Conference Roundup: Reaching Out to Corporations

American Express is no longer alone. Companies from Gap to Mattel to Target are spending large sums of money promoting philanthropic causes. Some do it because it’s chic to jump on the social bandwagon, while others find real value in supporting nonprofit organizations and their missions, she said.

Koon pointed to Mattel’s “Go Red For Women” Barbie as an example of corporate chic. Mattel donated $100,000 to the American Heart Association for its Go Red For Women campaign, which spreads awareness of the fight against heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women in the United States.