United Way Romania contributed to the development of the “Community Investment Guide”, launched by The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania). The document aims to be a useful tool that companies active in the Romanian market can utilize to define and successfully implement their policy of involvement in the community. The guidelines are based on best practices through the collaborative expertise of the AmCham Romania members and of some of the largest companies in the world, widely recognized for their community involvement.

More and more companies start to understand and accept the consequences of the fact that the economic sector functions within a social environment, the long-term de2015-10_AmCham_Community Investment Guidevelopment of the former being tightly connected with the health of the latter. Or, in other words, companies cannot prosper in a society that faces difficulties in securing the right for a decent living to its members.

The Community Investment Guide presents the legal framework, explaining the importance of community investments and providing statistical data regarding this issue on a global level as well as in Romania, while also incorporating several recommendations concerning each step of the process for defining and implementing the investment in community policy: from criteria establishment, and partners’ selection, to project management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The guide also aims to support economic actors, from large companies to state enterprises and small and medium enterprises (“SMEs”), who understand that social responsibility is not a cost, but a strategic investment in the community, in the company and in its employees.