Answers to the 12 most common and critical questions about corporate giving In this groundbreaking resource, Weeden shows how to strategically plan, manage and evaluate corporate contributions. Questions include: Why Should We Give?; How Much?; Who Decides?; Does a Company Need a Foundation?; How to Give Products or Services?; How Do We Know What Works? The book covers a wide range of topics including: The case for conditional corporate philanthropy; increasing stewardship to give more; assigning responsibility for signature programs; how CEOs leverage contributions programs for maximum benefit; effectively staffing corporate contributions programs; the pros and cons of corporate foundations; and more. Offers benchmarks for determining if a business has a meaningful philanthropic program that fosters constructive corporate citizenship Reveals how an effective philanthropic program and commitment can be incorporated in any organization Contains a comprehensive review of the information corporations need to make informed decisions about giving The author offers a prescription for linking businesses with causes and the nonprofits addressing critical issues in a way that will preserve or restore services and activities essential to our quality of life.

"Political controversy is a lens through which the author examines corporate philanthropy. He explains why corporate philanthropy has become politicized, how corporations, respond to controversy about their donations, and what the conflicts tell us about corporate phlanthropy and corproate politics. Himmelstein argues that corporate giving sometimes becomes politicized because it is inherently a complex social and political act. Drawing on in-depth interviews with managers at fifty-five of the largest corporate giving programs in the U.S., Himmelstein shows that corporate giving often finds itself, as one manager put it, locked in a 'struggle between looking good and doing good.'"--Back cover.

A guide for fund raisers to the current thinking in the boardrooms about getting the biggest bang for the company's charity, and to the research corporations are doing to that end. The eight perspectives include why research in crucial to the new corporate philanthropy, corporate volunteerism, business performance, the ethical framework, and firm size. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Shows how businesses can create charitable foundations, and shares examples of innovative corporate giving

Chosen by BusinessWeek as One of the Top Ten Business Books of the Year With apologies to Hegel, Marx, and Lenin, the basic unit of modern society is neither the state, nor the commune, nor the party; it is the company. From this bold premise, John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge chart the rise of one of history’s great catalysts for good and evil. In a “fast-paced and well-written” work (Forbes), the authors reveal how innovations such as limitations on liability have permitted companies to rival religions and even states in importance, governing the flow of wealth and controlling human affairs–all while being largely exempt from the rules that govern our lives. The Company is that rare, remarkable book that fills a major gap we scarcely knew existed. With it, we are better able to make sense of the past four centuries, as well as the events of today.

This book examines whether firms as organizations can be considered morally responsible for their actions. This question has profound practical implications as well as theoretical significance, not least when we are today so frequently confronted with misconduct in business.

Somehow it surprises me that this book wasn't written earlier, but I'm glad it wasn't. If it had been, Frank Koch probably wouldn't have sensed the vacuum that has existed, and this practical book wouldn't have come to be. I'd like to stress practical. The book describes in a comprehensive and-more importantly-practical way how every corporation can mar shal its financial support, employee talents, and other resources to make a meaningful impact on society. I happen to be one of those corporate executives who believes that a business has a responsibility to make such an impact. My brother Peter agrees. Our father and uncle set an example for us, and the tradition goes back to our great uncles and their uncle, Levi Strauss himself. For more than 125 years Levi Strauss & Co. has shown that social responsibil ity is good business and, in recent years, that it is also compatible with dynamic growth. We are proud of that tradition and what it produced, but 1 think the modern era of social responsibility or corporate citizenship at Levi's got its impetus in 1968 with my association with the National Alliance of Businessmen. It was there that I saw what other companies were doing: innovative ways to train, to transport, to provide jobs. It opened my eyes to areas in which business could become involved, areas I never before thought of as business responsibilities-even areas where it could have an impact.

More than ever, businesses and organizations want to stand for something. They want to plant a flag in their community and work toward solving real problems. This goes beyond writing a check-it's about establishing an identity independent of your products and services; one that aligns with the values of both your customers and employees. When you want to make an impact, the hard part is knowing how to get started. That's where Rackspace found itself in 2008 when the company moved into a dead mall on the "wrong" side of town. They wanted to be a good citizen of the neighborhood, yet they were unsure where to start. Fast-forward more than ten years, and the Rackspace Foundation has positively impacted the lives of thousands of families on the northeast side of San Antonio. In The New Corporate Citizen, Cara Nichols gives business leaders the playbook Rackspace used to create intentional change in their community by connecting with local schools. Sharing tough lessons Rackspace learned along the way, you'll see exactly how you can begin to enrich the lives of students and their families-no big checks required.

A practical guide to philanthropy at all levels of giving that seeks to educate and inspire A majority of American households give to charity in some form or another--from local donations to food banks, religious organizations, or schools, to contributions to prevent disease or protect basic freedoms. Whether you're in a position to give $1 or $1 million, every giver needs to answer the same question: How do I channel my giving effectively to make the greatest difference? In Giving Done Right, Phil Buchanan, the president of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, arms donors with what it takes to do more good more quickly and to avoid predictable errors that lead too many astray. This crucial book will reveal the secrets and lessons learned from some of the biggest givers, from the work of software entrepreneur Tim Gill and his foundation to expand rights for LGBTQ people to the efforts of a midwestern entrepreneur whose faith told him he must do something about childhood slavery in Ghana. It busts commonly held myths and challenging the idea that "business thinking" holds the answer to effective philanthropy. And it offers the intellectual frameworks, data-driven insights, tools, and practical examples to allow readers to understand exactly what it takes to make a difference.