M4i Information Industries Inc. which produces dynamic systems models of such things as corporate donations and their wide range impacts and returns. Given the level at which we have been analyzing the situation in Canada most respondent's remarks are frankly off the cuff and naive. Craig Stevenson's comments that corporations are non-caring is wrong. The what, why, and how they care or don't care is the really interesting question. Judging another's motivations does little if what is desired is to positively influence them towards your cause and your issues.
Businesses are something quite other than a bunch of folks joining hands for a common purpose.
Businesses are conduits of wealth and each of us that hold stock or mutual funds expect businesses to deliver on our expectation that they earn money. As a share holder, I could care less if the mail room had a common purpose with senior execs. Businesses are granted their own identity INTO which people come to help achieve the business goal. Clarity around business identity in fact strengthens the argument for sound community involvement by business - as our models show, businesses need resources, workers, and buyers in very particular combinations that vary over time. I do agree with Ross that the small percentage charitable dollars moving from the corporate to nonprofit sectors is tiny.