The State of Corporate Philanthropy

• Elevate and prioritize the social contract. Corporate leaders recognize the interdependency between business and society, and the pressing need to regain public trust. Eighty-two percent of attendees indicated that philanthropy can help restore trust in the business sector, signaling their belief that corporate giving can support a regenerative cycle in distressed communities.
• Refocus on core strategies. Attendees stated that in the current economic climate, aligning philanthropy with company values, practices and goals is imperative. Conversely, philanthropy conducted in isolation from the rest of the business will fail to deliver optimal social and business benefits.
• Initiate an inclusive dialogue. Eighty percent of participating CEOs consider their employees and customers to be the most important constituencies when crafting giving strategy. However, factors such as government support of threatened industries, stimulus packages and intensifying public scrutiny are swiftly expanding the number and size of stakeholder groups.
• Leverage resources creatively. The economic downturn has been much longer and more severe than even the worst commonly held predictions of a year ago. While this likely will have an effect on cash contributions, CEOs in attendance expressed their willingness to fill funding gaps as much as possible.

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