Public Relations

Community Investment Programmes

Community investment creates social value and strengthens an organisation’s licence to operate. This course covers designing community investment strategies, needs assessment, selecting partners, programme design, employee volunteering, measuring social impact and communicating community investment credibly.

5 days Classroom or live online English

Smart Horizon Certified - Global Leadership Consultants

Take the course details with you.

Download the full standard outline: why attend, methodology, objectives, audience, competencies, the daily outline and current plans.

Download course PDF

Why attend

From knowledge to real-world impact.

Poorly targeted giving wastes money and goodwill. You will learn to design programmes with real, measurable impact.

Workplace challenges

Professional Problems This Course Is Designed to Solve

The programme explores practical approaches to the following challenges. Results depend on how the learning is applied in your organisation.

Difficulty translating subject knowledge into practical workplace decisions.
Inconsistent approaches to the activities covered in the course outline.
Lack of a structured plan for applying and reviewing new skills.

Course methodology

How you will learn.

Needs assessment exercises, programme design workshops, impact measurement practice and case studies.

Course objectives

What you'll take away.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

Develop a community investment strategy
Assess community needs
Select and manage partners
Design effective programmes
Run employee volunteering
Measure and communicate social impact

Target audience

Who should attend.

This course is suitable for:

CSR and community relations managers
Sustainability professionals
PR managers
Foundation staff
HR managers

Target competencies

Capabilities you will build.

Participants will develop competencies in:

Strategy development
Needs assessment
Partnership management
Impact measurement
Communication

Course outline

Your learning journey.

A focused, practical outline with time to explore, apply and reflect.

Day 1Strategy

09:00–10:08Purpose and alignment
10:08–11:00Focus areas
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Focus areas (continued)
11:45–12:53Case studies
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 2Needs and Partners

09:00–10:08Needs assessment
10:08–11:00Partner selection
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Partner selection (continued)
11:45–12:53Agreements
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 3Programme Design

09:00–10:08Programme models
10:08–11:00Volunteering
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Volunteering (continued)
11:45–12:53Budgets
12:53–14:00Exercise

Day 4Impact

09:00–10:08Impact frameworks
10:08–11:00Indicators
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Indicators (continued)
11:45–12:53Data collection
12:53–14:00Workshop

Day 5Communication

09:00–10:08Credible communication
10:08–11:00Reporting
11:00–11:30Coffee break
11:30–11:45Reporting (continued)
11:45–12:53Avoiding greenwash
12:53–14:00Action plan

The timings provided are estimates and may vary depending on the number of participants and the discussions taking place during the sessions. They are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

Dates & venues

Find a session that works for you.

Confirmed dates accept registration requests. Tentative dates are enquiry only.

Good to know

A few things to know.

How is the course delivered?

Our classroom programmes combine facilitated discussion, case studies, exercises and reflection. The precise format will be confirmed before enrolment.

Can you deliver this programme for our team?

Yes, you can enquire about a tailored programme. Share your goals, group size and preferred dates with our learning team.

Will I receive a certificate?

Participants who complete the programme receive a Smart Horizon certificate of attendance. Smart Horizon programmes are not externally accredited and do not award a professional qualification, licence or designation. Where a course title or outline refers to a professional certification (for example, AACE International's Certified Cost Professional), the programme supports learning and preparation only; the credential itself is awarded solely by the relevant professional body under its own application and examination requirements.

What should I confirm before booking travel?

Please confirm the session, exact venue, accessibility arrangements, fees and any visa requirements with the team before arranging travel. Tentative dates are not confirmed sessions.

Keep exploring

Your next horizon awaits.

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The full course agenda and dates are available above. Use the session links in Dates & venues to choose a session. Registration and quotation forms require JavaScript; you can also contact our learning team directly.