CIMB Group’s Community and Social Welfare programmes are conducted primarily through Community Link, a CSR initiative launched in May 2007. As the concept of community and social welfare is itself multi-faceted, Community Link aims to improve the lives and well-being of communities in a holistic manner, focusing on creating sustainable and long-term impact in five areas: socio economic development, education, health, the environment and national unity.
The Group leverages on its nationwide network of over 367 CIMB Bank and CIMB Islamic branches to create partnerships with community organisations including resident associations, clubs and associations which emphasise community welfare such as Rotary clubs, Lions clubs and Kiwanis, charitable organisations and focused welfare groups. From them, CIMB identifies pockets of need within the communities and carries out projects involving CIMB Foundation, a branch of CIMB Bank/CIMB Islamic, a local community organisation, community members and CIMB staff.
Staff are involved from the start of the complex process of identifying projects, evaluating their potential, then participating and following-up on all initiatives to ensure they are being run according to plan. Branch staff have responded enthusiastically to Community Link by willingly setting aside time and energy to improve the lives of communities around them. There is, in fact, buy-in of Community Link at all levels of the Group. The chairman and director of CIMB Group make up two of five trustees of CIMB Foundation. In 2009, the Group CEO’s office became the first department outside of branches to adopt a Community Link programme. Mirroring the CEO’s passion, it chose a football training programme for underprivileged children.
Through Community Link, 206 projects have been initiated with a total grant value of RM8.2 million, while another 165 projects (estimated grant value of RM8.25 million) are being carried out in the second half of 2009.
Priority is given to projects that are sustainable, that build local capacity and have measurable and realistic outcomes. After seeing the results that focused CSR programmes can bring, CIMB decided to move away from initiatives that were ad hoc, event driven and donation-based to initiatives that were focused, sustainable and impactful. Its Foundation was set up in November 2007 with an initial grant of RM100 million to cover three years from 2008 till 2010.
In 2008-2009, CIMB worked with 87 community organisations nationwide and about 20% are already in their second project in partnership with the financial group.
Through Community Link, CIMB has spurred community organisations to higher levels of innovation, structure and discipline by demanding of them creative and well thought-out plans with clearly stated expected outcomes and a clear demonstration of implementation ability. CIMB also sets high standards of reporting to ensure its funds are used in a responsible manner as agreed.
As a result, the projects have been immensely satisfying. Hundreds of beneficiaries have gained skills and confidence to overcome the inherent difficulties of their circumstances. The wheelchair bound have become radio DJs; youth from Sentul have gained confidence from their English reading programme; deaf artistes are astounding audiences everywhere with their percussion group; disabled gardeners have discovered a sense of independence from nurturing their budding nursery business in Kampar; recovering psychiatric patients have found a new vocation in running a bakery…
These success stories are inspiring not only to CIMB Malaysia but also to its counterparts in Indonesia and Thailand. Using Community Link as a model, they plan to set up similar CSR initiatives in their own countries.
The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards, launched by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2007, aims to recognise companies that have made a difference to the communities in which they operate through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Download the Official Entry Form.
