Company Giving Habits Influence Workers, Consumers, Two Studies Find

Two new surveys suggest that a corporation’s philanthropic efforts influence a majority of Americans’ business-related

decisions, including whether to accept a job offer.

According to one survey, 72 percent of 2,169 respondents nationwide, when deciding between two job opportunities, would prefer to work for a company that “supports a charitable cause,” if location, employment responsibilities, salary, and benefits were the same. The survey was sponsored by Deloitte & Touche USA, an accounting company in New York.

In another survey, 53 percent of respondents said a company’s efforts to be a good corporate citizen, including its philanthropy, are an important part of their decision to work at a company, as well as to make a purchase from the company, recommend it to others, invest in it, or welcome its stores or other facilities into their neighborhood.

The survey polled 2,770 people nationwide and was sponsored by Golin/Harris International, a public-relations company in Chicago that helps businesses develop giving programs.

Not Most Effective

While Americans consider cash donations to be part of a company’s good citizenship, the Deloitte survey indicated, they do not believe it is the most effective way for it to help charities.

Twenty-three percent of respondents in the study said giving money to charity was an effective way for a company to “support its community,” but 39 percent said donations of products and services are more effective, and 31 percent said employee volunteer efforts are more effective.

What’s more, in the Golin/Harris report, when asked to rank the importance of 10 actions that reflect good corporate practices, “donates a fair share of its profits, goods, or services to benefit others” was second to last. “Ethical, honest, responsible, and accountable business practices and executive behavior” ranked first.

Among the Golin/Harris survey’s other findings:

• A majority of respondents listed “environment and pollution” as the top concern out of 10 issues they want businesses to do something about. “Volunteerism” and “public-private partnerships” ranked last.
• Twenty-seven percent said they rely on what nonprofit groups say about companies to form their opinions about a corporation.
• Twenty-four percent said nonprofit groups are a “trusted” and “reliable” source of information about a company’s philanthropic and other citizenship activities.

Deloitte’s “Community Involvement Survey” may be obtained free by contacting the company via e-mail at communityinvolvement@deloitte.com to request a digital copy of the report. A summary of the report is online at http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/press_release/
0,1014,sid%253D2000%2526cid%253D61664,00.html; click on “Press Releases” under “Press Room” and scroll down to the report.

The other report, “Doing Well by Doing Good 2004: The Trajectory of Corporate Citizenship and American Business,” is available free on the Golin/Harris Web site at http://www.golinharris.com/news/default.asp?sContent=releases.asp?ID=3841; a copy may also be obtained by contacting the company’s Virginia office at 2200 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 1100, Arlington, Va. 22201; (703) 741-7500; fax (703) 741-7501; randerson@golinharris.com.

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