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PublicAffairsAsia’s 10 Top Tips for Corporate NGO Engagement

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PublicAffairsAsia offers insight into strategies for effective engagement between corporations, NGOs and government in Asia’s complex environment


1. Do the due diligence:
Make sure the NGOs you work with are a cultural, ethical and business fit with your organisation. Work with your different business units to check out the background, purpose and management of the organisation before you commit money or, more importantly, corporate reputation to the engagement.

2. More than money: Writing cheques is charity plain and simple. Think more strategically about what you can give. Staff secondment programmes, free product licences, IP exchange and some good old management advice can deliver better outcomes than simply making a cash donation to a charity or campaigning group. Share knowledge and management experience with smaller NGOs, who have the vision but not always the expertise.

3. Select partners carefully: Not all NGOs have the same mission or approach. Be cautious about working with an NGO which could be a partner today and a critic tomorrow. Develop strategies of engagement for soft NGOs and deploy different toolkits for campaign-style lobbying groups. Do not be afraid to argue your corner with government against campaign-based non-governmental bodies – not NGOs all are cuddly or well intentioned.

4. Align programmes with your business: Unless you have a centralised top-down philosophy driving NGO strategy you are likely to develop partnerships lacking in synergy with your core business. Make logical connections: automotive industry = road safety, for example. Avoid a scattergun approach, but do invite junior staff in the localities to identify would-be partners and sense-check these against your operating plan.

5. Avoid the ‘foundation’ mentality: Developing a corporate giving centre or foundation results in a break-away between your core business and your NGO engagement and charitable endeavours. Try to define NGO engagement, CSR policy and sustainability as core aspects of all business units rather than as a corporate function in themselves.

6. Help spread the word: Some of the best-intentioned NGOs and campaign groups under-deliver because of poor awareness or uncertainty about their missions. Give advice and lend capacity in helping NGOs develop their communications, advocacy and stakeholder engagement strategies. The first key to non-profit success is awareness, and, then, fundraising. You cannot raise funds if no-one knows what you do or why you exist.

7. Be clear about your own motives: Profit is not a dirty word. NGOs prosper as a result of private sector profit, so calculate what return your corporation will ultimately get from cash donations or in-kind support. Make sure it’s a win-win relationship or ultimately you’ll never really have the fire in your belly.

8. Beyond a Budget Line: Stop thinking about NGO engagement as a cost centre. If you don’t have the budget to fund a project or partnership either view it as an investment (which it should be) or calculate how else the programme can be delivered. Think industry-wide where cash commitments are significant.

9. It’s a long term thing: While natural disasters will always provoke immediate pressures, calculate how your business can develop long-term partnerships with NGOs – even in the arena of disaster prevention and preparedness. Maximum outcomes will be delivered when engagement strategies are developed and revised over years, not months, so think about partnerships for the long-term.

10. Work with government – and for government: You are likely to achieve significant outcomes, and see significant benefit in return, where you work with an NGO to deliver on a government’s stated public policy goal. Monitor the local, national and regional political agendas to assess where you can help deliver the goals political masters want to see for their society. Make their issues your issues to win friends and influence people.

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