Businesses operate in many kinds of communities: urban and rural, affluent and under-served. This means that in some cases, their stakeholders live in environments that lack important health facilities or in communities with disproportionately high levels of health problems. In many cases, companies that focus on community wellness are interested in partnering with local non-profit or civil society organizations who can provide the expertise their stakeholders need. Community wellness programs might include initiatives around:
- Building, designing or funding community health clinics
- Providing information about nutrition and exercise
- Partnering with schools, after-school programs or day-cares to help fund increased health and wellness programming
- Sponsoring races which benefit local or national health-oriented organizations
Why does business engage this issue?
Community life is important to stakeholders. A major reason that corporate philanthropy exists is because companies and their stakeholders care about vibrant communities. The business community has many resources it can apply to community wellness issues including money, expertise, and a motivated and coordinated workforce. When a business cares for its local community, it improves the public’s perception of that individual business and of the business community in general.