The issue of organizational philanthropy can be controversial and often raises skepticism about whether corporate giving is simply a marketing and public relations tool to gain good will. Milton Friedman believed that the social responsibility of business was to make a profit for shareholders, making organizational philanthropy unnecessary and even undesirable, but there is much criticism regarding this view. For example, many consider it the responsibility of an organization to do good for the community where it is located and in which its employees and customers live.

Select a well-known organization to profile, an organization about which much has been written. Do not select an organization your instructor can’t research…like your church or a local organization about which little can be found in the way of public documentation. Using the chapters in Moral Leadership by Brest (Chapter 10) and Sievers (Chapter 11), reconcile the different opinions about organizational philanthropy, describing the current philanthropic plan of the organization you have selected.

In a paper of at least 4,500 words (exclusive of title, abstract, and reference pages), include all of the following:

1. Describe the organization’s history of philanthropy. What do supporters and critics say about the appropriateness (or inappropriateness) of the organization’s philanthropic activities? Which ethical theories best reflect the corporate giving philosophy of the organization? Why?
2. Discuss how the organization has established philanthropic priorities. Identify the organization’s mission and values (usually found on the company’s website) and evaluate how well the organization’s philanthropic priorities relate to its mission and values. To what extent is there congruence between what the organization says it stands for (its mission and values) and its philanthropic plan?
3. For the organization you have chosen, discuss how diversity plays a role in the organization’s philanthropic plan (not just in the organization’s workforce). If respect and value for diversity are evident in the organization’s philanthropic giving, describe how. If respect and value for diversity are not evident in the philanthropic plan, discuss the implications. In either case, discuss ways the organization could be more inclusive in its philanthropic giving.
4. In general, how can organizations avoid legal and ethical issues of bias (gender, racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, and/or disability) when developing philanthropic giving plans? What evidence can you find that the organization you have chosen to profile considers and avoids issues of bias in its corporate giving plan?
5. In general, how can corporate philanthropy enhance an organization’s social responsibility? What evidence can you find that the corporate philanthropy of the organization you have chosen to profile enhances its social responsibility and image? To what extent does the philanthropic plan involve environmental sustainability?
6. In general, what are the implications on the ethics of giving if an organization receives substantial goodwill or preferred relationships from the beneficiaries of its philanthropic giving? What evidence can you find about the benefits the organization you have chosen to profile receives as a result of its philanthropic giving?

This paper should integrate your learning throughout the course. In addition to required readings and any websites from which you access information, reference at least eight additional academic sources (academic journal articles) to support your analysis, evaluation and recommendations.