Corporate America pledges $69 million+ in aid for Haiti

American corporations have pledged more than $69-million to post-earthquake relief in Haiti. Thirty-four companies have donated at least $1-million, according to a list compiled by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civil Leadership Center. Many businesses were also supplying food, water, and technical expertise to help repair communications and other infrastructure destroyed by last week’s magnitude 7.0 quake.

Full text article is available via USA Today, 1/19/10.

What's Wrong With Charitable Giving—and How to Fix It

With the economic downturn shrinking their bottom lines, corporations are exploring numerous ways to stretch their charitable dollars. Corporate philanthropies are turning to alternatives to cash gifts, such as offering pro bono services and policy work and exploring public-private partnerships and program-related investments to further their charitable goals.

Full text article by Pablo Eisenberg is available via the Wall Street Journal, 11/9/09.

Boost Performance By Tapping Employees' Altruism

Recent research shows that high potential employees (women but also men) are seriously motivated by a desire to give back to the world, and increasingly seek out employers that allow them to reach out and give back on company time.

Full-text article by Sylvia Ann Hewlett is available via Bloomberg.com, 7.21.09.

All-Star Sponsors Strive to Look Truly Charitable

Making money by giving it away: that is part of the plan for the largest corporate sponsors at the All-Star Game in St. Louis this year.

Full-text article by Ken Belson is available via The New York Times, 7.12.09.

Corporate Grant Making: The Chronicle's Annual Survey Predicts Decrease in 2009

Many of the largest U.S. companies plan to decrease their charitable donations in 2009, or at least keep them level with last year’s, according to the latest Chronicle survey of corporate giving. Subscribers to The Chronicle have access to a searchable database with information on giving from many of the nation’s biggest companies.

Corporate Philanthropy in a Changed Economy

At this month’s 2009 CECP Corporate Philanthropy Summit, attendees from FORTUNE 500 CEOs to corporate foundation presidents rolled up their sleeves to talk frankly about the new realities they face as they continue to engage in their philanthropy.

Full-text article by Elisabeth Anderson, Shannon Bond, Erica Pagano is available via OnPhilanthropy.com, 6.26.09.

More Firms Seek Public's Help in Deciding Where to Donate

Companies are turning to their customers or the public to distribute donations. Last month, Target launched a two-week giving campaign on its Facebook page asking the public to decide how 10 national charities would receive a portion of $3 million that Target spends in weekly charitable giving.

Full-text article by Lauren Ashburn is available via the USAToday, 6.8.09.

ConocoPhillips donates $2 million to Oklahoma State University

Oklahoma State University has received a $2 million unrestricted gift from ConocoPhillips, university officials announced Monday.

Full-text article by Randy Ellis is available via NewsOK.com, 6.2.09.

Key Facts on Corporate Foundations

Charitable giving by the nation's nearly 2,500 corporate foundations remained virtually unchanged in 2008, according to Key Facts on Corporate Foundations. Giving totaled an estimated $4.4 billion last year. Corporate foundation giving in 2009 will most certainly decline; 51 percent of corporate foundations responding to the Center's survey said they expect to reduce their giving this year.

AT&T Inc. receives 2009 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation

AT and T Inc. is the recipient of the 2009 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Full-text article via MacDailyNews.com, 4.8.09.

Care Bears

BEAR Stearns is now widely seen as a place where self-interested wheeler dealers chose to hang their hats. But on the first anniversary of Bear’s unseemly demise, I look back with sadness at what was once a truly giving firm.

Full-text opinion piece by Thomas Flexner is available via The New York Times, 3.14.09.

Shifts in Corporate Philanthropy

If the crash of 2008 marks the end of an era of turbocharged laisser-faire capitalism in which free markets ruled and the pursuit of self-interest was regarded as a virtue, will businesses now come under pressure to do a bit more for society than merely maximizing shareholder wealth?

Full-text article by Richard Tomkins is available via the Financial Times, 1.17.09.

Next Benefit to Face the Ax: Matching Gifts

Hit hard by the recession, many companies have trimmed contributions to employees' 401(k) plans, suspended bonuses and cut back on health-care benefits. Now, a growing number are also taking the ax to their charitable matching gifts and volunteer programs.

Full-text article by Shelly Banjo is available via the Wall Street Journal, 1.14.09.

Small Gains in Corporate Giving

Giving by U.S. companies increased only slightly between 2006 and 2007, to just under $11-billion in 2007, compared with $10.2-billion the previous year, according to a new report by the Conference Board, in New York.

Full-text article by Caroline Preston is available via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 12.18.08.

Big Players Scale Back Charitable Donations

As the recession deepens, the future of charities that depend on corporate donations are uncertain. Donors signaling tighter times include casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, and former AIG CEO Hank Greenberg.

Full-text article by Mike Spector and Shelly Banjo is available via the Wall Street Journal, 11.25.08.

Bequests, Celebrities, Foundations, and the Economy: a Conference Notebook From National Research Meeting

Researchers offered findings on foundations, corporate giving, and trends in bequests at national meeting for the Association for Research in Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action in Philadelphia.

Full-text article by Debra Blum is available via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 11.23.08. [Subscription required.]

Economy Expected to Take a Toll on Charitable Giving

Big foundations have been damaged by the turmoil on Wall Street, receiving fewer gifts or seeing some of their stock holdings lose value.

Full-text article by Geraldine Fabrikant is available via the New York Times, 9.29.08.

MillerCoors Won't Put Charitable Commitments in Cold Storage

MillerCoors has decided to make Chicago the base of its newly merged beer operations but not to give up its corporate citizenship and philanthropy in cities around the country where its brands are brewed.

Full-text article by Charles Storch (Chicago Tribune) is available via iStockAnalyst, 7.24.08.

Bad Times, Good Deeds

Executives tempted to cut back on their corporate philanthropy in a slowing economy should think again. The long-term reputational benefits outweigh the short-term costs of sustaining their levels of giving even when profit and earnings growth slows, according to the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CEPC).

Full-text article by Rachel S. Cohen is available via Forbes.com, 6.10.08.

Philanthrophic Growth Presents Several Challenges

In the last two decades, the number of tax exempt public charities has increased by 200 percent, now totaling nearly 900,000. Simultaneously, the inflation-adjusted value of private giving has increased to nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars. While three quarters of that giving is still by individuals, annual corporate cash contributions to nonprofits has increased by over 30 percent and giving by foundations has more than tripled.

With all this philan­­thropic gr­ow­th has come at least three challenges, all of which are knocking on the corporate door, as well as at the door of major philanthropists.

Full-text article by Susan Raymond is available via INDUS Business Journal, 6.1.08.

Corporations Give $54-Million to Disaster Relief in China

American corporations have pledged at least $54-million in cash and noncash support to help earthquake victims in China. The figure is the third largest ever given by American businesses for international aid. Approximately 19 companies have pledged at least $1-million. Leading the effort is Amway, a direct-sales company, with $4.3-million, and Wal-Mart, with more than $3-million. Figures were compiled by the Business Civic Leadership Center at the Commerce Department.

Full-text article by Ylan Q. Mui is available via the Washington Post, 5.27.08.

Corporate Giving in Uncertain Times

As the national economy sinks deeper into recession, the nonprofit sector is starting to feel the same anxiety that has beset the financial, housing and retail sectors.

Nonprofit groups fear that companies forced to tighten their budgets will start by reducing or eliminating their philanthropic programs. While corporate giving constitutes only about 5 percent of all donations nationwide, any cuts could have significant impact on programs and organizations.

Full-text article by Clay Holtzman is available via MSNBC.com, 5.11.08.

Corporate Foundation Giving Reaches an Estimated $4.4 Billion

Giving by corporate foundations increased 6.6 percent in 2007 to an estimated $4.4 billion, according to Key Facts on Corporate Foundations, a new summary report released by the Foundation Center. Looking ahead, slightly more than half of corporate foundations surveyed (54 percent) expect their giving to increase in 2008.

The full-text report is available via the Foundation Center, 4.2008.

The State of Corporate Philanthropy:A McKinsey Global Survey

THE STATE OF CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY: A MCKINSEY GLOBAL SURVEY
Consumers' growing expectations of companies make corporate philanthropy more important than ever. But many respondents to this survey say their companies aren’t meeting social goals or stakeholder expectations very effectively. Companies that are doing well are taking a more strategic approach.

Complete survey available via The McKinsey Quarterly (free registration required),
2.2008.

Model Corporate Citizens

In honour of National Corporate Philanthropy Day...

Model Corporate Citizens by Matthew Kirdahy via Forbes, 2.25.08

A Guide to Giving - Charity's Role in the Economy - transcript of Nightly Business Report via PBS, 2.25.08.

Beginning February 25, PBS's Nightly Business Report will air a three-part series about philanthropy.

Building Business Value With Charitable Activities by Michele Bodmer via Credit Suisse, 2.25.08

Wal-Mart Gives More Than $296M in 2007 by John Henry via ArkansasBusiness.com, 2.25.08

Companies With a Heart: In search of better corporate philanthropy via Economist.com, 2.26.08.

Companies Urged to Update Their Charitable-Giving Plans

American businesses have increased their giving in the United States and around the world in recent years, but most companies do not donate enough to charity and have not adequately incorporated philanthropic efforts into their overall operations, say two new studies.

The studies are based on surveys conducted by LBG Associates, a consulting company that advises businesses on donating to local groups.

Full-text article by Sam Kean is available via the Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2.7.08. [Subscription required.]

Northern Trust Reports Global Philanthropy Contributions of $17.5 Million in 2007

Northern Trust Corporation announced today that its 2007 global corporate philanthropy program awarded $17.5 million in cash contributions to nonprofit organizations, and more than $240,000 in gifts in-kind, once again exceeding its previous record for charitable giving around the world.

Full-text press release available via CNNMoney.com, 1.29.08.

AT&T Philanthropy in North Carolina Tops $2.5 Million in 2007

AT&T is quickly building a reputation for corporate citizenship and community engagement in North Carolina.

AT&T Inc. has announced that, in 2007, philanthropic giving in North Carolina exceeded $2.5 million. Nearly 350 organizations in North Carolina received a contribution or grant from AT&T or the AT&T Foundation, the company's corporate philanthropy organization.

Full-text article is available via CNNMoney.com, 1.10.08.

Emerald City of Giving Does Exist

Ask anybody in the world of corporate philanthropy and they’ll tell you: Minneapolis-St. Paul is like no place else, a bastion of giving in an age when most companies are cutting back. “It is an unusual city in regards to corporate giving,” said former Labor Secretary Robert B. Reich.

Full-text article about the corporate giving culture in Minneapolis-St. Paul by Joe Nocera is available via the New York Times, 12.22.07.

Corporate Giving Increases

The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) released this fall its annual "Giving in Numbers" report, tracking the philanthropic activities and trends of 136 leading companies. These organizations reported higher giving on average in 2006 than in 2005 - a notable increase given that many companies had gone beyond their budgets to make disaster relief contributions in 2005.

CECP is an international forum of CEOs focused on improving the level and quality of corporate philanthropy.

Full-report is available via Giving In Numbers, 2007.

How Values Embraced by a Company May Enhance That Company's Value

The recent California wildfires made Herb Greenberg of MarketWatch wonder if companies that do the right thing make better investments than those that do not practice charitable giving?

Full-text article by Herb Greenberg available via MarketWatch, 10.28.07.

More information about the relationship between charitable giving and corporate success is available via the articles listed below.
"Corporate Giving Spurs Sales Growth, Study Finds," by Ian Wilhem via The Chronicle of Philanthropy, 2.8.07. [Subscription required.]

The 34-page report "Is Doing Good Good for You? Yes, Charitable Contributions Enhance Revenue Growth" is available free online.

The Conference Board's 55-page report, "The 2006 Corporate Contributions Report," may be ordered from the organization's website. The cost is $425 for nonmembers and $125 for members. The report's reference number is R-1399-06-RR.

Corporate Giving in Numbers

"Giving in Numbers" is a comprehensive analysis of the trends in corporate philanthropy based on data from 136 companies. Published by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP).