Corporate Social Responsibility in the Not for Profit Sector: A Perspective from Presbyterian Church of East Africa

Abstract

This study identified and described the role and practice of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from a perspective of Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA), an organization in the Not for Profit (NfP) sector. Communication channels, strategies and tactics used by PCEA institutions to communicate CSR activities to the church’s publics were studied using the systems theory. The study had four objectives: 1) to identify the CSR programs and activities in PCEA, 2) to find out the practice of CSR by PCEA, 3) to find out how PCEA communicates CSR activities to internal and external publics, and 4) to investigate the role of CSR in PCEA. The respondents were 68 senior leaders in PCEA of whom 61 answered the self-administered questionnaires. The remaining 7 comprising past and current General Assembly officials were interviewed. Their responses corroborated responses from the questionnaires. Respondents indicated that the use of public relation firms and mass media for publicity were avoided due to cost factors. Further, PCEA favored inexpensive and swift channels such as letters, telephone and public announcements over any other channel. Nevertheless, the latter channels were less effective in communicating CSR information to external publics. However, majority of the respondents had the opinion that communication strategies and tactics such as media relations (83.33%), lobbying and advocacy (83.6%) and advertising and marketing (67.21%) could be very effective in informing external publics about CSR programs in PCEA. Further, 98.36 % felt that public relations were an effective strategy. Thus, PCEA can promote its corporate image and its reputation by partnering with media houses and public relation firms in CSR publicity. Likewise, such opportunity would also profit other organizations in the NfP sector.