Across the world, stock markets have crashed, economies faltered, corporations plummeted. Companies that survived have cut down their corporate social responsibility (CSR) budgets and social initiatives radically.

This has caused a severe retraction of resources and support for the needy. Funds channelled toward non-profit organizations (NPOs) or non-government organizations (NGOs) have depleted, causing them to face the even more challenging task of not only growing, but also surviving.

Ironically, it is exactly in times like these that social problems are expected to increase.

With decreasing resources to address social problems, the needs and struggle for survival in marginal communities are only exacerbated. It is also exactly in times like these that companies need to re-evaluate and rethink on its CSR programs and how they can still function with limited resources.

A review of CSR literature revealed three models most commonly used by companies: (1) In-house CSR, where CSR contributions take the form of ad-hoc and tactical campaigns such as visiting the poor, one-day maintenance trips to schools, planting trees, etc. While there is immediate gratification and high visibility, there is little or limited sustainability in these campaigns, except for PR leverage and staff participation. (2) Out-sourced CSR - CSR contributions are directed toward an NPO or NGO selected based on relationships, mutual benefit or selection criteria. Typically, the company has no or limited control, visibility for measuring progress or accountability of the impact on their intended beneficiaries. (3) Collaborative CSR - This is where all relevant stakeholders within a community, such as local businesses, governments, communities, NGOs and others, are committed to the same goals and objectives and cooperate for the greater sum of the whole for long-term, sustainable social good.

The collaborative approach presents the highest chance of success with measurable ROI. However, it is also the most difficult model to execute given its need for high-level expertise, networks and experience. In Indonesia, one example of successful CSR implementation is "Uli Peduli", the CSR arm of Unilever. They work closely with employees, schools, communities, municipals and small businesses to bring positive impact across a broad range of basic needs of Indonesians. Another is XL Care from the third largest telecommunications player, XL, and is also highly active in collaborating with various stakeholders in its focus on bringing education and telecommunication services to marginalized areas in Indonesia. A unique example is the Sampoerna Foundation, which facilitates and manages CSR education programs for their donors, and commits funds and resources to resolve education issues in Indonesia.

Recently, a more celebrated solution for companies to continue carrying out their social missions comes in the form of a social enterprise (SE). This for-profit for non-profits model has taken the world by storm in recent times.

A social enterprise is an organization or entity that advances its social mission through entrepreneurial earned income strategies. These commercial entities have double bottom-lines of profiting both financially and socially.

Although the term was first coined in 1978 by British researcher Freer Spreckley, the SE model was only widely popularized in the 21st century by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus in his micro-finance scheme for Bangladesh's poor - the Grameen Bank.

While SEs can take various forms, the most common types are "plow-back profit" SEs and "subsidized services" SEs. The former model is essentially a business, selling a product or service that generates profits which are then "plowed back" into a specific social cause. "Subsidized services" SEs charge needy disadvantaged clients at sub-market rates while charging mainstream clients market rates (or even premium rates) to provide beneficiaries with services they otherwise are unable to afford and receive. The most well-known example for this would be Grameen Danone Food Ltd. Aimed at fulfilling the nutritional requirements of poor children in Bangladesh and contributing toward improving their health with its "Shakti Doi" ("power yogurt"), the SE also creates business and employment opportunities for local people since raw materials, including milk needed for production, are sourced locally.

In Indonesia, Mercy Corp (one of the largest NGOs in the US), led the acquisition of Bank Andara, created by the acquisition of Bank Sri Partha, a local retail bank in Bali. The new bank is expected to be the pioneering financial partner within the Indonesian microfinance sector; providing financing and innovative financial services, including ATM networks, and micro-insurance, to the "non-bankable" and "under-banked" market segments.

In the education sector, the Sampoerna Foundation is adopting a partial SE model in its future project - a tertiary education institution that will be launched soon. An entirely separate entity, it will be a world-class institution that runs both on sponsorships and the SE model - where approximately 20 percent of the students will be charged regular fees, while 80 percent will receive full scholarships. Sponsorships will be obtained from commercial and community stakeholders who will have potential long-term benefits in doing so.

This university is a response to a call for more equitable and international quality tertiary education to create more employable graduates with strong moral values, relevant skills and professional competencies.

The SE model might just be the solution to funding challenges that exist among some existing CSR departments, and NPO/NGOs. Because it has its own revenue-generating schemes to achieve break-even, it is more sustainable in the long run.

Tougher times call for tougher actions, in this case, more innovative ones too. The SE model that combines both profit and philanthropy is already widely used in the US and the UK. Is Indonesia ready to accept this? In this time of crisis, it definitely has reason to.

The writer is chief marketing officer of Sampoerna Foundation.

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