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Giving to Tell About It

March 16, 2011 by Lisa Biank Fasig — Director, JZMcBride and Associates

If a company makes a charitable donation and there aren't any news outlets to report it, does the contribution still count?I was again forced to ask this question – one my former reporter co-workers and I used to raise – following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Recovery crews were still digging for survivors when American corporations began releasing press announcements to alert everyone to their news-breaking do-gooding.

They are doing good, don't get me wrong. But shouting one's philanthropy from the rooftops is just self-serving, and it places their motive in question. Think about it – would you Tweet about your personal charitable contributions? If Charlie Sheen or Prince William Tweeted about theirs, would it matter to you?

But perhaps that is the argument for promoting a company's donations. If the organization is very influential and counts millions of loyal customers (Starbucks, Apple), then letting these customers know it supports a cause may encourage them to do the same. That helps the cause. Likewise, it never bothered me that National Public Radio announces the names of members who contribute during its pledge drives, because doing so encourages others to act in kind.

But posting a "Japan Relief" icon on one's corporate web site or Facebook page is different than sending out a press release. A press release is designed to announce news, while giving to charity is a normal course of action for most businesses. If a company thinks making a donation is news, then it should do some soul searching.

That goes double for companies that donate sums that are a fraction of the CEO's annual salary.

About Lisa Biank Fasig

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