Macedonian Businesses CSR Case

Katerina Spasovska,
Development Coordinator
Center for Institutional Development

Increasing competitiveness of
Macedonian businesses through CSR
-The Case of
Business Leaders Forum Macedonia -

8th SEEITA – 7th SEE ICT Forum Meeting & 7th MASIT Open Days Conference
14-15 October 2010, Ohrid www.seeita.org

Content
• Short Info about the Center for Institutional
Development –CIRa
• CIRa Capacities
• Social Responsibility of CIRa
• CSR case: BUSINESS LEADERS FORUM
Macedonia: rationale behind the initiative,
description, founding members, activities,
membership


Short Info about CIRa
Civil Society Organization funded in 2004, with a
mission to strengthen capacities of civil society, businesses
and local communities for achieving tangible societal
changes
Foremost known by pioneer initiatives:
• Law on donations and sponsorships
• Administration of Corporate Funds
• Public philanthropic campaigns
• “Leaders in Social Responsibility Awards”
• Electronic Newsletter “Philanthropy in Macedonia”
• Business Leaders Forum Macedonia

CIRa capacities
• 17 experienced professionals with different
educational backgrounds
• 4 floor building with 8 offices, meeting/ training room
for 20 people, library, 3 vehicles, professional training
equipment
• Great network of partners that have been
participating in our activities
• Annual budget of around 1.000.000 EUR distributed in
the community .


Everybody talks about CSR, but…

“You must be the change
you wish to see in the world”
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi


Social responsibility of CIRa
Towards the employees: participative decision
making, competitive salaries and daily allowance
rates, life insurance policy, paid annual health
check, business mobile, loans without interest,
flexible working hours, compensation days for
overtime work, paid consultations with a
psychologists, usage of vehicles for private
needs, professional development and
volunteering opportunities

Towards vendors: annual and multiannual
contracts (in return we get free services,
discounts and vouchers), payment on time,
partnership and friendship (participation on our
events-Santa Clause), strengthening of their
capacities (sharing our inventory, system and
working procedures) , raising their awareness
about CSR (vendors as donators to our activities)


• Towards the target group of beneficiaries/
clients: donation of equipment, volunteering of
CIRa staff, free of charge facilities, equipment
and dumping prices for NGOs with limited
finances, continual communication and support
• Towards the community: Targeting social
problems and running public campaigns with
volunteering engagement of CIRa employees
and financial support by CIRa unrestricted funds


CSR case:

Business
Leaders
Forum
initiative


Business Leaders Forum Macedonia
• First Initiative of this kind in Macedonia
Started in 2008 by the Center for Institutional
Development with support from Pontis
Foundation (administrator of BLF Slovakia) and
SlovakAid
• The main aim: to link and consolidate
knowledge in order to help Macedonian
companies to achieve competitive advantage by
applying CSR principles in their business models

Rationale behind the BLF:
CSR Challenges to Macedonian Companies

• Lack of understanding about CSR and its benefits
• Lack of skills and knowledge to apply the concept
• Shortage of funds to make CSR works
• Lack of communication channels for sharing information
on CSR issues, possibilities and trends
• Lack of cooperation and mutual initiatives between the
“peers”


Rationale behind the BLF:
CSR Challenges to Macedonian Companies
• Lack of media support for promotion of good CSR
examples i.e. journalists are hardly recognizing
responsible businesses-they treat only those who are
irresponsible
• Lack of governmental support/motivation to
entrepreneurs or companies to run the CSR model of
business


What is BLF?
A Platform that brings together small,
medium and large-sized companies’ committed
to run the business in a responsible way by
integrating CSR principles into the
business models and everyday operations in
order to provide long-term
sustainability of their businesses and the
country as a whole.


Founded on May 26, 2010 by 6 companies with strong CSR
focus:
• Ading AD Skopje
• Gemak Trejd
• INet
• Makedonski Telekom AD – Skopje
• KPMG Macedonia DOO Skopje
• TTK Bank s.c. Skopje
Center for Institutional Development is Administrator
of BLF.

By Signing the Memorandum of Understanding, 6 Executive
Directors have agreed to apply the CSR principles in their work
and to share their knowledge and experience with other BLF
members.


BLF mission is to support members to plan,
implement, assess and improve their CSR
activities in order to achieve sustainable
business growth that increases company
profit and produces positive economic,
social and environmental effects for
community development.


BLF activities
• Strategic counseling and education to member
companies
• Innovation and learning-organization of regular
meetings, debates, workshops, trainings, conferences etc
• Helping businesses to get connected with stakeholders
and develop successful cross-sector partnerships.
• Implementation of joint activities for improvement of
the business environment and community development
• Promotion of the best CSR practices and sharing of
ideas, information and experience at local and
international level

BLF Membership
• Only companies can become members of BLF.
• Interested companies should contact CIRa, fill
out CSR Profile template and the BLF
Membership Application Form.
• The existing BLF members decide on the
acceptance of a new members by voting at
quarterly session.
• The work of BLF is supported by the membership
fee paid by its members

BENEFITS from BLF MEMBERSHIP
• LEARNING the best practices from “peers”-the leaders
of the Macedonian business community
• Access to INFORMATION and EXCHANGE OF IDEAS
• SUCCESSFUL POSITIONING in the market as leader of
change- implementation of projects that affect
community and business environment
• SAVING COSTS-sharing resources with other members
• SELF PRESENTATION on BLF events, increased
PUBLICITY and IMAGE as good corporate citizen
• SOCIAL CAPITAL gained through Networking and
partnerships

The era of declaratory CSR is
over… stakeholders are looking
for results


QUESTIONS?


Thank you for your attention!


Macedonian Businesses CSR Case

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