What gives? How companies invest in communities

Jenni Downes, and others | Catalyst Australia

26 July, 2012

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26 July 2012 | Against a backdrop of growing public interest in corporate citizenship and responsibility, this report investigates the approach that leading firms are taking to investing in communities. It looks at how, and how well, companies are performing against leading indicators for community investment.

Significantly, it shows there is a lack of guidance about what constitutes good practice in community investment. Most companies undertake their community investment activities without a strong framework, strategy or tools to measure the performance, impact or effectiveness of their approach. In many cases, this is because tools and frameworks are poorly developed and applied in the Australian context. This has implications for the effectiveness of the programs companies support and, ultimately, may prevent programs reaching their full potential for communities.

The report presents some valuable insights for corporations and communities to inform better practice, reporting and outcomes in this important area.

Author: Jenni Downes, Research Consultant, Catalyst
Contributors: Jo-anne Schofield, Executive Director, Catalyst Rita Fentener van Vlissingen, Consultant, Banarra

Download 'What Gives?' pdf Catalyst flyer and infographics
Download 'What Gives?' pdf Exec Summary | pdf Full Report | Company Appendices
Media Release 24th July 2012