Bethesda Associates

Business for Benevolence (B4B) is a unique way to think about a company’s purpose. Some would say it’s downright odd. Others, however, are finding it to be fulfilling and beneficial. B4B does not wait for others to come knocking on the door. It does not weigh opportunities in light of whether they’ll be “good publicity” for our company, will “polish our image,” or even “help the community where we do business.” Instead, B4B eagerly embraces corporate giving as a prime reason for being. It says in essence, “Our company exists to make money so we can then give away a certain portion to benevolent purposes. It’s not a token gesture for us. It’s not a sideline. It’s the main thing.” B4B companies are mission-centric. They set giving targets in advance (either percentages of net income or, in some cases, firm dollar amounts). These targets are just like sales goals and other benchmarks. The people in charge do not wait and see if, as the fiscal year unfolds, the bottom line looks healthy enough to do some giving. They decide on the front end to invest in certain carefully chosen charities and service efforts. These investments become part of their definition of business success. B4B companies do not seek to grow for the purpose of making any one person or family rich. Their goal, instead, is to generate a greater bottom line that will advance their chosen mission or benevolent cause. And they do it through everyday activity in the marketplace, from healthcare to construction to retail to financial services to mass media. These companies are fund generators for greater purposes. Does this mean they limit their corporate growth potential or ignore healthy business principles? Do salaries get squeezed and capital improvements postponed due to their giving? Not at all. B4B companies are committed to being leaders in their fields, believing that generosity is part of what makes them strong, not weak.