In Good Company: Corporate Social Responsibility in Central America

Celina De Sola is Co-Founder and Vice President of Glasswing International, an El Salvador-based NGO that links private sector entities with opportunities for social investment in Central America. Glasswing’s programs have benefited hundreds of communities in the fields of health, education, and public safety. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, De Sola has previously worked with the Population Council, the University Research Corporation, and as Director of Emergency Response at AmeriCares.

How is Glasswing working to shift the social investment paradigm in Central America from traditional philanthropy to more strategic social investment?

Glasswing is a non-profit social enterprise that implements sustainable community-based initiatives that strengthen public education and health services.

Our proposals to private sector partners consist of investment strategies that align the company’s business goals with the priorities identified in the beneficiary communities. We optimize funds by leveraging existing resources within communities (infrastructure, community organizations and leaders, public spaces), and build on these, rather than creating parallel structures that are more costly and less integrated into the population.

We also deepen and enhance the companies’ commitment to the communities in which they operate by providing their employees with meaningful and sustained volunteer opportunities in the programs. By having hundreds of corporate volunteers present each week in the communities surrounding their company, not only are they exposed first-hand to the company’s community investments, but also acquire an increased sense of company pride, belonging, and motivation. We strive to take corporate social investment beyond simply giving a check; we want to mobilize different company resources to generate value – including their team.

Over the course of five years, over 80 percent of companies that have worked with Glasswing have either renewed or expanded their social investment initiatives with us, and over 50,000 volunteers have been mobilized to address Central America’s most pressing education and health needs. Because of these partnerships and this investment model, we can point to stronger public schools and better public health services in the areas where we work.

Aside from the positive publicity, what are the benefits to social investment for a large corporation? Do you think there is an economic incentive that complements the moral or ethical considerations?

The overall benefit of social investment is creating a sustainable environment that is mutually beneficial for all citizens – consumers and business owners alike. In the Central American context in which we work, improving the access and quality of services (public education and health) for employees and their families, ensuring their safety, and stimulating community development, contribute to increased company loyalty and pride, as well as improved stakeholder engagement with local and national government entities.

Through our projects, we have witnessed improved relationships between municipal governments and corporations as a result of concrete social investment activities, such as improving public school infrastructure, parks, and community health facilities – which has resulted in more expedited processes that would otherwise be lengthy and bureaucratic.

Furthermore, studies have shown that volunteering enhances workplace productivity, reduces staff turnover, and builds new skills.

We work very closely with HR departments to understand the interests of their employees and match them with the appropriate service opportunity. Our volunteer surveys conducted with over 40 different companies show that the vast majority of volunteers feel better about their employer, their work, and themselves after collaborating on projects.

Critics claim the Corporate Social Responsibility movement allows large businesses to gain public approval while maintaining exploitative practices. How does Glasswing approach this potential contradiction?

Glasswing, as an independent, non-governmental organization (NGO), can select its partners and verify – first-hand – that they are not exploitative with their employees here in Central America. We work with a variety of multinational and local corporations, and they share many of our core values. Most programs that we implement with corporate partners are designed by Glasswing’s technical team (not the corporations themselves) and subsequently are approved for funding by our partners. While it may be difficult for Glasswing to change all of the business practices of our partners, we ensure that their social responsibility programs are transparent and aimed at improving lives.

Describe a Glasswing-coordinated partnership or initiative that has had a substantial impact on a recipient community within El Salvador.

The partnership between Hanesbrands Inc. and Glasswing is best illustrated through the internal and external impact of the education program they fund and actively participate in.

A few years ago, this program started as a way for the company to give back to the population surrounding its factories in El Salvador but quickly developed into a program driven by its employees (many from poor rural areas) and their desire to learn new things and be more involved in supporting their own communities.

Hundreds of Hanesbrands employees now serve as volunteers through the education programs developed by Glasswing, giving their time each week throughout the entire school year. They serve as positive role models, trained to lead students in after-school clubs such as Sports, Glee, Newspaper, Discovery, English, and Leadership.

The program started with one school in El Salvador, but over the past three years it has grown to six schools and is currently expanding to neighboring Honduras, with additional support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) obtained by Glasswing. Of the 25 countries in which Hanesbrands operates, this program has been cited by corporate headquarters in the U.S. as one of the most successful examples of both employee and community engagement for their company globally. They have noticed more motivation and loyalty among their employees, both of which are critical in a competitive labor market. Hanesbrands El Salvador also has a closer relationship with its communities, from where they often hire personnel. Their hope is that the communities around their factories will continue to be strengthened, and grow along with the company.

Glasswing is one of the first local non-governmental organizations in Latin America to receive a grant from USAID, allowing it to expand regionally. What is it about your model that appeals to funders? What lessons can other NGOs take away from your style of operation?

USAID in El Salvador selected Glasswing International to receive a regional five-year grant to reduce youths’ risk of violence through after-school programming at public schools in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

We believe one of the most significant factors that contributed to the development of this strategic partnership with USAID is that Glasswing is an international NGO that is founded and based in El Salvador. Having our headquarters in the region where we work allows us to keep our operations and programming costs much lower than other non-profit and for-profit organizations based in the United States, which means that more of the resources go directly to the communities we are working in. Having our headquarters in Central America also provides us with the ability to set our goals locally, and gives us the flexibility to ensure that our initiatives can constantly be adapted, taking into consideration the unique characteristics and idiosyncrasies of each community in which we work.

Glasswing’s model is also unique because every one of its initiatives includes the participation of the public, private, and civil society sectors. This cross-sector approach optimizes resources and also fosters a greater sense of responsibility and ownership among diverse actors. For example, our school-based community development model is based in public school infrastructure, each of the school programs is sponsored by a neighboring corporate partner, and volunteers are trained by Glasswing and provided with the materials and support they need to lead after-school activities and be positive role models for the youth. In the end, we seek to provide value-generating and creative opportunities for both institutions and individuals to create shared value and improve our society; we convene and catalyze to make a difference.

Feature Photo: cc/micmol 