with corporates, often have this question crossing their minds. Obviously, this thought never crosses the ones like GreenPeace who do not partner as a philosophy.Therefore, my first statement and what follows below is more for non-profits who do partner with corporates.

There are many reasons for questioning the rationale of corporate partnerships. Some of the ones that I have heard include:

- inability to understand the developmental nuances
- expectation to see results as of yesterday
- donor and donee kind of relationship rather than partnership
- wanting too many reports and visits
- the need to publicise it immensely
- corporate or CSR objective driven programming than need based

All the above are valid to some extent. But does that mean we stop working with corporations?

Well obviously not. And this not for the resources they bring in. This is also not for the leverage they could provide. Even not for the well meaning employee group power they bring.

I feel the biggest reason to partner is, to sensitise corporations on the above issues. I think a better mutual appreciation results from sitting and discussing these on the same side of the table.

End word: Yes and yes let us partner with corporations!

The Urban Generosity

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:04:00 +0000

This survey is getting difficult to search on the web, although it is just a week old on CNN-IBN.

It provides an interesting peek into the Indian generosity.

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/state-of-the-nation-indians-get-money-mantras-right/71262-7.html?from=rssfeed

A good indicator that the new age Indian is greatly inclined to answer ISR- Individual Social Responsibility. Although, the survey is about the urban Indian population but even that is also a big chunk, given we are a billion plus nation.

Please tell me if I am ethical?

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:23:00 +0000

(This article has originally appeared at MSN India website)

Have you thought about this question, once or often? If yes then what follows may make sense to you.

I hear people saying that they are socially responsible. They support community causes, volunteer and campaign for them. My question to them often is "Are you ethical ?" Since being ethical is an integral part of being socially responsible.

Now the question of being ethical can be baffling. I am sure it baffles you. It certainly baffles me.

The reason is that the word Ethics in itself is so flexible. Infact Ethics is your ethics like myMSN page.

Ethics is your belief about what you think is right or wrong? Right or wrong is further dependent on your personal experience, education, family and religious backgrounds.

Then how do I know I am ethical?
The key here is to demonstrate Integrity to your beliefs. If you do that then you are ethical.

An honest answer (and not a survey-monkey response) to 4 key questions may help you in knowing that:

1. Do you make decisions based on what is good for greatest number of people?

2. Do you promote individual self-interest as long as it does not harm others?

3. Do you make decisions with a belief that everyone has a fundamental right that should be respected and protected?

4. Do you make decisions that treat everyone fairly and consistently?

The debate on ethics can be intense whenever done. What the above does is provide a simplified check-list for people who want to be ethical and hence socially responsible.

Do You Know Your Social Responsibility?

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:40:00 +0000

(This article originally appeared at MSN India website)

Increasingly, Individual Social Responsibility, ISR for short, is finding takers like CSR, the much talked about corporate variant.

An Internet search will show several people talking about ISR. But how does one practice ISR? In other words what do you do to fulfill your Social Responsibility.
Is it only about donating to a cause of social importance? Yes it is partly, but not fully. ISR also means your contribution as an activist, campaigner, volunteer in taking up and supporting causes outside your personal sphere.
If you are doing the above you are fulfilling your social responsibility to an extent. Wait there is more.
Here comes the most difficult part. Are you ethical, honest and display integrity in all your actions that affect the community?
True, there is no perfect human being, but the challenge is to be as Socially Responsible one can. Believe me it is infectious. Small efforts can become Everestine.

Lots of people in India are already talking ISR

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 06:21:00 +0000

ISR has been on the minds of people from different walks of life for a while now. A look at their views is a definite revelation in the process of defining ISR. Please go on to read the 7 view points that are interestingly so similar.

1. "India is happening....(one of the) 5 worry lines that concern (me) is needless CSR. ISR or Individual Social Responsibility, is a much better way of giving back to the community. Get employees to go to the field and work with NGO’s. Time, not money is needed". Harish Bijoor, “Bharat - Ek Sach…What is Real India?”, “The Horizons ’07 Blog”, IIM-K’s Annual Management Conclave. For complete reference http://horizons07.wordpress.com/

2. "Yet, I intensely admire individuals who engage in philanthropy. I was deeply moved by Warren Buffet’s selfless gesture when he gave away all his wealth to Bill Gates’ foundation. I agree with Andrew Carnegie that to die rich is to die disgraced. If it is immoral to spend the company’s money, it is businessmen’s duty to spend their own money on charity (from after-tax profits). It is a theft against Reliance’s shareholders if Reliance Industries builds a hospital, but it is Mukesh Ambani’s duty to do so. Hence, Tatas do their charity work through their trusts, from dividends received from Tata companies. CSR should thus be relabelled ISR, Individual Social Responsibility, and each of us ought to feel the need to give back".Gurcharan Das in “Private virtue, public vice”, Times of India, December 17, 2006. For complete reference http://www.ccsindia.org/ccsindia/gdas/toi1.htm
http://www.karmayog.org/newspaperarticles/newspaperarticles_9992.htm

3."These are the self-actualising consumers who like to think that the product they drink is politically correct and that their contributions to the brand actually help contribute at large to the society they live in. This is vicarious Individual Social Responsibility (what I call ISR activity). Indirect social responsibility activity, even! This is quite like indirect taxation". Rohit Balakumar in “Being responsible vicariously”. For complete reference http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2008/01/31/stories/2008013150100400.htm

4."Now, what could be the first commitment one can make under ISR? A very simple one! One need not throw money (pick up the coconut). It must be the commitment of demonstrating one’s integrity and honesty in every walks of life and being not very selfish! This is something which is absolutely in one’s hand and one need not look out on external materiallistic things on which we do not have any control. There cannot be a greater commitment and contribution to the society by an individual than this little one as Individual Social Responsibility! Once this basic commitment is fulfilled, then, perhaps an individual can think of higher commitments and then go on to the commitment of corporate social responsibility. If the ISR becomes a way of life, then perhaps, there would be hardly any need for CSR, because by fulfilling the commitments of ISR, every part of the society, including the corporate would have made a strong foundation on which the whole society operate in a much better way". Suresh Govindarajan in “Individual Social Responsibility”. For complete reference http://www.siv-g.org/joomla/content/view/155/29/

5."Today, we are all talking about Corporate Social Responsibility. We need to start thinking about ISR - Individual Social Responsibility. CSR refers to an organization's responsibility to give back to the society. What about that of an individual? Though every citizen has a social responsibility to his fellow human being, the society, the country, we have conveniently forgotten it. Government is responsible but only in part. The major slice of the responsibility lies on us, the citizens".
Shravan Kumar, “Why only CSR, why not ISR?- Individual Social Responsibility”, in MSN India, Saturday, May 31, 2008. For complete reference http://content.msn.co.in/Contribute/Others/UCStory6959.htm

6."We all blame politicians for the pathetic conditions of India. To a certain extent that is true. But, what about the individual social responsibility? The individual life is complete only, if you fullfil all the 4 roles- Personal, Professional, Family and Social. Most of us do our duties ok in the first 3 areas. But, we neglect the 4th one. Why? We all need to question ourselves. We are all too selfish to think about or do good for others. We do good only for fame or sense gratification. We suffer because of this. We are all greedy about making more money, investing in stocks, career growth etc., we don't devote any time for others. There are 10 million rich people in this country. If each one mentors/supports 100 poor/needy people before he die then our country problems will solved. We can solve unemployment, povery, health, literacy etc., issues". Suren Poruri in “Social Responsibility”. For complete reference http://poruri.rediffiland.com/blogs/2006/08/03/Social.html

7. "All said and done, ISR boils down to identifying day to day activities which could cause marginal if not significant improvement in processes, attitudes, work styles and cultures thereby improving our progress on the growth trajectory and the quality of life in general. If each one of us takes similar initiatives, I believe all of us will benefit in some way or the other. So, what are you waiting for? Have you set your ISR Goals?" Ajay in "ISR . . . The New Reality???". For complete reference http://blogs.oneindia.in/13017/46/2/showblog.php

Understanding ISR-Individual Social Responsibility

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:57:00 +0000

CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) has been the buzz for a while. Several attempts have been made to define, practice and document CSR. But increasingly and from diverse and independent pockets in the world people are talking about a different and more basic social responsibility. ISR-Individual Social Responsibility has all the takings of being a high impact change maker. This article tries to build understanding on the subject by studying these various points of view.

What is ISR?

Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) is about an individual becoming responsible in his/her actions that have affect on communities outside his/her immediate circle. The immediate circle being family and friends [1].There can be an argument about also including family and friends, but it would be rather pertinent to include them as part of Individual Personal Responsibility.
Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF), Bulgaria, describes ISR in its position statement on Social Responsibility as,
"The individual social responsibility includes the engagement of each person towards the community where he lives, which can be expressed as an interest towards what’s happening in the community, as well as in the active participation in the solving of some of the local problems. Under community we understand the village, the small town or the residential complex in the big city, where lives every one of us. Each community lives its own life that undergoes a process of development all the time. And everyone of us could take part in that development in different ways, for example by taking part in cleaning of the street on which he lives, by taking part in organization of an event, connected with the history of the town or the village or by rendering social services to children without parents or elderly people. The individual social responsibility also could be expressed in making donations for significant for the society causes – social, cultural or ecological. There are many ways of donating, as for example donating of goods or donating money through a bank account or online".

Is ISR only about philanthropy?

ISR is not only about:

1. Committing acts of charity
2. Working for the communities where you have material interest.

These only form part of ISR, which is a broader concept that can be manifested through action as below:

1. Philanthropic behaviour of an individual [2]
2. The campaigner, volunteer and activist instinct in the individual that picks-up and supports issues affecting the society [3].
3. The above two coupled with an individual being ethical (integrity, honesty)[4]in his/her outward dealings

ISR vis-à-vis CSR

1. ISR is at the roots of CSR, because a corporate comprises of individuals and hence determines the social responsibility culture it follows.

2. As CSR is being increasingly viewed as a tool to push wares a greater need for ISR is expected [5]. The example of www.kiva.org in giving people the power to empower is a big indicator of the shift.

3. If ISR becomes way of life CSR may be an automatic end result.

4. “The social responsibility of business is to make a profit,” famously said Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize winner. He explained that in making a profit a company creates thousands of jobs, both directly and indirectly through suppliers, distributors and retailers. It imparts valuable skills to its employees. It pays crores in taxes. It improves the lives of millions of satisfied customers with its products and services. This is an enormous service to society. If some shareholders get rich on the way, so what? Companies should focus single-mindedly on their competence, providing goods and services better than their competitors, and not get distracted by extraneous activity. A company’s social responsibility is to make profits legally, not to harm nature, and uphold the highest standards of governance.
It is then left for the promoters of the corporations to practice ISR from the profits received above to really answer Social Responsibility.[6]

Is ISR practical?

Yes, it is. The successes of ventures like www.kiva.org that empower individuals to bring sustainable change are case in point. Furthermore, the advent of Web 2.0 and social networking has fuelled Individual activism, campaigning and giving.
But there is still a long way to go. According to The Harris Poll ®#57, June 18, 2007[7], when it comes to individual social responsibility, two-thirds of U.S. adults have "Good Intentions" – they believe that social responsibility is a good idea, and they do what they can in terms of volunteering, but they do not sacrifice huge amounts of time or money. At the top end of the spectrum, 8 percent of U.S. adults "Practice What They Preach" and for this group, individual, as well as corporate, social responsibility is extremely important. One-quarter of U.S. adults, however, follow a philosophy of "To Thine Own Self Be True" and, for this group, social responsibility has little consequence in their lives.
On the other hand the trends show that the biggest growth for big charitable organisations in the world is coming through individuals and not through corporations and governments [8].
The aspects of ethics, honesty and integrity surely need further consultation.

References

1"ISR is here, watch-out CSR!” by Anup Tiwari at http://nonprofitfundraisingindia.blogspot.com/2008/06/isr-is-here-watch-out-csr.html

2Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) position on ISR at www.wcif-bg.org/en/

3Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) position on ISR at www.wcif-bg.org/en/

4Suresh Govindarajan in "Individual Social Responsibility" on www.siv-g.org

5"The End of Corporate Social Responsibility", posted by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore on http://conversationstarter.hbsp.com

6”Private virtue, public vice” by Gurcharan Das,December 17, 2006, Times of India, http://www.ccsindia.org/ccsindia/gdas/toi1.htm

7http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=774

8” The Inconvenient truth about corporate fundraising” by Sean Triner in www.sofii.org

ISR-Individual Social Responsibility, ever heard of it?

noreply@blogger.com (Anup Tiwari) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 19:53:00 +0000

ISR may not be as well known as CSR but the power and reach it brings is truly amazing.

It is truly the more altruistic version of Social Responsibility. Please click on the link below to know more http://nonprofitfundraisingindia.blogspot.com/2008/06/isr-is-here-watch-out-csr.html

I am trying to build a paper on Wikipedia, but it needs on-line consultation, so please follow this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individual_Social_Responsibility to edit and fine-tune.

Cheers, power back to the people!