From Philanthropic Strategy to Strategic Philanthropy: Selected Canadian Case Studies

The rapidly growing literature investigating corporate social responsibility and corporate philanthropy attests to the world-wide interest in this trend, both from an academic perspective and as a legitimate component of commercial success (Burson-Marsteller, 2000; Waddock & Graves, 1997). As Marx (1999) points out, the evolution of corporate philanthropy from donation programs to strategic philanthropy has been well documented in the nonprofit literature, particularly as it relates to US corporations, and indeed research interest in this topic dates back to the 1930s and 1940s (Carroll, 1999). Smith (1994) suggests that most US corporations established philanthropic foundations in the 1960s to demonstrate their obligation to support the American version of the social contract. Part of that contract involved the separation of profit, nonprofit and government roles.