CSR Opportunities through Akshaya Patra

Corporate Social Responsibility or CSR refers to the initiatives taken by Corporates for a social cause through positive public relations. The social responsibility of corporates includes philanthropy as well as addressing challenges of hunger, education, poverty alleviation and so on. The involvement of corporates would raise awareness among the common public of the importance of philanthropy and encourage them to contribute for social causes. The corporates contributes two percent of their profit to NGO partnerships with the aim of aiding a social cause which is a responsibility ordained by the government on the corporates for the benefit of the society.

According to statistics, in India, 43 per cent of children are malnourished and 1.7 million children are drop-outs. Most of the children in Government schools become drop outs for a square meal. They accompany their parents to work places for a meagre income to satisfy their hunger. To eliminate these burning issues from our country, it is very important that Corporates and responsible individuals join hands with NGOs in partnership to promote hunger free education in government schools.

Understanding the importance of hunger free education, Akshaya Patra implements the mid-day meal programme in partnership with the Government of India and State Governments. The organisation serves nutritious meals to children knowing the fact that this meal will be the one proper meal of the child most of the time. The vision of the organisation is "No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger." To serve nutritious meals to more children Akshaya Patra needs support from organisations and corporates. This would ensure stop dropout rates in schools and ensure maximum enrolment.

The CSR opportunities made available for the institutions that choose to partner with Akshaya Patra are firstly; strategic philanthropy through funds, which is a powerful way to combine company marketing goals as an opportunity to increase the well-being of mankind. This can connect the company with NGO’s and work for social good. Secondly, cause-marketing initiatives, which is very useful for customers who visit the website and can see the advertising and understand the organisations initiative in making the world a better place by supporting a social cause. Thirdly, through events sponsorship which is aimed at company’s own staff by which they can be aware of the company and can get involved. Fourthly, by getting involved through innovations & project solutions for children.

CSR opportunities encourage the company to make a positive impact on the environment and stakeholders including consumers, employees, investors etc.

The CSR benefits the employees in creating a positive work place environment as well as instil a strong culture of corporate social responsibility within every employee. The employees can develop professionally and personally when companies have a culture of corporate social responsibility. They will be motivated themselves for philanthropy and will be involved in charitable ventures.

In the past few years there were numerous corporates who were associated with Akshaya Patra. To name a few are Infosys, Caterpillar, Tata, Cisco, Deutsche Bank, Idea Cellular, and Amazon.