1.What is Corporate Social Investment?

“Government cannot by itself meet these socio-economic challenges. The private sector, non-governmental organizations and ordinary people have to make their contribution.” Nelson Mandela

“Progress lies not in enhancing what is, but in advancing toward what will be”  Kahlil Gibran

“’Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” Helen Keller

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”’ Aristotle

”Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”’ Robert Louis Stevenson

• It is well known that sport builds self-esteem, life-skills and a sense of belonging, and is a proven substitute for high-risk behaviours including untimely sexual activity, drugs and crime. What is more, without sports facilities and development programmes in disadvantaged communities, we are unlikely to achieve representivity in our National Sports teams. (11th issue CSI Handbook Page 44 SPORTS DEVELOPMENT)
• Sport has the ability to unite a nation. It transcends barriers of race, culture and language to become a national symbol of “’Togetherness”’. Sport can offer a sense of purpose for those unable to find employment, or enrich the lives of those living in spartan conditions.
• Government has made it patently clear that it wants business to play a substantial role in supporting its enterprise development aims. The Black Economic Eempowerment (BEE) Codes of Good Practice, provide frameworks for corporate contributions to entrepreneurship and job creation initiatives. In terms of the BEE scorecard, the companies are required to spend 1% of net profit after tax on CSI projects. 

2. CSI should continue to support education and sport projects :

• CSI should focus on projects that build a wide range of skills in schools, tertiary and adult level
• CSI can support projects where job creation is a principle
• Where opportunities are identified, companies should assist with appropriate level of infrastructure support, augmented with ongoing mentoring in business and financial skills.
• It is important that programmes link participants to the broader economic development within a community. 

3. CSI programmes in sporting codes face a number of challenges. These include:

• Sponsorship vs. Development differentiation – for the GROWING TENNIS FOUNDATION, we are looking at Development funding, and empowering opportunities. We would also appreciate assistance in skills that we lack.
• Co-operating with formal structures – we are testing this programme and running a PILOT project within the Cape Town City Bowl area. Once established and successful, we will pass it onto SATA (South African Tennis Association) for implementation in all areas of South Africa.
• Measuring success – we will measure the success of this project with immediate short term goals of success in the lives of these children through their school work and their sporting skills learned.
• Medium term results of talent identification will encourage children to participate at a higher level and upgrade their skills.
• Longer Term goals will be measured over a 5 year period – where children reaching Provincial level will be measured by their achievements.

4. Involving your company as a CSI contributor, in the GROWING SPORT FOUNDATION TRUST Programs:

• Founder, Michelle Whitehead, is a qualified Higher Diploma Education (HDE) Pre-Primary educator, a Level 2 Tennis Coaching Professional, a successful small business owner and a mother of three children. 
• Michelle is well equipped to bring this programme into being and to network the changes and opportunities that may arise out of the GROWING SPORTS FOUNDATION programs.
• To add to this community outreach program, please contact the team directly at michelle@growingtennis.co.za. Together, we can do more.