Building Better Communities Through Corporate Giving
Since the founding of America, acts of giving in the form of philanthropy have helped shape our society and the way it has developed. United States founders Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton outlined in their writing a necessary love of mankind in order to build a successful country. Throughout our country’s history, giving by corporations has been influential in terms of helping those in need and building our nations society. Today, corporate giving has become a way for wealthy individuals and companies to help others. Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller in the early 1900s were perhaps two of America’s most important philanthropists. Carnegie distributed the majority of his life’s earnings to worthy causes, including funds directed to the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. Modern philanthropists include Bill Gates, founder of the Microsoft Corporation, who alongside his wife Melinda operates the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to reducing poverty and increasing healthcare worldwide. Additionally, the Gates family is dedicated to educational initiatives in America. For corporations wishing to give back to their community, there are many options available. These options include but are not limited to helping existing charities through specific endowments or general donations. These corporations even have the option of starting their own foundation. Smaller companies sometimes sponsor local charities in terms of their annual fundraisers. How should your company select a cause? It’s important to find a cause that is worthy and has a reputable history of working with those in need. You may find that the cause you are most closely associated with helps the working poor or is dedicated to fighting a specific illness. You may even find a charity that helps animals. Regardless of the charity, make sure that they are working diligently to help others. Giving to others not only helps rebuild a community, it helps drive the recovery to our economy. Many causes are specifically designed to help people get ahead. For example, your company may wish to start a scholarship fund. This type of corporate giving helps directly get our nation back on track. Elliott Broidy is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Broidy Capital Management. He is also a philanthropist and and the 2008 Raoul Wallenberg award winner for his for his commitment to civic duty, security and philanthropy in the United States and Israel and writes regularly about corporate giving. |