Putting the “Love of Humanity” Back in Corporate Philanthropy: The Case of Health Grants by Corporate Foundations

With the growing call for private sector actors to address global challenges, it is necessary to first assess whether regions with the greatest needs are accessing corporate philanthropy. In this paper, we ask whether corporate philanthropy is reaching those with the greatest health-care needs. Drawing on economic geography and corporate homophily, we argue that corporate philanthropy tends to exacerbate health inequality as grants are destined for counties with fewer health problems. We test and find support for this hypothesis using data on health grants made by US corporate foundations and county-level health data. Our results that corporate health grants are less likely to go to counties which have a lower proportion of medical service providers and insured citizens suggest that corporate foundations are unwittingly complicit in worsening the resource gap between small, poor, rural counties and large, wealthy, urban counties. From an ethical perspective, we provide some guidance as to how this may be corrected.

Corporate Foundations as Hybrid Organizations: A Systematic Review of Literature

The rise and global reach of the corporate foundation (CF) phenomenon has attracted the attention of academic researchers and practitioners and led to a plurality of definitions and understandings. This definitional fuzziness notwithstanding, the term hybridity is widely used as the defining characteristic to describe a CF’s position between business and civil society and its diverse interlinkages with its founding company. However, the extant literature has seldom explained what hybridity signifies, when it occurs and how it is shown. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of the academic and gray literature on CFs. Based on 80 publications covering 30 countries worldwide, this study proposes 15 characteristics along four global themes as a comprehensive set to account for the complexity of CFs. It develops propositions for a fine-grained understanding of what constitutes the hybrid nature of CFs at the strategic, organizational and contextual levels. Accordingly, this study suggests ways forward by revealing questions that require further research toward a better understanding of the CF phenomenon.

Corporate Foundations as Partnership Brokers in Supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Rather than limiting themselves to acting as mere financial intermediaries of corporate philanthropic funds, corporate foundations (CFs) may contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as partnership brokers. Based on the literature on the SDGs, cross-sector partnerships, the influence of the private sector on the SDGs, and institutional philanthropic involvement in the SDGs, this paper shows how the unique characteristics of CFs and their position between the business sector and civil society make them ideal partnership brokers in cross-sector collaborations. Furthermore, this study examines how CFs approach the Agenda 2030 with respect to their activities and strategies. Following an explorative research approach, data were collected through an online survey among CF managers in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Germany. The findings suggest that, in order to contribute more effectively to the SDGs, CFs should make more and better use of their capacities in bridging institutional logics, pooling resources, and initiating partnerships between different sectors.

Corporate foundation as a corporate philanthropy tool in the light of research

Aim: Demonstration of corporate foundations as a tool for the implementation of corporate philanthropy. Methodology: The quantitative survey was carried out based on 30% of corporate foundations in Poland, and the qualitative study was conducted in six corporate foundations. The survey was participated by people managing corporate foundations who answered the questions on how cooperation should look like from the assumption and how it looks today. The article also presents the results of researching websites of 125 corporate foundations and their founders. Results: The research has shown that there are corporate foundations in Poland that are a useful tool for corporate philanthropy. Research restrictions: The study was conducted in corporate foundations and among their founders. It turned out that most often the same employees are liable for CSR and for the corporation foundation. Therefore, such connections should be examined during further inquiries. Practical implications: Presentation of advantages and disadvantages of implementing CSR to organizations that do not have corporate foundations. Discussion on problems that arise during the operation of corporate foundations. Originality/value: The article presents corporate foundations as one of the tools of corporate philanthropy. As foundations are increasingly being established, it is essential to describe such organizations accurately. The article is intended for researchers studying CSR, as well as for business managers who are thinking about setting up corporate foundations.