Representatives from dozens of companies and organizations met in China's capital city for a China CSR Forum event called "Corporations Building Sustainable Ties with Communities in China".

The evening event was held at the Crowne Plaza Beijing with Martin Benson, director of Strategic Business Development at the NBA, and Erika Helms, executive director of the Jane Goodall Institute in China, highlighting ways companies work with NGOs and local communities around China. David Wolf, contributing editor for China CSR, was the host and moderator.

Benson introduced a number of China basketball initiatives for the NBA. Under its umbrella campaign "NBA Cares", the sports organization runs Basketball without Borders, NBA Fit Camps, and a number of ongoing programs with Yao Ming and others. Basketball without Borders, the NBA's global basketball development and social responsibility initiative, is an instructional basketball camp conducted in collaboration with FIBA for top young players that also focuses on extensive community outreach efforts that promote education, leadership and healthy living with a focus on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

Meanwhile the NBA Fit Camps achieve stronger impact through NBA's on-ground events expertise and ability to attract a target audience. This program uses NBA players to increase awareness of causes among Chinese youth, and by using the NBA brand, charities can bring their messages to life. Benson said the NBA works with corporate partners to give them access to communities in China they might not otherwise have contact with.

Partnerships with charities and NGOs are a key way for companies to gain better relationships with their stakeholders in China. By engaging in these ties, companies can expedite how they can best serve the public.

However, Helms said there are a number of obstacles and issues confronted by charities and NGOs seeking corporate partners. Because each corporation has their own internal strategy and regulations, it is often difficult to untangle the different ways to approach certain firms. This means finding the decision-maker within the organization is harder, and once an agreement is reached, corporate volunteers often have limited time commitment.

Because professionalism in pro-bono relationships is often less than stellar, Helms said it is best to look for long-term commitments from companies.

The Jane Goodall Institute in China is focused on encouraging youth leaders to be stewards of environmental conservation and sustainable development through the group's Roots & Shoots program. Corporate partners for this program from the past and present include Bayer, Volkswagen, Chevron, and HP.

This China CSR Forum event "Corporations Building Sustainable Ties with Communities in China" was organized with the help of the European Chamber of Commerce in China and BDL Media.