Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) means in practical terms to GOAL that a corporate body or business would provide GOAL with support in one of the following ways:

• Financial support for our programmes overseas.
• Providing GOAL with professional and experienced personnel on secondment from their organisation either to work on home based or overseas programmes.

GOAL appreciates that many companies have done much to improve the relationship between the corporate and charity worlds, and we are very fortunate to receive support from them.

At different times GOAL may have different needs, or priorities in terms of what support we would like to have from the business fraternity. However, what is always a priority for us is suitably qualified and experienced personnel and we encourage this as a method of CSR wherever possible. It is not only a huge cost saving to the organisation and a meaningful way of keeping our administration costs at exceptionally low levels, but it is also important for GOAL to bring this level of expertise and entrepreneurship to programmes that may not traditionally attract such personnel.

At the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards in 2005, John O'Shea invited the entrepreneurs of Ireland to use their skills and business acumen in the developing world. This challenge was taken up by the audience present to positive effect and over the past two years, entrepreneurs have provided interesting and unique business support programmes to beneficiaries in India, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Kenya and Malawi.

GOAL would like to express our thanks to those companies who are currently providing personnel for a given timeframe to work with us both at home and abroad. The companies who are seconding personnel to GOAL are Allied Irish Bank, KPMG and Smurfit