CSR And Community Development

'Conservation pays and everyone’s benefitting from it' - a perspective from Costa Rica 🇨🇷. In commentary published today on Mongabay, Diego Vincenzi, current chief of staff for the Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica (Ministerio de Ambiente y Energía (MINAE), Gobierno de Costa Rica), highlights how Costa Rica halted deforestation, worked to restore forest cover to 57% after reaching a low of 21% in the 1980s, and protected 25% of its land while becoming the top per capita agricultural exporter in Latin America. He also notes the Central American nation's agricultural sector "produces net zero emissions". Costa Rica’s success stems from a shift in the 1990s towards greener environmental legislation, introducing the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme funded by a fossil fuel tax, which compensates landowners for forest conservation and now includes untitled lands, benefiting native populations. "Years ago, we discovered that conservation pays. For some, this notion might sound contradictory, but for us Costa Ricans, it’s a reality," he writes. "During the 1990s, environmental legislation in Costa Rica shifted towards a greener framework. We moved from a 'subsidy' concept in forest conservation to an 'economic recognition' of the ecosystem services our forests provide." FONAFIFO, the institution managing PES, is now expanding the program. Vincenzi notes: 🌿 "PES now pays for land that has not been titled. This directly benefits many of our native populations and people who have possession of the land but have not claimed property rights. We are extending conservation efforts to everyone involved in conserving." 💲 FONAFIFO is merging all funding sources to strengthen the program. 🌳 The PES program is expanding from 40,000 to 182,000 hectares per year. 🦉 Costa Rica is recognizing biodiversity in forests under PES: "We will create biodiversity certificates for estates that protect their forests and, by extension, biodiversity." 🌊 Costa Rica plans to incorporate mangroves into the program. Read Vincenzi's piece: https://lnkd.in/dDaz_PaV

Sustainable Development in Action: A Lesson from Japan 🇯🇵 In an era where urban expansion often comes at the cost of nature, Japan offers an inspiring alternative—relocating trees instead of cutting them down to make way for infrastructure. This approach reflects a deep respect for the environment and showcases how technological advancements can align with ecological conservation. As a sustainability professional working in renewable energy, ESG, and environmental impact assessment, I believe this practice serves as a powerful reminder: Development and sustainability can go hand in hand. Instead of choosing between progress and preservation, we must innovate solutions that integrate both. 🌍 Key Takeaways: ✔️ Sustainable Infrastructure – Development shouldn’t come at the cost of green cover. ✔️ Carbon Sequestration Matters – Mature trees play a crucial role in absorbing CO₂. ✔️ Holistic Urban Planning – Cities must incorporate environmental conservation in their growth models. Can we implement similar practices in India and other countries? With the right policies, technological support, and mindset, we can prioritize nature-positive development. Let’s build a greener future, where progress nurtures the planet instead of harming it. #Sustainability #ESG #RenewableEnergy #UrbanPlanning #EnvironmentalConservation #EnergyTransition

Economic geography almost never aligns with administrative boundaries. Councils, states and even national borders are useful governance constructs, but economies don't operate neatly within them. The OECD uses the concept of Functional Regions, defined by economic linkages such as commuting patterns, labour markets, supply chains and industry connections. Examples are everywhere. Greater Melbourne functions as a single labour market incorporating more than 30 local government areas. Albury–Wodonga is one economy split across two states. The Productivity Commission identifies 89 functional economic regions in Australia. None align with council or state boundaries. There are some big implications of this for economic development: 1. Strategies that assume local economies are closed systems don't align with how economic activity actually works. Economic activity routinely crosses boundaries, regardless of policy design. 2. Strong outcomes come from playing to comparative strengths within the functional region. Access to high-quality jobs across the region matters more than their precise location. 3. Assets outside formal boundaries still shape local prosperity. Universities, ports, hospitals, airports and major employers influence outcomes far beyond the jurisdictions they're located in. 4. Collaboration is not optional. Functional economies require coordination across councils, agencies and sometimes states. In Australia, this logic sits behind regional economic development strategies and bodies such as Regional Development Australia committees. Trust and partnership-building are core economic development capabilities. 5. Economic development is not a junior function. Working across functional regions requires senior-level leadership with the authority to coordinate across portfolios, organisations and jurisdictions. The mismatch between economic reality and administrative geography is structural. Economic development that ignores it tends to produce weak strategy and poor outcomes.

24 May 2016. I made a move to the social sector after 27 years of corporate life. After managing a 1,500 crore business with thousands of employees, shifting focus to a non- profit rural initiative at a seemingly small scale raised many questions – internally and from my peers. But I am grateful to our co-founders Ronnie and Zarina who supported me as I navigated a new landscape – literally and figuratively. I visited Swades villages in Raigad and experienced first-hand, the transformation of our rural communities and the promise they hold when empowered with the right tools. Reflecting on these fabulous 8 years, here are some of my biggest learnings: 1. Earn community’s trust: Community, is the strongest catalyst to create sustainable social change. It is imperative that we earn their trust - through conversations, community-building exercises and above all, patience. The Village Development Committee that plays the eyes and ears of Swades on ground is an excellent example of how a supportive and aspirational community drives change. 2. Build team confidence: Understand the motivations, strengths and challenges of your key stakeholders and teams. Invest in building 3 Ps – process, people and performance. Engaging meaningfully with the team by way of town halls, competitions, recognitions goes a long way in creating a transparent and inclusive environment where one can leverage every insight (especially of those on ground) that’ll help collectively chase a common goal. 3. Share learnings to create replicable models: Social sector unlike corporate sector thrives on collaboration, not competition. There is excellent work happening the world over in the social sector and with regard to government initiatives. So expand your peer networks, indulge in knowledge sharing with corporate CSRs, other NGOs, governments, academicians. Swades model is a combination of some of the brightest ideas adopted from other institutions – for one, BRAC (Bangladesh) that is one of the few to adopt a holistic model of change.   4. Adopt a climate lens: At the outset include ways to make the model green – with renewable energy, local resources, mindful use of resources. The Swades toilet with compost pits, community-led water conservation efforts, solar-powered water / lighting programs are fine examples of how social change can be environmentally conscious. 5. All Hands (Head and Heart) on deck: Measuring social impact is not the same as measuring profits. Considering the human aspect of the effort is crucial to creating a compassionate model where the team, community and all other stake holders can work seamlessly and contribute most effectively. Hope you will find these useful. Ronnie Screwvala Swades Foundation

Why Local Development Needs Local Capital Small developers are doing some of the most important work in our cities, bringing life back to vacant lots, rehabbing main streets, and creating new housing at a human scale. But while their projects are often the most responsive to community needs, they’re also the hardest to fund. Because the truth is: our capital systems aren’t built for small-scale development. The Funding Gap Traditional banks and investors like predictability and scale. They want projects that fit a formula, big enough to absorb risk, backed by deep equity, and secured by institutional guarantees. That might work for large developers with national portfolios. But for local builders trying to transform a single block, that system is a dead end. A duplex, a mixed-use corner building, or a 10-unit infill project might mean everything for a neighborhood, but it often can’t get financed under conventional terms. And without capital, even the best ideas never leave the sketchbook. What’s Missing Local developers don’t lack skill or vision. They lack patient capital, funding that understands context, timing, and community value. We need financial tools that see beyond spreadsheets: -CDFIs (Community Development Financial Institutions) that invest in people, not just projects. -Credit unions that know the neighborhoods they serve. -Local investment cooperatives that allow residents to become stakeholders in development. -Public-private funds that reduce barriers for emerging and BIPOC developers. These institutions create an ecosystem where capital works with community, not against it. The Power of Proximity When capital is local, it behaves differently. It’s more flexible because it’s invested in shared outcomes. It’s more forgiving because it understands the long game. It’s more equitable because it values who’s at the table, not just what’s on the pro forma. Local capital can bridge the trust gap between developers and neighborhoods, because it keeps wealth circulating close to where it’s created. Why It Matters Cities that want equitable development can’t rely solely on policy reform. They need to reimagine finance. Because without access to capital, local developers can’t build. And if they can’t build, communities lose the ability to shape their own future. Capital isn’t neutral. It decides what gets built, who builds it, and who benefits. If we want to see more neighborhood-rooted, community-driven projects, we have to fund them the same way, locally, patiently, and with purpose. What’s one example you’ve seen of local capital helping small-scale or community developers succeed?

Food may be one of the most underutilized tools in healthcare, yet it holds immense potential to prevent disease, support treatment, and improve long-term outcomes. That’s why Food as Medicine must be embedded directly into clinical care. Through our partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), we are integrating nutrition supports, such as medically tailored meals, groceries, produce prescriptions, and nutrition coaching, into care delivery at Community Health Centers. This approach helps remove access barriers and ensures patients receive food that supports their health, aligns with clinical goals, and respects cultural identity. Importantly, this model may not only improve outcomes, but also reduces reliance on more costly downstream interventions, advancing healthcare affordability in the process. We explore this further in a recent op-ed co-authored with Dr. Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP and Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, published in Managed Healthcare Executive.  🔑 Prescribing Prevention: How Nutrition Access Is Reshaping Affordable Healthcare https://lnkd.in/e2ic8ttX Kyu Rhee, MD, MPP Shantanu Agrawal Elevance Health

Agriculture Infrastructure Fund: From Subsidy Mindset to a Rural Infrastructure Revolution!! India’s agriculture story is quietly undergoing one of its most important structural shifts – from supporting crops to building ecosystems. At the heart of this shift is the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), a ₹1 lakh crore financing facility designed to create the hard and soft infrastructure that our farm economy has always lacked – warehouses, cold chains, processing, logistics, and digital integration. Launched in 2020 and operational till 2032–33, AIF is not another short-lived scheme; it is a 13-year capital pipeline aimed at de-risking agri-infrastructure investments across India. Its architecture is smart: 3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹2 crore, a credit guarantee under CGTMSE for the same amount, and an interest rate cap so that benefits actually reach the last mile. For FPOs, PACS, start-ups, cooperatives and agri-entrepreneurs, this is the difference between an idea on paper and a project on the ground. The numbers are beginning to tell a powerful story. As of mid 2025, more than ₹66,310 crore has been sanctioned under AIF for over 113,419 projects, mobilising investments upwards of ₹1,00,000 crore in rural infrastructure. The official dashboard today shows over 1.4 lakh projects sanctioned and upwards of ₹78,000 crore in loans, with most of it flowing through scheduled commercial banks. Each project may look “small” in isolation – a packhouse here, a cold store there, a primary processing unit in a village cluster – but together they are stitching a new backbone for India’s agri-value chains. What I particularly like about AIF is its inclusive and entrepreneurial design. It doesn’t restrict participation to large corporates. FPOs, SHGs, cooperatives, agri-startups and even public–private partnership projects are eligible, creating a level playing field for rural innovators. When combined with schemes like PM-KUSUM, e-NAM, agri-export promotion and state-level initiatives, AIF becomes a force multiplier – reducing post-harvest losses, improving price realisation, and turning “surplus” into structured value-addition rather than distress sale. AIF symbolises an important philosophical shift: from recurring subsidies to long-term productive assets. We are finally investing in the invisible plumbing of agriculture – storage, aggregation, processing, and logistics – that will decide whether India can truly become a reliable food, feed and fibre hub for the world. It was a pleasure to meet my friend Samuel Praveen Kumar, Director at Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) who until recently spearheaded the AIF at Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India as a true champion within the system. His vision, persistence and quiet leadership have contributed immensely to the scheme’s success and to the thousands of projects now transforming rural India. Wishing him similar success at CWC.

What if the key to unlocking Africa’s future wasn’t technology or infrastructure—but healthcare? In too many communities, preventable diseases are taking lives, holding back progress, and costing billions in lost potential. Without access to quality care, families suffer, economies stagnate, and the cycle of poverty deepens. But here’s the good news: community healthcare centers are changing the story—and the data proves it. Here’s what makes these centers so effective: Accessibility: ↳ Mobile clinics bring healthcare directly to underserved areas. ↳ Affordable services ensure no one is left behind. Quality: ↳ Skilled professionals and reliable medical supplies build trust. ↳ Infrastructure ensures consistent, effective care. Education: ↳ Preventive health education reduces the spread of diseases. ↳ Communities are empowered to make better health decisions. Sustainability: ↳ Local partnerships create long-term impact. ↳ Investments focus on models that grow alongside community needs. Real Results: 🌱 In Zambia, maternal mortality dropped by 70% in two years. 🌱In Kenya, over 30,000 patients were treated in a single clinic in 2024. 🌱 In South Africa, community HIV programs reached 3.5 million people, cutting infection rates significantly. Healthcare doesn’t just save lives—it builds economies, strengthens communities, and creates a better future for all. What’s your take on scaling healthcare solutions to transform lives and economies? Share your thoughts below or let’s connect to explore opportunities. ♻️ Share this story with your network - let's spread this information far and wide! 👉 Follow Ben Botes for more insights on Leadership, Entrepreneurship and #ImpactInvestment.

Most neighborhood revitalization strategies get one thing fundamentally wrong. They focus on buildings, incentives, and investment — and ignore the social fabric that actually makes places work. A new report by the UK"s Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods on the Strategies for Renewing Neighborhood Social Infrastructure makes this case clearly — and uncomfortably. It argues that the small, everyday places we tend to overlook — local shopping strips, cafés, laundromats, community hubs — are not just amenities. They are social infrastructure. They are where: ✅ Relationships form ✅ Trust is built ✅ Community identity takes shape And when they disappear, something deeper breaks. What struck me most is how directly the report challenges the dominant playbook. Too often, we try to fix neighborhoods by: 🔵 Attracting outside investment 🔵 Building new physical infrastructure 🔵 Launching programs aimed at “growth” But without strong social foundations, these efforts rarely produce lasting change. The report shows that the most successful neighborhood turnarounds didn’t start with capital projects. They started with: ✅ Local actors stepping up to take responsibility ✅ Deliberately shaping the mix of local businesses and spaces ✅ Building networks between residents, traders, and institutions ✅ Activating places to bring people together In other words: they rebuilt connection before chasing growth. That’s the real lesson. If we are serious about strengthening neighborhoods — in the U.S. or anywhere else — we need to rethink what we invest in. Not just: 🔵 Physical infrastructure 🔵 Economic incentives But: ✅ The places where people gather ✅ The local institutions that build trust ✅ The networks that hold communities together Because ultimately: Economic development does not create strong communities. Strong communities create the conditions for economic development. This is a report worth reading — especially if you’re working on neighborhood revitalization, economic development, or community building. (See link in comments.) It will challenge how you think about what actually drives change. #community #neighborhood #equity #inequality #health #urban Purpose Built Communities Placemaking Education Cormac Russell Frances Kraft Vanessa Elias Usha Srinivasan Jennifer Prophete Kevin Ervin Kelley, AIA Lory Warren Noah Baskett Matt Abrams Anna Scott Ethan Kent John B. Carol Naughton Sarah Strimmenos Ben Lewis Tim Tompkins Aaron Kuecker Aaron Hurst Tim Soerens Sam Pressler Tracy Hadden Loh David Erickson Shawn Duncan Mollie Johnson Katie Delp Carola Signori Andrew O'Brien Madeleine Jennings Ross Mudie Ben Glover Kirk Wester-Rivera Lorenzo A. Watson David Edwards Tim Tompkins Jonathan Haidt Alexa Arnold Pronoy Sarkar

The most underfunded asset in education CSR isn't a classroom or a curriculum. It's trust. In India, communities have watched companies arrive with promises and disappear when priorities shift. That history doesn't vanish when your new programme launches. When participation is low and teachers seem disengaged, companies call it a "community problem." It's not. It's a trust deficit and the company created it. You have to earn the right to be in that classroom. Trust is not a given, it's a precondition. So what does earning it actually look like? - Show up before you have anything to offer by listening first. - Keep small promises first. Consistent follow-through beats grand launches. - Stay when things get hard, especially when results are slow and the easy thing is to move on. - Be honest about what you can't do. Communities respect limits more than overclaiming. Without trust, the best-designed education CSR programme is just another outsider telling a community what it needs. In a country as layered as India, trust isn't a nice-to-have, it's the strategy. #Education