Improving Cooperation and Understanding between NGOs and Corporations

1
Improving Cooperation and Understanding between
NGOs and Corporations

• Lori Forman
• Regional Director, Community Affairs
• Microsoft

2
Observations from a Multi-Sector Past

• Lori Forman
• Regional Director, Community Affairs
• Microsoft

3
Key observations

• Value of linking CSR activities to corporate
  values and goals
• Depth of involvement
• Magnitude of program
• Sustainability of commitment
• Relationship vs. entitlement
• Competitive nature of NGO environment
• Need to proactively train, communicate, interact

4
Training Communicating

• Skills training for staff/execs about NGOs
• Stereotype toss exercise
• NGO culture, environment, regulations
• Applying customer response metrics to NGO
  interactions
• 100 response target
• The value of no, the pain of silence

5
Outreach NGO days

• Annual NGO days
• Sri Lanka and Hong Kong
• 6-7 more in Asian markets this FY
• Goals
• Get to know the NGO community
• Organizations, scope, individuals
• NGOs get to know us
• Our people and our programs

6
Sample NGO day topics

• Options for Microsoft-NGO engagement
• software donations, volunteers, grants, training
• Presentation by NGO partners
• Technology tools workshops
• NGO and industry partner booths
• Executive luncheon
• Volunteer sign-up for Microsoft staff
• Evaluation, agreement on follow-up plan

7
Hong Kong
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Outreach - Volunteering

• Asia regional policy of 3 days paid volunteering
  leave
• Business units encouraged to incorporate NGO
  volunteering into team meetings
• End-to-end engagement tapping all staff expertise
• I have a friend at Microsoft
• Adopt an NGO

9
Singapore
10
Thank you