Examples of Generosity in a Company

Some companies get customers and employees involved with their charitable programs.

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Generosity at small and large companies is often associated with financial contributions. However, some companies show generosity by focusing on a cause and providing goods or services to people to support the cause. In any case, efforts to be generous can backfire if it appears a company is more interested in gaining publicity than helping people or community organizations.

Some corporate generosity stems from making product donations that are based on company sales. Toms Shoes, for example, donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair a customer purchases from the company. Toms distributes the donated shoes to children in the United States and 24 other countries. More than 1 million pairs of shoes have been donated to children through the program, according to the company.

Some companies provide services to meet people’s basic needs following natural disasters. Procter and Gamble, for example, uses its Tide Loads of Hope program to provide laundry services to disaster victims. Company representatives bring in vans equipped with washers and dryers to clean residents’ clothing free of charge in areas struck by natural disasters. The company indicates that more than 30,000 loads of laundry have been cleaned for disaster victims through the program.

Employee job satisfaction tends to rise when employees participate in a company’s charitable programs, according to the “Nevada Business Journal.” Nonetheless, Harvard University professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter notes on the "Harvard Business Review" website that community leaders sometimes reject corporate gifts when they suspect companies are merely seeking publicity. She warns that authenticity is essential when businesses participate in charitable programs. For example, companies won’t appear to be generous if they make donations intended to overshadow a controversial issue linked to their operations.

Frances Burks has more than 15 years experience in staff and freelance writing positions, including work as a news analyst for executive briefings and as an Associated Press journalist. Burks has banking and business development experience, and she has written numerous articles on consumer issues and home improvement. Burks holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan.