Published 05-05-03
Submitted by Center for Corporate Citizenship
Professor Porter’s theory builds on his December 2002 Harvard Business Review article “The Competitive Advantage of Corporate Philanthropy,” which urges companies to increase the value of their grantmaking by focusing social investments and applying expertise on the company’s competitive context. In the article, which won the second-place 2002 McKinsey Award, Porter advocates a movement from public relations-focused corporate philanthropy to grantmaking that simultaneously addresses long-term business constraints and real social problems. Porter’s ideas have generated considerable discussion within the corporate philanthropy field – especially in these difficult economic times when many corporate donors are searching for the business case to sustain their programs.
Professor Porter will be joined by a panel of leading practitioners from Pfizer Inc., the American Express Company, Cisco Systems and The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College. Pfizer is the world’s largest corporate grantmaker, distinguished by such programs as the Sharing the Care Program and the Living Share Card Program for low-income seniors. American Express’ major social investment programs include sponsorship of the Academies of Travel and Tourism and the Economic Independence Fund to support the financial literacy education of under-served adults. Cisco Systems’ signature initiatives include the Networking Academy Program and sponsorship of the NetAid Foundation.
Forum co-sponsors include the Foundation Strategy Group (http://www.foundationstrategy.com), a professional consulting firm that serves corporate, private and community grantmakers, and The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College (http://www.bc.edu/corporatecitizenship), a research center that provides research, executive education, consultation and convenings on issues of corporate citizenship.
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