Connold and Associates | Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a concept whereby organizations consider the interests of society by taking responsibility for the impact of their activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities and other stakeholders, as well as the environment. This obligation is seen to extend beyond the statutory obligation to comply with legislation and sees organizations voluntarily taking further steps to improve the quality of life for employees and their families as well as for the local community and society at large.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_social_responsibility

In a move billed by some as a swing away from the "bottom line only" mentality of the past, the country's first socially responsible investment (SRI) index was launched on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), putting South Africa in line with global trends in corporate governance.

Companies apply to be listed on the index, and have to meet the conditions of 94 criteria gauging, among other things, a business's commitment to black economic empowerment, tackling HIV/Aids in the workplace, labour policies and environmental practices.

The barometer of sustainable business practice is the King report's code of good corporate governance - or the "triple bottom line" principles of environmental, social and financial sustainability.

Source: SouthAfrica.info
The all-in-one official guide
and web portal to South Africa.

An important part of Connold & Associate’s mission is our commitment to sharing responsibility for the world in which we operate. Living next to each other creates responsibility and we are actively developing and maintaining policies and practices that promote a positive and sustainable environmental and social contribution to every community in which we operate.

Our Business Principles underpin this commitment to legal compliance, continuous improvement and sustainability.

Connold & Associates is proudly associated with The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon as our social responsibility initiative.

Participation of your company in any one of the projects below qualifies for between 70% and 100% of your Corporate Social Investment/Enterprise Development points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

Community Social Investment Projects - February 2009

MAHLOTSHI WATER PROJECT & MARKET GARDEN:

Rotary International funding has facilitated the provision of a water supply over 2km from the local river to irrigate the recently established market garden adjacent to the Mahlotshi village, Marble Hall. The crops grown will be sold to the local community through a community based business. R50 000 is needed to build a secure store/shop building as well as for implements, seed, farming and business education.

With 100% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies for Enterprise Development and Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE scorecard.

SCHOOL CONTAINER LIBRARY:

Take a used 12m container, put in windows, shelves and doors, place it on a concrete foundation and stock it with books. Together with School Aid, a UK charity providing the books and project management, Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon intend setting up such a library at underprivileged schools in Tembisa (North of Kempton Park) and Mamelodi (Pretoria). R40 000 per container is required for the container transport, foundation, customisation and painting

With 100% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies fully for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

EMERGENCY BOXES:

Shack fires, floods, severe winds and xenophobic attacks regularly leave impoverished families with nothing but the few clothes remaining on their backs. Rotary’s emergency boxes are assembled for a family of 4 providing essential clothing, cutlery, crockery and hand tools to get them started again. R10 000 is needed to assemble 10 emergency boxes as the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon’s contribution to the standby store ready for the next disaster.

With more than 75% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies fully for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

SCHOOL FEEDING SCHEME:

There are many school going children of all race groups who are starving. Rotary assists a local Edenvale high school in feeding 52 children one meal a day so that the hunger pangs are alleviated sufficiently for them to concentrate on their studies and gain sufficient education to break the poverty trap that they find themselves in. R20 000 is needed to support this feeding scheme for the 2009 school year. Donations of consistent supplies of suitable food are also welcome.

With more than 85% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies fully for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

BURSARIES:

A parents cost for government high school stationery and text books has exceeded R1200/year per learner. For many learners in our local schools, this cost is beyond the family’s means and significantly disadvantages impoverished learners in getting an education that leads to worthwhile employment. 10 x R1 000 bursaries are being sought for disadvantaged learners.

With 70% Designated Beneficiaries, each bursary will qualify for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard depending on the race of the recipient/s.

2009 BUSINESSMAN’S CHARITY GOLF DAY:

The Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon Charity Golf Day for 2009 is being held to raise funds for the above Club projects which serve under privileged communities. In order maximise the benefit of the event to these projects, we require sponsorship to cover the costs incurred in the staging the event in respect of catering R6 000 and Entertainment R5 000.

With 75% Designated Beneficiaries of the projects exceeding 75%, each donation will qualify for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

BETHANY HOUSE:

Bethany House is a home for abused women and children. Their goal is to train and empower the mothers with a view to integrating them and their children back into society. Bethany currently derives a small income from beading and sewing, but they need to increase the skills taught to these ladies to improve their chances of employment as they can then leave the home and allow others the opportunity to escape abuse. Bethany House is currently implementing a "kitchen training programme" to fit a fully functional kitchen at the home enabling basic food and beverage training. R20 000 is needed to assist with building works to prepare the kitchen for fitting, tiling and plumbing. In order to properly train the ladies; electrical appliances, kitchen accessories and utensils are required and donations of consistent supplies of suitable raw materials are also welcome.

With more than 85% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies fully for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

Should you or your company wish to support a specific project and receive written confirmation for your BBBEE scorecard audit, please contact
Desrae Connold
011-454-5485
desrae@connold.co.za

Visit www.rotaryknightspendragon.org.za for more information on the club

BRIGHT KID FOUNDATION:

Edutainer Project

The Edutainer project converts 12-metre containers into pre-schools taking 25 children. It can also be used for adult education after hours. The conversion transforms the container into a bright, airy classroom and includes insulated ceilings, a heating fan, soft-board, chalkboard, vinyl sheet flooring, electricity, burglar bars, a large cupboard, shelving, coat-hooks, external decoration and books, toys and furniture. Edutainers are donated to carefully selected early learning NGO’s with well trained teachers. Edutainers are MANTAG certified for permanent use as pre-schools The Edutainer costs R200 000 and Gauteng delivery is R3500.

With 100% Designated Beneficiaries, this project qualifies fully for Corporate Social Investment points on your company BBBEE Scorecard.

Should you or your company wish to support a specific project and receive written confirmation for your BBBEE scorecard audit, please contact

Nicholas Jaff
011-402 7145
nicholasjaff@brightkid.co.za

Visit www.brightkid.co.za for more information on the initiative

LITTLE EDEN Society:

LITTLE EDEN Society cares for 300 children and adults with profound intellectual disabilities ranging from the ages of 4 years to 58 years. Statistically the average age of the residents is 20 years but the level of mental functioning is that of a one year old and younger.

Of the 300 children 229 were previously abandoned or come from indigent families who are unable to support them financially or otherwise. Some are HIV positive or have AIDS. Dealing with the terminally ill or dying forms part of the work carried out at LITTLE EDEN. Most of the residents stay at LITTLE EDEN until they die. Some residents have been with LITTLE EDEN for over 40 years and for many LITTLE EDEN is the only home they will ever know.

The Society consists of 2 Homes: one in Edenvale with 180 children and adults and the other on a smallholding in Bapsfontein (Elvira Rota Village) with another 120 residents.

LITTLE EDEN receives approximately 50% funding from Government. The shortfall of over R8 000 000 must be raised every year to keep the doors of the Society open. This is met through specific appeals to corporate donors, corporate functions, LOTTO, the annual Fête and other events direct mail campaigns twice a year, two second-hand shops and the generosity of the public, individuals, schools, churches and service clubs as well as small and medium business enterprises.

Donations to the Society are deductible in terms of Section 18A of the Income Tax Act, dependent upon the amount of the tax payer’s tax liability. Supporting LITTLE EDEN will earn you points on the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Scorecard.

Should you or your company wish to support a specific project and receive written confirmation for your BBBEE scorecard audit, please contact
Veronica Mannix or Xelda Rohrbeck
+27 11 609 7246
info@littleeden.org.za

Visit www.littleeden.org.za for more information

On the 09th February 2009, the first of the official Accredited B-BBEE verification Agencies were announced by the dti.

ABVA (the Association of BEE Verification Agencies) (www.abva.co.za) welcomes the dti’s announcement of the first batch of accredited Verification Agencies. Both the verification industry and the business community at large have been waiting for this watershed moment.

ABVA, as the recognized Industry Body, and widely held to be the best indicator of credibility in BEE Certification maintains that this external accreditation process is essential in maintaining market confidence in verification scorecards produced by the industry. All full ABVA Members have applied to the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) for accreditation and therefore follow the approved and standardized methodology in their verification processes. Accreditation of Verification Agencies involves the Agency voluntarily opening their internal processes to external scrutiny by SANAS and the dti.

An approval in terms of this process indicates that the agency has complied with all material requirements of the R47-02 standard – a purpose built quality standard governing the principles on which Verification Agencies should operate – the dti methodologies, and the Codes of Good Practice.

It is important to note that although the dti has maintained the position that all BEE certificates with sufficient supporting evidence should be accepted as valid, a certificate from an accredited Verification Agency assures the user that it has been exactly prepared in terms of the dti methodologies, and that the process followed is in line with professional standards for delivery of verification services.

In time, and through implementation of Government procurement practice, accredited Agencies’ verification certificates will be the only true standard. In the meantime however, companies who choose to use full ABVA Members who have not yet been accredited can still be assured that the dti methodologies are being adhered to. All Full Members of ABVA listed on the ABVA website have applied for accreditation and are expected to receive accreditation in the near future.

The list of accredited agencies is as follows:

BEE - Matrix cc

BEE Empowered and Labour Consultancy cc

BEE Verification Agency cc

DRGSiyaya (Pty) Ltd

Emex Trust

EmpowerDEX

EmpowerLogic (Pty) Ltd

Honeycomb BEE Ratings (Pty) Ltd

National Empowerment Rating Agency - Gauteng

National Empowerment Rating Agency - Kwa-Zulu Natal

National Empowerment Rating Agency - Western Cape

For more information on these companies, as well as contact details please make use of the following link:
http://www.sanas.co.za/accreditation_bee.php