What key attributes and success factors do you think led to your achievement?

At Eagle we strongly believe that the biggest key attribute is that CSR is part of the value-system which our corporate-culture pivots on and is our way-of-life.
It runs in the veins of every member of the Eagle family. It goes beyond business objectives to create a continuous impact on society. It is the driving-force behind all our activities ensuring sincerity and absence of undue publicity vis-à-vis CSR expenditure, inspiring a value-system that uplifts our nation. Eagle-CSR is not mere tactical image-enhancement

How does Eagle differentiate its CSR endeavors?
Firstly we select CSR endeavors based on the relevance to the nation. CSR endeavors are not selected to up-lift the corporate image of the company or as a mere tactical measure to control an identified situation or a development which would otherwise negatively impact the performance of the company. Neither have we selected CSR projects in terms of its potential to generate a significant business benefit in the foreseeable future.

Secondly we secure the total commitment of all stakeholders to CSR. It has become a way of life for Eagle Family.

Thirdly, we ensure the long-term continuity of our endeavors by making significant investments. Our CSR framework itself ensures long-term continuity.

Fourthly and most importantly, we do not seek undue publicity vis-à-vis expenditure.

We constantly innovate CSR endeavors and do not merely focus on the completion of isolated events. We go further, developing skills of project-associates. For instance with Poson Safety Programme, we facilitated the training of hundreds of life-guards.

How has your corporate citizenship benefited the country as a whole?
Eagle pioneered and practiced CSR, long before it became the buzzword it is today. Eagle’s CSR initiatives are designed to benefit the nation. Being “ethical and socially responsible” is a core-value of the company, which Eagle champions ardently. Eagle isn’t merely a commercial establishment engaging in CSR, but an entity driving the nation forward through a value-system. Eagle’s CSR is consistent, comprehensive, and consciously impacts the country with a profound commitment towards building a better society.

Eagle’s CSR-endeavors are designed to be relevant to each stage of a person’s life-cycle, driving the nation forward as a whole.

• Promoting early-childhood intellectual-development - Gurupubuduwa seminars.
• Inculcating safety-awareness amongst pre-schoolers.
• Encouraging educational-excellence - ‘Eagle Higher Educational Scholarships’.
• Providing direction to positively-guide young-adults – educating teenagers, parents and
  teachers.
• Developing adults by teaching positive-thinking through seminars and sponsorships of
  TV & Radio programmes.
• Offering placement-opportunities to university students.
• Developing entrepreneurship-skills.
• Felicitating bravery - sponsoring “Civilian Bravery Awards”.
• Recognizing excellence in arts - “Eagle Excellence Awards”.
• Fostering safety-in-the-workplace – “National Safety Award”, (the only national-award
  evolved by an insurance company) leading to corporate & national productivity.

Are your CSR endeavours implemented with a long term plan in mind?
We ensure the long-term continuity of our ventures, by setting aside 1% of the preceding 3 year’s profits.

We also extend this by setting up trust-funds.

In 1995, a trust fund was established, with an initial sum of Rs 10,000,000/- to ensure the continuity of the Higher Education Scholarship Awards, with the Bank of Ceylon acting as
trustee to the fund. The fund value now stands at over Rs 32 million.

In 1997 an initial sum of Rs 1,000,000/- was set up to ensure the continuity of the National Safety Awards and to provide logistical support for the project. The trust fund now stands at Rs 5.3 million.

Caring, the very essence of the Eagle brand is embodied in its tag-line “Come under our wing” and Eagle’s CSR initiatives and significant investments made to ensure long-term continuity, is a reflection of this caring. As from the very inception we will continue to strengthen and ensure the long-term sustainability of our CSR endeavours with consistency focus.

How do you implement CSR without fanfare?
At Eagle our CSR endeavours are not means for mere tactical image-enhancement. We do not believe in seeking undue publicity for our initiatives.

Some endeavours are in fact totally devoid of any form of publicity.
For example, no publicity was sought for the 3-month premium payment-holidays for over 2000 tsunami affected policyholders. Eagle’s grass-root, school development endeavours spanning over 12-years are devoid of media-hype, as is training of intermediary’s staff and Eagle Sports Club activities such as blood donation campaigns and tsunami-relief-work.

Have you received any previous awards or commendations for CSR?
The company has been hailed as one of the “10 Best Corporate Citizens in Sri-Lanka” by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce for two successive years, and was the only insurer to ever win this prestigious award. Eagle was also awarded first-runner-up for “Overall Best Corporate Governance Disclosure” as well as third-runner-up for “Overall Best Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting” by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri-Lanka

Could you give us some examples of your CSR endeavours?
Eagle launched a campaign on the careful use of fire-crackers during festive seasons in 1992, after, 41 children were injured and 4 went blind due to fire cracker accidents. Since then, Eagle’s large multimedia campaigns and below-the-line activities during festive seasons, have reduced fire-cracker accidents in children to zero.

Eagle also creates awareness on home-accidents highlighting day-to-day perils using multimedia campaigns and through 1800 sales agents, who are fortified with the title “Safety Ambassadors” and equipped with “safety tool kits” comprising of brochures, CDs and illustrated children’s books. They inculcate country-wide safety-awareness amongst children, teachers, parents and society at grass-root levels and beyond. Over 100,000 households have been reached and the number grows daily

“Poson Safety” is a unique campaign initiated and sustained by Eagle for the past 12 years. It has been instrumental in the prevention of drowning during the Poson season, where approximately one million pilgrims journey to Anuradhapura. This project involves identifying hazardous bathing spots and ensuring that they are patrolled by life saving crews from the “National Life Saving Association – Sri Lanka Army and Police”. As a result, consecutive Poson seasons have recorded a total absence of death with over 100 lives saved over the past ten years. This achievement won a commendation from the International Life Saving Federation.

Eagle plays a crucial role in creating a safer workplace, through the “National Safety Awards”, held once in two years since 1994, together with the Department of Labour and Employees’ Trust Fund Board. This concept was evolved and sponsored by Eagle after identifying the need to enhance Industrial Safety in Sri Lanka. It has become the benchmark of organizational commitment towards an accident-free workplace.

Eagle rewards Sri Lanka’s most promising children with the annual “Eagle Higher Education Scholarships”, for which the initial trust-fund of Rs.10 million, has increased to Rs. 32 million. The selection criterion is purely on merit and does not hinge upon the students’ parents being policyholders. Since 1994, over 300 students who excelled in the Grade-5 Government Scholarship Examination, within each district of the country, received these scholarships. The benefits start from the commencement of A/Ls up to completion of the degree-course. Eagle also recognizes teachers and principals of award-winning students