Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important aspect of philanthropic investment in the nonprofit and for-profit business sectors these days. For the nonprofit sector, CSR presents an opportunity to tap into a source of funding with the potential to receive major gifts, expose new people to one’s mission and organization, and develop relationships to increase sustainability. From the for profit side, CSR is an opportunity to build a positive image of the company in the hearts and minds of potential customers. However, it isn’t just Corporate Social Marketing. The key word in CSR is Responsibility.
KeyBank Foundation is one of many companies that takes that responsibility seriously. Great success does not happen in a silo – it takes a community of dedicated individuals, shared responsibility, and shared delight in accomplishments. By reinvesting a portion of their profits into directed philanthropic initiatives in the community, the KeyBank Foundation shows that they are sharing the responsibility of working toward a stable and prosperous community, and that they take delight in the success of individuals who have more challenges.
The KeyBank Foundation recently awarded $500,000 to Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership® (INHP) to be used toward their Stabilization Repairs Program. This program targets the St. Clair Place and Rivoli Park Neighborhoods in the IndyEast Promise Zone, particularly around the area of the Teachers’ Village. Low- and middle-income residents of this area can apply for no interest loans up to $12,500 from INHP to make repairs to their homes that they otherwise would have to put off or accrue interest debt in order to fix.
This investment by KeyBank Foundation is part of a larger $16.5 billion plan to reinvest in KeyBank communities around the country. The KeyBank Foundation recognizes that communities that work toward the success of all residents are the communities that thrive and prosper. The IndyEast Promise Zone and City of Indianapolis are grateful to have companies like KeyBank, which take the Responsibility part of CSR seriously, ingrained in our community.