On May 26th 2011, Diageo signed an agreement with The British Council to become a partner in its Skills for Social Entrepreneurs Project in China. The signing ceremony, which took place in Beijing, also marked the official launch of the second Diageo Dream Fund, under which support for the Skills for Social Entrepreneurs Project will fall.
Skills for Social Entrepreneurs is a strategic global programme initiated by the British Council in 2009. The aim of the programme is to identify and support new generations of social entrepreneurs who can address community-based challenges, such as environmental and social issues. These entrepreneurs will typically apply enterprise-based models of development to addressing such issues, thereby creating added value for the community and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the project.
The Diageo Dream Fund will co-sponsor five Skills for Social Entrepreneurs training programmes, in Tianjin, Nanjing, Changsha, Kunming and Xi’an, from March 2011 to April 2012. These will provide training on social enterprise development for entrepreneurs who are seeking to make a difference in their communities. A judging panel led by the British Embassy and its partners has to date selected 250 trainees from online applicants. The training will provide these entrepreneurs with the skills to start up their own social enterprises and scale up existing organizations, empowering them to create employment opportunities and add economic value to their communities. In addition, the trainees will have an opportunity to connect with social entrepreneur networks in the UK and around the world for peer support, mentoring and funding opportunities.
“Through their innovative approaches, social entrepreneurs can create positive change in their communities” said Lin Menuhin, Corporate Social Responsibility & Regulatory Affairs Director, Diageo Asia Pacific. “As we launch the second Diageo Dream Fund, we hope to inspire these change makers to pursue their aspirations and support the development of their communities”.
The Diageo IS team recently donated 22 laptops to the Singapore Institute of Mental Health (IMH). The laptops, which would have been otherwise disposed, will now be used by patients for therapeutic and training programmes at the Child Guidance Clinic, Community Wellness Centre, Adult Wards, Library and OcTAVE (occupational therapy workshop).
“It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to give back to the community in this way. These laptops would have been destroyed if it hadn’t been for Yunju’s initiative to salvage and donate them to a charitable cause.” said Richard Pitt, Service delivery manager, South East Asia.
Richard and Yunju Im, Service delivery manager, Singapore, presented the laptops to Dr Sung Min, Consultant, Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and Ms Tan Bhing Leet, Head of the Occupational Therapy Department.
Michelle Wong, personal assistant to William McDowell, Governance Director of Asia Pacific Supply, went on a community service trip to Cambodia via the New Hope Cambodia organization. “I was looking for a new travel experience, beyond the usual sightseeing and shopping. That’s why I decided to sign up for this trip to Mondul 3 village in Cambodia where I taught basic English and Math”, said Michelle.
In the wake of the tragic occurences in Japan, Diageo has made a donation of more than JPY 6.5 million (S$ 101,600) globally to the Red Cross through the Diageo Foundation.
In Asia Pacific we are raising funds through Ammado - our employees are donating and we are matching dollar for dollar. So far we have raised more than JPY 970,000 (S$ 15,000, including matching).
Our great colleagues in Korea also banded together to support Japan and have donated over JPY 1.8 million (S$ 30,000) to disaster relief through employee donations and donation matching.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” A Chinese proverb for centuries, this mantra is today being applied more and more to corporate social responsibility programmes. Many people identify social enterprise as the future of CSR, in which skill sharing overtakes simple charity as the way in which businesses support the communities in which they operate. A social enterprise is any for-profit or non-profit organization that applies capitalistic strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises do not aim to offer any benefit to their investors, except where they believe that doing so will ultimately further their capacity to realise their philanthropic goals.
Asia Pacific is full of social entreprises and we at Diageo are committed to supporting many of them by sharing business experience and skills to help them grow. There are some great resources on the internet about social enterprise and the stellar work they are doing. Diageo has found this fantastic list of top social enterprise websites, courtesy of the fabulous folk at Echoing Green www.echoinggreen.org. Thanks, and happy reading!
How to Change the World
blog.guykawasaki.com
Written by Guy Kawasaki, this blog’s got it all – relevant resources for people interested in the nonprofit sector and social entrepreneurship, job postings, and motivational tips to keep you focused and ready to take on the world. How to Change the World is a must read blog to keep in the loop about the field of social change organizations.
Have Fun, Do Good
havefundogood.blogspot.com
One of Britt Bravo’s many blogs, Have Fun, Do Good is written for people who want to make a difference in the world while having a great time doing it. Still interested? We thought so. Her posts appeal to everyone; from “Advice for the College Senior Who Wants to Make a Difference” to “Mobilizing Donors and Activists in an Overwhelmed World”, this blog is a definite for your RSS feed.
SocialROI
www.socialroi.com
Social ROI is all about the ever expanding field of social entrepreneurship. We love the wealth of news about companies and organizations that are in the business of social change. Plus, there are often job listings and grant opportunities posted, which makes it very valuable to read this blog frequently!
NonProfit Times
nptimes.blogspot.com
To stay informed about what’s going on in the nonprofit sector, the blog at NonProfit Times is an excellent resource. A daily read will provide you with everything you need to know, including practical organizational tips. Posts such as “Keep Your Writing Readable On The Web” and “Getting Good at Finding Funds” are keepers, for sure.
Audeamus
www.audeamus.com
A one stop shop for everything about social responsibility and entrepreneurship, Audeamus has it all. The posts are split up between categories like “Books and Tools,” “Go Green,”and “Social Enterprise,” which makes it very easy to find exactly what you want.
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