The other day, I attended a presentation on Corporate Social Responsibility by fellow Cuso International volunteer Sean. CSR is essentially a fancy way of saying that a business takes an interest in people not just as consumers, but as citizens of a nation. Here is the United Nations’ official definition:
Corporate Social Responsibility is a management concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and interactions with their stakeholders. CSR is generally understood as being the way through which a company achieves a balance of economic, environmental and social imperatives (“Triple-Bottom-Line- Approach”), while at the same time addressing the expectations of shareholders and stakeholders. In this sense it is important to draw a distinction between CSR, which can be a strategic business management concept, and charity, sponsorships or philanthropy. Even though the latter can also make a valuable contribution to poverty reduction, will directly enhance the reputation of a company and strengthen its brand, the concept of CSR clearly goes beyond that.
Sean’s excellent report seemed to be well-received and I plan on writing a more extensive post on it. For now, you can check out the Gleaner’s unfortunately less than comprehensive story on the presentation.
Jamaican Journal 
Yes, this is true. Many firms are informally and formally engaged in CSR. Cuso and JN are trying to get a better sense of how widespread it is.
Many large firms and organizations do a lot with CSR, whether through things like Digicel Foundation (funded by its 5k run), or things like sponsoring community projects (out of own funds). It would good, but hard, to get a fuller picture. Of course, things are not static.