The Social Triangle

Current-day contribution to the society is based on the three pillars of philanthropy, corporate social responsibility and social enterprises. These three are very unique and different from each other but are tied together by the common thread of betterment of society.

The first corner of the triangle is Philanthropy. Etymologically, philanthropy is ‘the love of LOVE’. It is about caring for, nourishing, nurturing, extending a helpful hand to the needy. Philanthropy is about having a big heart to contribute to the welfare of the underprivileged to make the world a better place. It is an act of magnanimity. Philanthropic individuals are individuals who pledge their time, energy, resources towards betterment of society without expecting anything in return. The various non-profit organizations run on the principles of philanthropy. They cater to the needs of various deprived segments of the society and receive funding from various individuals by way of charity.

The other corner is the corporate social responsibility or what we call CSR. CSR activities are undertaken by various profit-making companies as a way to contribute to the society. As huge corporates and influential centers, companies have a responsibility towards the society at large. They try to fulfil this responsibility by way of CSR activities like enhancing the livelihood of farmers as in case of ITC’s e-choupal. One thing to understand is that CSR activities are not a mandate on companies. The companies engage in CSR activities to contribute to the society and earn goodwill.

The last corner of our triangle is the area of social enterprises. Social enterprises are profit-making ventures unlike philanthropic institutions. Also they are different from the corporate ventures in the sense their business idea revolves around a practical solution to solving one of the various problems plaguing the society. Several social enterprises like SELCO Solar, Drishtee, Industree Foundation etc. have been spreading their wings and showing the world the new way of changing the society. These organizations are not run on philanthropy but are businesses that are making a lasting social impact. The need today is not charity but availability of resources and opportunities. These social enterprises are creating these opportunities, helping to cope complex social issues and making people self-sufficient. These new class of social reformers have the potential to change the world.