May 6, 1999 | Read Time: 1 minute
Give and Take: A Candid Account of Corporate Philanthropy
By Reynold Levy
Businesses need to be reminded that philanthropy is an important part of corporate strategy, writes Mr. Levy, former president of the AT&T Foundation and now head of the International Rescue Committee, in New York.
“The best way to keep philanthropy vibrant, well regarded, and well funded in a corporation is to demonstrate its regular contributions to business success,” says Mr. Levy.
In this book, Mr. Levy primarily draws from his 12 years at AT&T to provide insights into and advice on corporate giving. He argues that philanthropy can stem damage to a company’s reputation, win over customers, and improve employees’ morale.
He analyzes the ins and outs of running a corporate-giving program. Mr. Levy cites specific examples from his tenure at AT&T, such as the company’s underwriting of the MacNeil / Lehrer NewsHour, and rebuts studies by the Capital Research Center that have characterized much of corporate giving as contrary to the interests of businesses.
Mr. Levy also discloses “trade secrets” for non-profit organizations seeking corporate funds. For example: Bone up on the corporation’s long-term financial agenda to understand better the chances of getting a grant, and show off broad-based support from other sources when pitching a grant request.
He ends the book by discussing trends such as the growth in the number of small and mid-sized companies that award grants.
Publisher: The Harvard Business School Press, Operations Department, Boston 02163; (617) 495-6117 or (888) 500-1016; World-Wide Web http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu; 235 pages; $24.95; I.S.B.N. 0-87584-893-1.
