Genuine charity is strictly a human endeavor. Charitable giving has always served the corporate interest as a calculated public-relations tool. To be fair, it's not all puffery. Thousands of these companies' employees enthusiastically volunteer their time and money through workplace programs. These policies can boost worker morale and the company's market-share at the same time.
Many companies also engender goodwill through in-kind donations of surplus products.
Although the benefits of corporate giving are sometimes intangible, responsible corporate philanthropy can create the kind of win-win situations we find in rational economic transactions. However, corporate philanthropy is rife with examples of reckless giving. Too many publicly held companies undermine the free economy and distort the nonprofit sector by supporting liberal interest groups. These groups masquerade as charities even when their mission consists entirely of big-government advocacy. The fact that so many companies conceal these gifts calls their stewardship into question.