ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the guidance of the International Finance Corporation and provides a common sense approach to community investment and development. Community investment (CI) refers to a company's long-term strategic involvement in community partnerships to address social issues chosen by the company to protect corporate interests and enhance reputation. The role of women in the processes needs to increase if the outcomes of CI are to be optimised. Making community investments that result in positive long-term development outcomes is challenging. Successful community investment and development requires a clear guiding vision, objectives and principles, as well as careful planning and implementation. A company in Eastern Europe had spent significant sums in the past on community investment and development. Accordingly, the company decided to put in place a more structured and transparent process for evaluating external and internal requests and ideas for how community investment monies should be spent.
