By Jeri Atleson
Giving should be its own reward. This is how many people view the prospect of becoming a philanthropist or the venture of donating to charity. We live in a society that overall has a very conflicted relationship with money and success. On one hand, capitalism has become more of an industry in America than anything else, where people will try to realize the most profit for themselves and their companies. However, on the other side of the coin, are people who feel human interests should come before wealth creation, and that financial gain should be tempered by philanthropy. Recently, the two schools of thought - business and philanthropy - have begun to merge, making business and philanthropy intertwined with one another and better off for that relationship. Let me explain.
Business and philanthropy, or giving in various ways by all different types of businesses , is more a matter of perception than anything else. How its customers or clients perceive a company is an important aspect of how well that company fares. It is for this reason that many corporations and small businesses alike are reaching out to the public sector more now than ever before. Having a large oil company sponsor a beach cleanup or habitat restoration project is not at all a rare thing these days. Those in charge of the private sector are realizing that their economic power can have influence that reaches beyond shareholders.
It is certainly not the sole responsibility of corporations to become more charitable and singly combat social problems. A smart corporation or business must realize that their company is not a monolith. Taking intelligent, deliberate steps towards being charitable is recommended. This can mean the most impact on public perception and least impact on profits. There are actually many companies that specialize in maximizing effectiveness of philanthropy through strategic marketing and other business and philanthropy decisions. These companies handle the financial planning behind charitable donations and help creator maintain a positive image for the business as an offshoot.
It makes sense that companies would want to give back to communities. If effective enough, a company can improve neighborhoods by creating more educated, wealthier potential employees who, in turn, become more educated, wealthier employees and consumers. Once a company realizes that investing in business, philanthropy can become a smart business decision as well as a moral contribution. It's certain other companies will follow suit. Giving is its own reward. When companies embark on a road to becoming more philanthropic, they not only give to themselves but receive a return on human investments which has the greatest impact of all.
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