Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an organizational system or entity being responsible to the broader society/ public and can be viewed as the business’/ institutional contribution to the public’s sustainable development goals.

Today’s organizations are increasingly mindful of the impact that their operations have on and/ to the near and far community (ies) and general public, within which they operate.

In the past, CSR programmes were voluntary steps that corporates and institutions engaged in to support the welfare of the communities around them.

In today’s business and public service environment, there is an increasing value and expectation being placed on Corporate Social Responsibility by the community, customers, employees and all publics, not as a welfare goodwill or charity, but as part of sustainable, participatory initiative that brings together the corporate entity and the beneficiary community in order to plan, implement and sustain common public initiatives.

As a result, CSR concept has not only become a vehicle to improve the welfare of the beneficiary communities, but also has become an indispensable and integral initiative, for the sustained growth of organizations and institutions as well as building stakeholder/ Public relations.

The Fund, as Corporate Responsible citizen, shall undertake its Social Responsibility Programmes in a manner that:

• Participatory and inclusive
• Improves living conditions to the targeted publics
• Brings about satisfaction to its publics,
• Is mindful of the proper management of the environment it operates in,
• Supports the socio-economic welfare its community(ies) and general public
• Promotes national values, national cohesion and human dignity.

While undertaking CSR initiatives; the ComFund shall ensure that:

• It does not undertake CSR projects/ programmes where any member of its Staff or Board of Trustees has an interest, directly or indirectly;
• Any member of staff or Board with an interest in a targeted CSR project/ programme has declared such interest in advance;
• CSR projects/ programmes that it undertakes, as much as possible, are for the benefit of larger number of members of targeted community/ general public;
• It does not engage in CSR projects/ programmes that may be in contravention of National cohesion and values, or bring about disrepute to the institution, beneficiary community or general public;
• It does not engage in CSR Projects/ Programmes that support political affiliations;
• It does not undertake CSR projects that infringes on environmental laws or regulations or any other relevant and/ or related laws and regulations.
• It does not support or partner with organizations that engage in unethical business practices including child labour and abuse, unfair labour practices, discrimination, fraud/ tax evasion, among others.

The ComFund’s CSR programmes shall be created to focus on initiatives that:

• support farming (crops sector) community(ies)
• support general public:
• support Corporate projects by other likeminded organizations
• Promote ethical and fair business practices

The CSR programmes shall be in, but not limited to, the following thematic areas:

• Health,
• Education,
• Environment sustainability and Safety,
• Water and Sanitation,
• Sports,
• Arts and Culture,
• Humanitarian Aid & Relief
• Agriculture and
• Support of the National Cause.

• The Fund may partner with like-minded institutions/ individuals in order to undertake identified CSR initiatives.
• Such partnerships shall be formalized in a manner that can allow scrutiny, transparency, accountability and ability to identify the level of impact on the beneficiaries.
• Such partnerships shall be established in a manner that ensures that the benefit goes to the targeted beneficiaries, and not the partnering institutions

• The Fund’s CSR programmes shall be financed through allocation in the institution’s budget.
• The Fund may also receive donations from individuals and other corporate institutions in support of its programmes.
• In such a case where such donations are received, due diligence shall be done to ensure that such donations are received and used in a manner that:
• Does not bring disrepute to the Fund,
• Upholds principles of good governance and/ or any other principle established for the purposes of leadership and good governance, and,
• Are duly and fully accounted for as per Fund’s (established) procedures after implementation of respective project/ programme.