G"it is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the spring, who reaps a harvest in the autumn." —b. c. forbes, founder of forbes magazine since stakeholders increasingly expect companies to do more to fulfill their discretionary responsibilities, chances are you and your company will be expected to support your community in some significant way. to begin learning about community needs and corporate social responsibility, visit a charity or nonprofit organization of your choosing, perhaps a hospital, the red cross, goodwill, a soup kitchen, or a homeless shelter. if you have time for an actual visit, that is even better. it is also ok to research the company online. gather the information you need to answer the following questions: what is the organization’s mission? who does the organization serve, and how does it serve them? what percentage of the organization’s donations is used for administrative purposes? what percentage is used to directly benefit those served by the organization? what is the ratio of volunteers to paid workers? what job or task does a typical volunteer perform for the organization? how much time does a typical volunteer give to the organization each week? for what types of jobs does the organization need more volunteers? how does the business community support the organization? why are you interested in the activities of this organization?