Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy
Meiners, Roger E. & Laband, David N.
PATTERNS OF CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY: PUBLIC AFFAIRS GIVING AND THE FORBES 250 Roger E. Meiners and David N. Laband/Capital Research Center 403 pp. $50 paper John Von Kannon I n 1972 Bob Tyrrell...
...The results...
...20 million of that went to left-of-center groups...
...TWO major defense contractors, TRW and Westinghouse, support the Children's Defense Fund, which publishes an annual critique of the defense budget...
...One of my first fundraising ventures was to the corporate headquarters of McDonald's in suburban Chicago...
...The results...
...Over two-thirds of the grants made by Forbes 250 corporations went to liberal organizations...
...we were in the Midwest...
...He is exactly right: the urge to avoid controversy is never stronger than when corporate executives think about making contributions...
...Everyone says so...
...It all seemed so sensible: McDonald's prospered because of the free enterprise system (and a low minimum wage...
...liberal recipients received 58.5 percent of the grant dollars, compared to 36 percent received by more conservative groups...
...And to my knowledge only two would ever contribute to any conservative policy organization, and in amounts that would not pay for a tame office Christmas party...
...While others pontificate, Willa collects data...
...Only two percent of corporate giving programs are listed as center-right or conservative...
...Useful data that often confirm what many of us already knew, but now for the first time can prove...
...Only two percent of corporate giving programs are listed as center-right or conservative...
...When asked, they talk about "corporate responsibility," a concept whose very name suggests that the corporation is guilty of something...
...We promoted both...
...In a brief introduction he cites a number of reasons for corporate America's support of its critics...
...These include a lack of time, a lack of understanding, an inability to defend oneself against intellectual critics, indifference to the problem, and outright capitulation before the critics...
...Dattems of Corporate Philanthropy /— is the Capital Research Center's second annual study of big business's support of public policy organizations...
...This task is left to William E. Simon who, among other things, is president of the John M. Olin Foundation, and a longtime (and thoughtful) critic of corporate philanthropy...
...Inland Steel, Jewell, Gould, Combined Insurance, Motorola, Borg-Warner, Illinois Tool Works...
...50 paper John Von Kannon I n 1972 Bob Tyrrell named me pub- 1 fisher of The Alternative, as this magazine was then called, with the assignment of trying to raise the money needed to keep things going...
...Lots of data...
...Thanks to Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy, we know that this cycle exists...
...Borg-Warner, at one time a leading manufacturer of nuclear pumps, supports the Government Accountability Project, described by an admirer as "the leading [anti]nuclear legal group in the country...
...A Bove all, Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy provides loads of raw data and information...
...The first volume covered the Forbes 100 companies, and found that in 1985 "seven out of every ten public affairs dollars from the top 25 corporate contributors support establishment liberal—and some support even outright radical—causes...
...Or they live in fear of a call from the boss demanding, "Why don't we support these guys...
...The first volume covered the Forbes 100 companies, and found that in 1985 "seven out of every ten public affairs dollars from the top 25 corporate contributors support establishment liberal—and some support even outright radical—causes...
...In other words, the very organizations that depend on business for their existence (through corporate grants or advertisements...
...So they avoid controversy altogether...
...And to my knowledge only two would ever contribute to any conservative policy organization, and in amounts that would not pay for a tame office Christmas party...
...ARCO supports Greenpeace, one of the most militant opponents of oil exploration on the continental shelf...
...I talked about how McDonald's would benefit from supporting us...
...ARCO supports Greenpeace, one of the most militant opponents of oil exploration on the continental shelf...
...Too often these executives become captives of their critics, or worse, they actually begin to believe in their critics' agenda...
...What is now needed is a better understanding of why this happens, and a plan to encourage corporations to act more in the interests of their shareholders...
...McDonald's had a record of supporting young people...
...And who defines what's controversial...
...One thing the authors do not do is tell us why corporations give so much money to their critics, what effect this has on public discourse, or what can be done about it...
...Over two-thirds of the grants made by Forbes 250 corporations went to liberal organizations...
...I didn't know that because in 1972 no one had compiled statistics on corporate philanthropy...
...I looked over my list of other Chicago fundraising calls scheduled that week...
...It's interesting that the Heritage Foundation, which is probably better known than AEI and CSIS for its fundraising prowess, received only $739,000 from the Forbes 250...
...Moreover, corporate contributions officers —whose primary job is to identify organizations to support—too often have THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR SEPTEMBER 1989 39 neither the training nor the inclination to change things...
...In other words, the very organizations that depend on business for their existence (through corporate grants or advertisements...
...Burger King's parent corporation, Pillsbury, supports Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH, which led a nationwide boycott of Burger King...
...I quoted Ray Kroc...
...It all seemed so sensible: McDonald's prospered because of the free enterprise system (and a low minimum wage...
...I listed our other supporters in Chicago...
...Corporations are supposed to be conservative...
...So I set up a meeting, prepared well, and gave my best pitch for funds...
...And who defines what's controversial...
...or "Why this one...
...Right-of-center groups received $12 million, but $5.5 million of that went to just two of these, the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies...
...We promoted both...
...The trouble is, most business people don't really know why they give away money...
...She then went on to tell me about her interest in black street gangs...
...So if the CEO ever does think about it, he either accepts the recommendations of his corporate giving staff, or he too seeks to avoid controversy...
...In fact, public-affairs donations are usually included under"other" in lists of types of philanthropy...
...What's the deal...
...Everyone says so...
...I mused while chomping into a Whopper loaded with catsup...
...So I set up a meeting, prepared well, and gave my best pitch for funds...
...Bastions of conservatism...
...50 paper John Von Kannon I n 1972 Bob Tyrrell named me pub- 1 fisher of The Alternative, as this magazine was then called, with the assignment of trying to raise the money needed to keep things going...
...I looked over my list of other Chicago fundraising calls scheduled that week...
...The chief executive officers, for their part, generally don't spend much time thinking about philanthropy, especially in public affairs...
...I listed our other supporters in Chicago...
...It's interesting that the Heritage Foundation, which is probably better known than AEI and CSIS for its fundraising prowess, received only $739,000 from the Forbes 250...
...TWO major defense contractors, TRW and Westinghouse, support the Children's Defense Fund, which publishes an annual critique of the defense budget...
...There are profiles of the companies, profiles of the recipients, and lists of recipients and of the amounts distributed...
...But only one would ever contribute to the magazine...
...The intellectual community—the universities, the policy organizations, the serious journalists—and the popular media...
...we were in the Midwest...
...Indeed, they are usually the ones responsible for the problems...
...One thing the authors do not do is tell us why corporations give so much money to their critics, what effect this has on public discourse, or what can be done about it...
...Indeed, they are usually the ones responsible for the problems...
...Further, 86 percent of the corporations donate mostly to organizations that are center-left to left, while 13 percent are aimed to the right of center...
...ao THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR SEPTEMBER 1989 PATTERNS OF CORPORATE PHILAN...
...In short, I was brilliant...
...I retreated as quickly as possible to the nearest Burger King and rethought my career path...
...I retreated as quickly as possible to the nearest Burger King and rethought my career path...
...we were young people...
...What I didn't know at the time is that corporations give a lot more money to their adverJohn Von Kannon, former publisher of The American Spectator is president of Russell & Von Kannon, a fundraising and marketing consulting firm in Geneva, Illinois saries than to their friends...
...liberal recipients received 58.5 percent of the grant dollars, compared to 36 percent received by more conservative groups...
...Moreover, corporate contributions officers —whose primary job is to identify organizations to support—too often have THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR SEPTEMBER 1989 39 neither the training nor the inclination to change things...
...In 1986, the top American corporations gave over $35 million to public affairs organizations...
...I quoted Ray Kroc...
...The intellectual community—the universities, the policy organizations, the serious journalists—and the popular media...
...Inland Steel, Jewell, Gould, Combined Insurance, Motorola, Borg-Warner, Illinois Tool Works...
...In fact, public-affairs donations are usually included under"other" in lists of types of philanthropy...
...Perhaps most important, Simon notes, "far too many of our nonowning managers think and act like bureaucrats whose goal is merely to get along...
...There are profiles of the companies, profiles of the recipients, and lists of recipients and of the amounts distributed...
...Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy also provides some revealing insights into the world of big business: • Chevron, Pillsbury, Mellon Bank, and Xerox all support the Peace Child Foundation, producers of a "rock-musical fantasy" called Peace Child who claim that weapons "are often purchased for the benefit of major military contractors, not for the defense of the United States...
...This year's volume examines the top 250 companies from Forbes's expanded listing and provides detailed information on who gave what to whom during 1986...
...What's the deal...
...or "Why this one...
...Lots of data...
...Each of these recipients is assigned an ideological rating, ranging from radical left to radical right...
...Burger King's parent corporation, Pillsbury, supports Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH, which led a nationwide boycott of Burger King...
...The trouble is, most business people don't really know why they give away money...
...Too often these executives become captives of their critics, or worse, they actually begin to believe in their critics' agenda...
...I talked about how McDonald's would benefit from supporting us...
...So if the CEO ever does think about it, he either accepts the recommendations of his corporate giving staff, or he too seeks to avoid controversy...
...Each of these recipients is assigned an ideological rating, ranging from radical left to radical right...
...One of my first fundraising ventures was to the corporate headquarters of McDonald's in suburban Chicago...
...A Bove all, Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy provides loads of raw data and information...
...Perhaps most important, Simon notes, "far too many of our nonowning managers think and act like bureaucrats whose goal is merely to get along...
...Or they live in fear of a call from the boss demanding, "Why don't we support these guys...
...Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy also provides some revealing insights into the world of big business: • Chevron, Pillsbury, Mellon Bank, and Xerox all support the Peace Child Foundation, producers of a "rock-musical fantasy" called Peace Child who claim that weapons "are often purchased for the benefit of major military contractors, not for the defense of the United States...
...She then went on to tell me about her interest in black street gangs...
...The authors are not concerned with traditional corporate philanthropy—support for museums, hospitals, and schools—but rather with grants to organizations that have a specific interest in public policy...
...While others pontificate, Willa collects data...
...Useful data that often confirm what many of us already knew, but now for the first time can prove...
...Further, 86 percent of the corporations donate mostly to organizations that are center-left to left, while 13 percent are aimed to the right of center...
...We aren't talking peanuts here, either...
...When asked, they talk about "corporate responsibility," a concept whose very name suggests that the corporation is guilty of something...
...Happily, the situation has changed, thanks to the Capital Research Center, a scrappy little organization in Washington, D.C., founded by Willa Johnson, a longtime conservative activist who likes to keep tabs on things...
...General Electric is the largest Forbes 250 contributor to the Environmental Law Institute, a leader in the movement to prevent the reopening of nuclear plants, presumably including those built and maintained by GE...
...Happily, the situation has changed, thanks to the Capital Research Center, a scrappy little organization in Washington, D.C., founded by Willa Johnson, a longtime conservative activist who likes to keep tabs on things...
...McDonald's was in the Midwest...
...Borg-Warner, at one time a leading manufacturer of nuclear pumps, supports the Government Accountability Project, described by an admirer as "the leading [anti]nuclear legal group in the country...
...Right-of-center groups received $12 million, but $5.5 million of that went to just two of these, the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies...
...Thanks to Patterns of Corporate Philanthropy, we know that this cycle exists...
...Chicago's corporate leaders...
...McDonald's was in the Midwest...
...In short, I was brilliant...
...20 million of that went to left-of-center groups...
...The response was an astonished look from the contributions officer, who exclaimed: "Well, I've never met anyone who actually believes in free enterprise...
...Chicago's corporate leaders...
...These include a lack of time, a lack of understanding, an inability to defend oneself against intellectual critics, indifference to the problem, and outright capitulation before the critics...
...This task is left to William E. Simon who, among other things, is president of the John M. Olin Foundation, and a longtime (and thoughtful) critic of corporate philanthropy...
...While the numbers involved may seem large and significant to the recipients, the amounts actually involve a relatively small part of a company's budget...
...The response was an astonished look from the contributions officer, who exclaimed: "Well, I've never met anyone who actually believes in free enterprise...
...Dattems of Corporate Philanthropy /— is the Capital Research Center's second annual study of big business's support of public policy organizations...
...I didn't know that because in 1972 no one had compiled statistics on corporate philanthropy...
...While the numbers involved may seem large and significant to the recipients, the amounts actually involve a relatively small part of a company's budget...
...What is now needed is a better understanding of why this happens, and a plan to encourage corporations to act more in the interests of their shareholders...
...So they avoid controversy altogether...
...The authors are not concerned with traditional corporate philanthropy—support for museums, hospitals, and schools—but rather with grants to organizations that have a specific interest in public policy...
...we were young people...
...He is exactly right: the urge to avoid controversy is never stronger than when corporate executives think about making contributions...
...In a brief introduction he cites a number of reasons for corporate America's support of its critics...
...ao THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR SEPTEMBER 1989 PATTERNS OF CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY: PUBLIC AFFAIRS GIVING AND THE FORBES 250 Roger E. Meiners and David N. Laband/Capital Research Center 403 pp...
...Bastions of conservatism...
...In 1986, the top American corporations gave over $35 million to public affairs organizations...
...We aren't talking peanuts here, either...
...This year's volume examines the top 250 companies from Forbes's expanded listing and provides detailed information on who gave what to whom during 1986...
...General Electric is the largest Forbes 250 contributor to the Environmental Law Institute, a leader in the movement to prevent the reopening of nuclear plants, presumably including those built and maintained by GE...
...Corporations are supposed to be conservative...
...But only one would ever contribute to the magazine...
...What I didn't know at the time is that corporations give a lot more money to their adverJohn Von Kannon, former publisher of The American Spectator is president of Russell & Von Kannon, a fundraising and marketing consulting firm in Geneva, Illinois saries than to their friends...
...McDonald's had a record of supporting young people...
...The chief executive officers, for their part, generally don't spend much time thinking about philanthropy, especially in public affairs...
...I mused while chomping into a Whopper loaded with catsup...
Vol. 22 • September 1989 • No. 9
