Social Investment Strategy
Social Issues and Social Investment Strategy
Aligned with the vision of "striving to be among the world-class green high-tech leaders and to provide valuable contributions to humanity" ASUS has been actively engaged in social engagement since 2017. With "Digital Inclusion, Community Involvement, and Environmental Protection" as its three core pillars, ASUS combines domestic and international communities, links stakeholders with local communities, and collaborates to drive social impact. To continuously foster societal sustainable development, our objective for 2023 is to continue promoting long-term social initiatives such as the Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program, Digital Happy Learning Camp, ASUS i-Taiwan Digital Volunteer Project, and to relaunch International Volunteer Programs. These initiatives will be planned by the ASUS Foundation, with a systematic approach to management and measurement of their impact. Regular progress reports will be submitted to the Board of Directors.
Over the years, ASUS has utilized the LBG (London Benchmarking Group) framework as the structure for assessing social impact. Since 2020, this organization has been renamed B4SI (Business for Societal Impact, B4SI), emphasizing the alignment of social impact measurement with business objectives. ASUS continues to adopt this globally recognized methodology for measuring impact and aligning its social investment strategy with an input-output model. We evaluate longterm project outcomes across three stages: input, output, and impact.
Our Investments
Total Investment: NT$ 64,003,192
Types of Investments
Explanation:
- Charity Donation: year-end blessings donations, one-time emergency aid for Turkey earthquake relief, and arts and talent development programs.
- Community Investment and Business Initiative: Projects centered around three main pillars, including Youth International Volunteering Program and Digital Happy Learning Camps.
- Compared to last year, the proportion of non-charitable donations has increased from 7.5% to 21%
Forms of Investments
Explanation:
Following the pandemic, there has been an increase in diverse social impact projects, such as the Youth International Volunteering Program and the donation of medical ultrasound equipment for epidemic prevention. The proportion of non-sponsorship funds has risen by 26%, highlighting an increase in the proportion of investments made through different means
Our Output
Under the three main pillars, with details including:
Beneficiary Group, Assistance Method, Social and Business Output
Our Impact
Under the three main pillars, we shows our social impacts as follows:
Digital Inclusion
- Assisted vulnerable groups in learning computer courses, providing digital learning opportunities, and enhancing digital literacy to improve their quality of life.
- Encouraged young students to participate in various international affairs, strengthening their international service capabilities as youth volunteers and cultivating internationally-minded talents.
- The assessment results of the Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program increased from 3.61:1 in 2016 to 5.56:1.
Community Involvement
- Enhancing the work capabilities of individuals with intellectual disabilities and improving the quality of life for their families.
- Empowering disadvantaged children to enhance their selfconfidence and creativity.
- Educating children on environmental knowledge to enhance awareness of climate change.
Environmental Protection
- Encouraging employees to participate in environmental actions can lead to heightened environmental awareness, fostering positive and constructive changes for both humanity and the environment.
Social Return on Investment (SROI)
In the past, enterprises participated in public welfare activity and focused merely on the investment of resources. They omitted the effects or impacts that the charity might bring to the caring ones. Was the expected effect achieved? This ignorance prevented enterprises from evaluating the actual effects and outcomes of an activity, thus they were unable to quantify the information and help optimize the effects and outcomes of their actions.
In order to solve the problem of focusing on very qualitative and subjective regarding sustainable information, in 2016-2017, we took the lead in adopting the Social Return On Investment methodology to evaluate our strategic community investment - Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program. The concept of SROI is similar to the concept and practice of investment in current financial accounting. Through the unified measurement method and the reporting principles, non-profit activities can also generate information on performance measurement with decision-making and management values.
Each dollar invested generated a social value of NT$ 5.56
ASUS has been investing in the "Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program" since 2008. The recycle information communications products are refurbished and are donated to the non-profit organizations, and thus establishing a "Sound Material-cycle Society". In order to measure the performance of the program, according to the calculation process and principle in the SROI guide (2009) revised in 2012 by Office of the Third Sector, Cabinet Office, UK, ASUS used a 6-step model to determine the Theory of Change in input, output and result, where currency was used as the measuring unit. The final analysis of the social return on investment of the program showed that each dollar invested generated a social value of NT$ 3.61. On the basis of the same calculation, the assessment result has been increased from 3.61:1 in 2016 to 5.56:1 in 2023.
In 2017, the "ASUS Social Return on Investment Report of Refurbished Computer and Digital Training Program" was certified by Social Value International, making it the first Asian technology-based corporation and the first in Taiwan to receive such international certification.
